This post comes about a month late, but it’s been a particularly stressful month and I’m glad it’s finally over! I’ve been taking a full load of classes in grad school as well as teaching 3 courses at a community college so that’s about as busy as busy gets! I’ve learned two things from my experience teaching at a community college in Korea. First, it’s impossible to teach people who have no interest in learning. Second, as a teacher you don’t really have to worry much about the students who excel. They will find their own way in terms of academic achievement (I say academic achievement specifically, because I don’t believe that academic achievement is an indicator of having a successful life). The ones you really should worry about are the ones who are interested in learning, but having a rough time figuring things out. These are the ones that really need help and support from the teacher. I’ll share some more about that experience another time, but for now I’ve got to move on to my November favorites as tomorrow starts the new year and I am happy it has finally arrived!
#1. Bacon Jalapeno Mac’n’Cheese Balls – An oldie but a goodie, the Mac Ball is my favorite dish at Linus Barbeque. The last time I mentioned these beauties, I didn’t have a photo that showed the insides and it simply didn’t do them justice! They come with tomato sauce that you can roll them in, and are filled with bacon jalapeno macaroni and cheese! Best. combination. ever.
#2. Ricotta Calzone Salad – If for whatever reason, you decide to spend some time near Korea University, there are three places I can recommend to eat. First is Mignon where they have a fantastic brunch selection, second is Doran Doran where the Egg in Hell packs a punch, and third is The Table where they have an amazing salad and the pasta is spot on. The Table is actually the only place I know of that makes their pasta fresh everyday and the carbonara actually comes with an egg. The Ricotta Calzone Salad was so delicious that I’d be happy to have it everyday!
#3. Pâtisserie Mont St. Clair – I had some time to kill before seeing some friends at Itaewon, so I dropped by Mont St. Clair again. This time I tried the Mont Blanc and let me tell you.. if you ever go to Mont St. Clair, whether it’s in Korea or Japan, you will have a love-hate relationship with their cakes. Their cakes are a symphony of taste and texture, with smooth creams and crunchy tarts hidden inside. Only, their cakes are SO SMALL that you will lament the fact that the cake is tiny the entire time you are eating it. So the only way to eat it is to really savor every single bite.
#4. Sungsudong Galbi Pizza – I actually wandered into SOMY in Seongsudong (Seoul area) with a friend on a freezing day, because we were desperately hungry and cold. We ordered the Sungsudong Galbi Pizza which is basically pizza topped with grilled pork ribs, and the Bacon Pork Belly Tomato Spaghetti, but honestly guys, the only thing I remember is how amazing the Sungsudong Galbi Pizza was. I didn’t think ribs and pizza would go together, but these guys have nailed it!
#5. Botanical Watercolor – To be honest, I would prefer to learn how to paint birds, but I couldn’t find a book on painting birds so I came home with Botanical Illustration for Beginners and decided to give it a whirl. Actually, if I’m completely honest, I came home with this book over a year ago and only recently gave it a whirl. This was the Yellow flag iris exercise and I only drew half of the iris because I was impatient to get to the painting part. It didn’t turn out perfect by any means, but I had fun and got some creativity done for the day!
#6. Iris Hantverk brushes – The Smilage store in Sinsa (Seoul area) was having a 50% sale on the Iris Hantverk brushes in-store so of course, I simply had to go. I’ve been trying to avoid plastic items for a few months now, and these wooden brushes had been on my wish list for a while. They’re not cheap however, since they aren’t cookie-cut in a factory. So a 50% sale was a huge deal for me. When I got to Sinsa and checked their Instagram to look for an address, I found out that they had closed early due to an in-company event. I left a despairing comment on how I had come all the way for their sale and they apologized and offered to give me an additional discount should I return another day. So the next time I went back I was able to purchase some brushes with a 55% discount! I was ecstatic!
Your Turn ♥ What yummies have you been enjoying this past month? Have you tried anything new?
