Ipchun (입춘, 立春, Beginning of Spring), the first of the twenty-four solar terms, falls approximately on February fourth on the Gregorian calendar. On the day of Ipchun, people post sheets containing a message welcoming spring on the gate or door of their houses. My dad sent me three different fonts of these messages this year. I put one set on my front door to welcome spring and hopefully be blessed with great happiness.
Maintaining the balance between my work and my creative time has been very challenging but I know how important this matter is for me. I've been busy again with weeks full of work, and now I crave some quiet creative time. Being busy means many encounters with people with the same interest and I get my happiness through these. Thank you for sharing your positive and creative energy with me! I have 3 more library workshops this month and I will be teaching a class at the San Francisco School of Needlework & Design. Please come and enjoy the creative time with me.
This month, I also will pay more attention to my own creative life for a well-balanced life.
Recipe of this month- Bindaetteok, Mung bean pancake
- 1 cup dried mung beans, rinsed and soaked in water for 4-6 hours, blend with 1/2 cup water
- 1-2 TBS sweet rice flour, to make batter thicker
- 1/4 cup kimchi, chopped
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced pork butt or shoulder marinated with 1 tsp soy sauce, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp crushed garlic,1 tsp chopped ginger
- 1/4 cup mung bean sprout, blanched
- 2-3 scallions thinly sliced
- vegetable oil for pan-frying
- salt for seasoning
- dipping sauce- 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 TBS sesame oil, 1 TBS rice vinegar, 1 tsp gochugaru (red pepper powder), 2 scallions, chopped
Blend mung bean with water (1cup mung bean:1/2 cup water), coarse sand-like consistency is good.
Mix all other ingredients in a big bowl.
Add blended mung bean and fold lightly.
Heat a frying pan, add oil and cook 1 scoop of batter
(about 4-inch diameter).
Cook until the bottom is golden brown ( 2-3 min.), turn and cook the other side, too.
Serve with a dipping sauce.
Enjoy!
|
|