MikeWatch

Mike came over to the office for lunch, but it was basically a keto version of an American breakfast, and I once again forgot to take pictures. Here's a consolation prize. Today's food looked a lot like that photo series, but with thick-cut bacon. I do, however, have pics of the keto jam and jelly I'd created (this is primarily for my buddy Andy in Japan):

Agar agar (or just agar) is the vegan equivalent of gelatin, an animal product. Various sources warn that it can be grainier in look and texture, but agar comes in different forms, so the graininess issue doubtless depends on which type of agar you've got. I ordered a bottle of the fine-powdered stuff. The "jam" made with real strawberries (berries are keto in limited amounts) looks grainier, not because of the agar, but mainly because I didn't strain out the strawberry fibers after blitzing everything with a stick blender. The jelly on the right looks a lot clearer, and it's arguably more keto because it's basically strawberry extract, Bocha Sweet sugar-free sweetener, water, and agar, which is derived from seaweed.

Like gelatin, agar has to be bloomed at first (i.e., you let it sit in water before doing anything else). Unlike gelatin, agar can be boiled without losing its integrity. Gelatin is made from animal collagen, a proteinaceous substance that can "come undone" when exposed to overly high temperatures for too long. Agar, meanwhile, is supposed to be boiled, and it seems to be fairly easy to use. You also need a lot less of it per unit volume of liquid, so I'm going to see about trying to make a keto chocolate panna cotta. That ought to be awesome.

jelly made with agar, strawberry extract, sweetener, and water

The texture of the strawberry-extract jelly, above, turned out to be kind of gross, like eating an earlobe. Some Westerners come to Asia and learn to love cartilaginous textures; not me. I've always found tendons, gristle, and other connective tissues off-putting as hell, so I immediately disliked the jelly I'd made (I might also have used too much agar despite following instructions). Anyway, I'm going to melt this jelly back down and mix it with the real-strawberry "jam," and that ought to improve things, not to mention leave me with a ton of jam for future pancake/waffle meals.

A closeup of the real-strawberry "jam," with fiber and bubbles:

"jam" with real strawberries, sweetener, and agar

A spoonful of earlobe cartilage:

gross

Keto "jam," with a more pleasant, spreadable texture:

smooth and tasty

The "jam" is very sweet, so mixing it with the extract jelly ought to tone down the sweetness a bit. The overall texture of the mix shouldn't be too awful, either. I have high hopes. We'll see how the hybrid turns out.

Mike is done with brunch/lunch and is now off temple-hopping—nearby Bongeun-sa/봉은사 and possibly Jogye-sa/조계사 (HQ of the Jogye Order) later in the day. He's also going to do some shopping for his family and maybe also for me to give me a belated birthday gift. He's also eating dinner at my place tonight, having more of my gyro/shawarma wraps. I think he said he wants to wait until I'm back home before he eats, which will give me a chance to photograph that meal, at least. Assuming I remember to take a photo. I can't seem to remember anything important these days.

I texted my #3 Ajumma about visiting her tomorrow, and we're set to meet her in the evening around 8 p.m. She's coming off some intestinal problems, and her younger son is, I think, still here from Germany. I imagine she's going to want to get both of her sons together for tomorrow's meet-up, but since tomorrow is a fasting day for me, I'll be there purely to visit her and to make sure everything's okay, and that'll be about it.

Mike had actually met my Ajumma way back in 1995, which is the last time Mike had been to Korea. She still remembers him. Since Mike's arrival, he and I have been making a lot of "big, sweaty Westerner" jokes as we slog through Korea's summer heat. Tomorrow evening, we'll have a chance to be big and sweaty again in front of my relatives.