Cycle 4 – Item 196

20 (Sat) July 2013

Galbi

1.5

by me

at the cabin

-Changchon, Seowon, Hoengseong, Gangwon, Republic of Korea-

with the Family, In-Laws

Impromptu countryside getaway to escape the blistering heat of the city.

Climate change on a local level, it really is amazing and disturbing that humans en masse and all their infrastructure can artificially affect the weather, raising the temperature up to 4 degrees centigrade within a densely populated metropolitan area, a phenomenon referred to as “urban heat island.”

The In-Laws opted to come.  Their first trip to the cabin, they were delighted by the opportunity to get their hands dirty doing some yard work.  Despite the snide comments I often make at their expense, I can’t deny how much of a relief it was to have somebody help look after the baby, who’s becoming quite the little monster as he transitions to toddlerhood.

When we were designing the floor plan, I insisted that the deck be immediately adjacent to the kitchen to facilitate the transfer of food to and fro, especially when grilling.  However, because that side of the house faces forward, and the faucets were placed in the rear, cleanup is turning out to be a major pain.  Lately, to make cleanup easier, I’ve been grilling guerilla-style at the side of the house, where the “front” door is located, which then makes service a pain.  I lose either way.

I hadn’t packed any food, so I was happy to find that my mother had frozen the remaining ribs from a couple weeks ago.  They were grilled over coals as before, then served all at once at the table, inside.  Unfortunately, although they tasted fine, the meat was unbearably tough, maybe something to do with the freezing/thawing.  But with a variety of kimchi and fresh chilies from the garden, the meal overall was okay.

 

(See also BOOZE)

(See also GLOBAL FOOD GLOSSARY)

(See also RESTAURANTS IN KOREA)