{This Moment}

 A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

P.S.
Normally I would do Friday food Fair today-but alas, I've spent every spare moment this week researching and hunting down math curriculum. And I hate math.

So trust me, this was harder on me than it was on you. We ate sad, tasteless, overly convenient foods this week and are still weeping about it.
Friday food fair will return next week!

✻ Friday Food Fair ✻ {Jeon}

 From trusty (or not always so trusty) Wikipedia...
Jeon (also spelled jun or chon), buchimgae, jijimgae, or jijim refer to many pancake-like dishes in Korean cuisine. It has been also called jeonyueo or jeonyuhwa, especially in Korean royal court cuisine. Sometimes, jeonya (hangul: 저냐) is used as an abbreviated term for the two.Jeon is made with various ingredients such as sliced meats, poultry, seafood, and vegetables depending on the style and mixed with flour batter or coated with egg batter and then pan-fried with oil.

My Mom may be a bit shocked when she sees that i'm about to write about pancakes. And not only just write about them, but declare my love for them.

When I was little, I loathed pancakes, or anything smothered in maple syrup for that matter.
Breakfast type food at dinner time was bad enough, but pancakes? These were by far the worst offense. 

And I certainly don't mean to imply that I actually liked them for breakfast, but pancakes, at supper, reduced me to tears, and for lack of a better word, anger.
There were times that I thought about how far they would fly if I were to throw them. That, and how much trouble I might actually get into if I were to do it. I never actually did come anywhere near throwing them, but I did fantasize. 

The thought of pouring sugary goo all over what was supposed my supper made me sick to my stomach, and I would rather starve than be forced to eat this "meal". I didn't have much a sweet tooth to begin with, and to me, pancakes fell into the dessert category. I could barely classify them as real food. 

And then, one day, far into the future, I met these. 

Yes, these are pancakes, but there need be no fun ruining, gag-inducing syrup involved. In fact, they aren't sweet at all!
They're basically a skillet fried batter, with savory ingredients that I can actually enjoy. And topped with a little bit of kimchi and sriracha, I actually look forward to them. 

Take that, Mrs. Buttersworth.

Jeon (Korean Pancakes)

2 Cups flour
2 eggs, beaten well
1 tsp salt
1/2  tsp sugar
1 1/3 cups water
2 tbsp fish sauce. (optional-you can use water or even soy sauce in place of this)
Oil for frying
Shredded veggies. 

I like daikon radish, carrots, zucchini and scallion, and sometimes even shrimp! You can get creative with these, and the amount that you decide to put in is really up to you. Once the veggies are grated though, try to squeeze out a little bit of the moisture with a paper towel before using them. You can use bigger chunks or strips, but they might need some pre-cooking if you want them to be tender.

Mix all the ingredients together except the veggies until the consistency is even and without lumps, then throw in the vegetables.
Heat a skillet over medium heat and coat with a thin layer of oil.

Pour the batter in and make about a 5 inch pancake. You can make larger, but they might get hard to flip/keep together. These will also pour slightly runnier than breakfast pancakes.
Cook for about 3 or 4 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown, then flip it over and cook for another 1-2 minutes.

Cut into wedges, and serve with Kimchi or a spicy dipping sauce. 

NOT MAPLE SYRUP

Weekend Snippet

That's right, snippet, not snippets.
Our weekend was full and lovely, and had all sorts of perks

like corn on the cob

and hot tubs...

and so much more. 

I'd love to share more stories, and more photos

but see this little girl? 

she drank a too much water from said hot tub

her grandpa warned me about what she had done

...and sure enough, she has spent the morning puking on my lap

so this is all I can muster up today.

the end.

✻ Friday Food Fair ✻ {Fatayers}

 

I discovered these little pockets of heaven one day while shopping at a local middle eastern grocery store, called "Medina".

I initially visited their shop  for spices that can't be found at ordinary chain grocery stores (the particular one I was looking for was sumac), and then also started to buy other things there, like free range eggs that they get them from a nearby Amish farm, goat's milk yogurt, marinated meats, hummus, babaganoush, pita, pickled turnips....let's just say that this place quickly became one of my favorites.

They also happen to sell some prepared foods, and me being me, had to pick some things up to take home and try.
We instantly fell in love with these triangular pockets full of spinach, and sometimes spinach mixed with cheese, depending on the kind we buy.

Of course, I had no idea what they were actually called because they labelled it only as "spinach pie", so that everyone could understand, no doubt.
But these pies were so much better than just spinach. I do love spinach, but these were impressive and full of flavour. 

I called a sweet friend of mine who is from Quatar and grilled her about these, and she knew immediately what I was talking about. She told me that they were called "Fatayers" and that they were a traditional Lebanese food. It's one of those foods that everyone has their own way of making, of course, so the recipes are plentiful. Some women will vow to never use milk in their dough, others always use it, etc.

The interesting tart flavours I was picking up on was lemon and sumac, which, ironically, I had just purchased.
I was buying the sumac for another recipe, but luckily had enough to make some of these too.
My friend was gracious enough to give me her mother's own recipe, which has become a favorite around here.

They're really easy, and fast, and can be whipped up last minute if you use quick rise yeast.
Sometimes I slip some feta or paneer (Indian cheese) into them as well. You can use fresh or frozen spinach...i'm sure some people swear by one or the other, but I've made both and I can't tell a difference once it's cooked. I think it would be far more economical to go with the frozen route though.
The most important thing to do though is make sure that the spinach is well drained.

