cashew chicken!

Tomorrow's the first day of classes; Samil Jeol is over, and the winter/spring semester has finally arrived. I had done quite a bit of shopping—much of it expensive because I was buying Western goods at non-Costco locations (mainly E-Mart and the local grocers). March 2 is Mardi Gras, and I had hoped to find ingredients for a remoulade so I could make chicken po' boys for the troops, right there on campus, but it was not to be. Instead, I bought ingredients to make something I haven't made since leaving Front Royal: cashew chicken, Kevin-style. The following two photos show off my labor of love. Behold—cashew chicken with green bell peppers, Korean gochu, and oyster mushrooms in sweet sauce:

And the chili-dusted final product, on top of white rice cooked without a rice cooker:


Like most appliances and electronic products, rice cookers in Korea are about two to three times more expensive than in the States. In the States, a decent rice cooker might set you back $12 to $15; here in Korea, a cheap (and pitifully small) rice cooker runs about W35,000 (about $32). I always find it a bit ironic that an electronics powerhouse like South Korea bilks its own citizens (and its expats) by selling products at double and triple the American price for the same thing.

In any event—wish me luck. The Hunger Games begin in the morning. My weekly schedule:

MON: 11AM-12:50PM, 1PM-2:50PM Beginner Conversation
TUE: 9AM-10:50AM Intermediate Speaking
WED: 1PM-2:50PM Pronunciation (a new course, developed by me and a very innovative colleague)
THU: 1PM-2:50PM, 3PM-4:50PM Beginner Conversation
FRI: Free

So... mostly beginners this time around. Ought to be fun. I've got no KMA until April, and I'm not sure when my next Golden Goose job will be happening. We'll see.


_