Fatayers

yields approx 32

Components

For the dough:

• 425 g. flour (approx 3 cups)
• 3/4 cup milk*, warm (or water)
• 1/2 tsp sugar or honey
• 1 tsp dry active yeast
• 1/4 cup canola or extra virgin olive oil

For the filling:

• 500 g spinach, finely chopped (I use frozen chopped. Just thaw, drain really well. For this recipe, use two blocks)
• 2 medium onions, finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
• juice of 2-3 lemons, to taste
• 2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp sumac 
• salt and black pepper, to taste

Putting them all together

1.  Add the yeast to the warm milk with the half teaspoon of sugar or honey. Cover and set aside for 5-10 minutes.
2. Prepare the dough by mixing the oil with the flour and slowly mix in the yeast-milk mixture. Add salt to taste and knead for 10-15 minutes or until the dough is soft and elastic.
3. Divide the dough into individual balls (small tennis/large golf ball size) and cover with a damp towel while you prepare the filling.
4. Add salt, pepper and sumac to the diced onions and red bell peppers to soften them. In a separate bowl add the salt to the spinach and rub the leaves with your hands until they begin to wilt.
5. Squeeze out as much water from the spinach as you can and then mix with the seasoned onion and red bell pepper mixture. Add lemon juice and adjust seasoning to taste.
6. Begin forming the fatayer by flattening out each piece of dough. It helps to do this on a lightly oiled plate. If the dough begins to contract too much, that means it is not well rested yet.
7. Add a spoonful of the spinach mixture to the center of the disc while making sure to keep the sides clear of oil or filling. This will help create a better seal later.
8. Crimp the dough into a triangular shape and set on a parchment lined baking sheet.
9. Brush with milk or a light egg wash and bake in a 450 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.

Serve warm or at room temperature

Enjoy!

{This Moment}

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Yarn Along {bubblegum}

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs.  I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Yarning along with Ginny

I've made it a goal to knit some little cardigans for several of my nieces and nephews for Christmas this year, and I thought it would be best if I start a little bit early (as in now.)
For the little girls, I decided to go with the vertebrae again because it was such a fun and quick knit, and the closest thing I could find to what my sister wanted for them. Something quick and cute to throw over a sleeveless dress in the fall or winter, but something that could go well with jeans as well.

I've started one in bubblegum pink (my oldest niece's request was that it be this colour) and it's been flying off the needles. I can probably have the sleeves done by the end of the day if I can get some knitting time in.

I've still been reading "The Beauty of Humanity Movement" and I've also started "NourishingTtraditions" by Sally Fallon this week.
I just found nourishing traditions from a clearance bin at one of the local health food stores, and it's a book that I've had my eye on for a quite a while.  It focuses mainly on fermented foods and how they benefit our bodies, and is loaded with recipes and ways to squeeze more fermented foods (full of pro-biotics) into our diets. This book definitely does not disappoint.


Ok, maybe the part where she said that I should get rid of my pressure cooker. That was disappointing.She says it cooks food above boiling temperatures which isn't as nature intended. But really, did nature intend to us to cook everything? Will we ever know? I can understand the microwave....but my beloved pressure cooker? Paws off, Sally lady. Hmph!

Binding off,

Corra

Weekend Snippets

The fun all started on Friday night, when the army of angry clouds marched through the sky. The weather radio was brought out, the tv weather channel played suspensefully in the background as we huddled by the windows, debating whether or not we should go to the basement.
I don't think that I'll ever get used to not having to run to the basement or cellar. 

Candles were lit by two boys desperately eager for a real storm, and they got it. 

Wind, rain, hail, thunder, and lighting.. And not just in one simple movement, but 4 seemingly separate shows, with sunshine and rainbows for an intermission. Little miss sassy pants seemed completely happy with the loud booms and flashes of lighting...clearly she fits in well.

I almost went outside to pick some tomatoes, but just as the raindrops slowed just enough for me to venture out another black cloud would roll in, causing more wind and more rain. 

There were some major power outages across the city, limbs down, basements flooded, and trees blocking road ways.
We were spared, for the most part. The mangled and tangled tomato plants might tell you another story, but at least they're still alive. I think they still have hope.

The storm drove away the humidity which is glorious because it made being outdoors became fun again. That heat wave was appreciated at first,(you know, from a gardener's perspective) but had long over-stayed  it's welcome.

A road trip to bass pro shop was in order, so Saturday we took it with the windows rolled down and music up loud. I got to knit happily during the 1 hour drive...we sure do drive a long way for this silly store, but it's such a (cheap) adventure for the boys. And I like their cookware section full of cast iron and smokers. More cast iron than I'd ever need or want, but still fun to look.

I must have looked a bit of a mess, because while Lotte and I were admiring the fish and waterfalls, I heard some muttering about "no make up, no wedding ring, long hair, girls have to wear skirts" (Lotte was in a dress, and I in a denim skirt) and the mention of  "religious cult? Mormon?"
I had to giggle a little to myself, and make a note to wear my wedding ring next time I venture out. Or maybe at least some makeup. Haha, because I wouldn't want to cause any confusion!

Sunday was met with cool temperatures and overcast skies. After church (note*, not cult) we had an afternoon at home of housework. The attempted relocation of a birds' nest from our roof, (not ready to talk about that) and then an evening of music in the park again. It's become a Sunday night favorite, I'll sure miss those Sunday nights come Autumn. It's been fun for our whole family and Lotte can run until her chubby little legs give out. Come fall, we might just have to go picnic anyway, without the music. Or bring our own ;)

Binding off, 

Corra