Thematically Arranged Wrap-up
A deceptively copious number of entries this year are drawn with nitpicky specificity from a categorically broad pool. Could be the industry is maturing a little, or a little too young, or I'm struck with fatigue and high expectations, or there was too much drama interfering with quality, or all of the above - but some of the glamour has begotten besmirched a bit. In any case, I have been foraging further to cover ground for an essentially unsatisfying year in Kpop. Below I make sense of the highs (there were some) and the void.
A deceptively copious number of entries this year are drawn with nitpicky specificity from a categorically broad pool. Could be the industry is maturing a little, or a little too young, or I'm struck with fatigue and high expectations, or there was too much drama interfering with quality, or all of the above - but some of the glamour has begotten besmirched a bit. In any case, I have been foraging further to cover ground for an essentially unsatisfying year in Kpop. Below I make sense of the highs (there were some) and the void.
RRROCK REVELATIONS
Life and Time - The Great Deep, "Deep"
I play this EP in entirety a lot. A lot. The quirky vocalist, the hip but not overly kitschy production (so many tracks smothered by reverb!), the math rocky, Zazen Boys surf punk vibe deserving of standalone post. Fortunately, Korean Indie has a great writeup, so I don't have to.
See also: single "Tiger".
Royal Pirates - "Fly to You"
Unfulfilled 2nd EP but deliriously good first, with this song rising to the top over the course of the year.
CNBLUE - "Can't Stop"
And the album. And the Japan releases too. And...
YG DOMINATION
Melancholy songwriting defines compelling identities for new acts at YG of late.
TaeYang - "Eyes, Nose, Lips"
Winner - "Empty"
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
YG TOTAL DOMINATION... and SM
Akdong - 200%
These two just being themselves - BFF conversational, candid and comforting, composed and well executed - is more than enough personality needed. How cute are they?
See Also: "Melted"
2NE1 (CL) - "MTBD"
"So Men-boong"
Late in the year, this song and GD/Taeyang's "Good Boy" actually sound a little dated, but the incipient power of CL solo is not to be denied or forgotten.
"So Men-boong"
Late in the year, this song and GD/Taeyang's "Good Boy" actually sound a little dated, but the incipient power of CL solo is not to be denied or forgotten.
f(x) - Red Light
SM's star was obscured by YG's total domination this year and the company's own chain lightning PR implosions. The finest offering was the sophisticated and thoughtfully modulated Red Light (to which derivative Red Velvet held no candle), and the most competently disappointing was Mr. Mr. (both albums truly victims of their own successes.) The rest of SM fell back on overly slick, often jazz, arrangements - TTS, DBSK, and SJ sounding mostly aged, brassy, or both. That exasperating "Be Natural" S.E.S. cover had nothing natural about it.
GET YOUR BUTT OFF THE FLOOR
Block B - "H.E.R."
Gospel testifying, frenetic soul claps, jump blues riffs over funky drum n' bass. Amen, Andre 3000, and drop cheeky "uh oh" all over that.
Afterschool - "Shh"
Technical marvel of convincing classic house grubbiness and warm blooming harmonics into a shimmering confluence of dance and pop.
15& - "Sugar"
HIP HOP INSURRECTIONS
Woo Tae-woon (of Speed) - "Focus"
Olltii (featuring ZICO) - ê·¸XX (SMTM remix)
Awe inspiring diss track from "underground" artist and unfortunate YG cannon fodder (though his show producers really did do right by him). See also: "OLL' Ready" ..."I'm all ready, all ready... War ready, war ready..."
Riding the hype of Show Me the Money, a tailor-made YG posse cut - one superbly crafted piece of fan service.
Jay Park - "Metronome"
SO NOW, WHERE THE BOYS AT?
THE MEAT OF THE MATTER
Despite an overwhelming number of new groups, solos and subunits, Kpop proper slowed to a series of serviceable retreads, tweaks and refinements in the pop department. Out of which floated the cream, the butter, the #1 boy group song-of-the-year...
THE MEAT OF THE MATTER
Despite an overwhelming number of new groups, solos and subunits, Kpop proper slowed to a series of serviceable retreads, tweaks and refinements in the pop department. Out of which floated the cream, the butter, the #1 boy group song-of-the-year...
Infinite - "Back"
Korean melodic sensibilities, tuneful, soaring balladry, dense production of piano, synths, rhythms, barely holding together while being being ripped through with a giant saw, shearing, mad, maudlin hearthrob execution - in otherwords, Infinite at their best. See Also: "Dilemma"
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
RETREADS, TWEAKS AND REFINEMENTS
RETREADS, TWEAKS AND REFINEMENTS
Swoonier, breezier rendition of the typical coffee shop rap serenade - a lighter shade of beige swirled with latte pop caramel drizzle. Utterly, unexpectedly, out of character for BTS.
If in need of a mild dose, very short term, pop fix (minus Seo Taiji, or slitted and sequined tacky lady songs, of which there are plenty, but I cannot abide them and list none therefore), see also:
Kara - "Mamma Mia", if one must do a disco cruise ship summer song, kill it with solid verses and pretty song writingHONORABLE MENTION:
Girl's Day - "Darling", if one must have a flirty hot pant summer song, distill the sweetness simply and simply
Lee Hi, Soo Hyun - "I'm Different", best duet out of the many this year
BTS - "Hormone War", fun MV but also fortunately/unfortunately more in character
Vixx - serviceable sci-fi "Error" and/or "Eternity"Exo - growly overkill with "Overdose"
Got7 - "A", pairing a charming mood yet distractedly unstable vocals
GROWING PAINS
no clear front runner, but...
no clear front runner, but...
Teen Top - "I'm Sorry"
A recognizable, safe transition to manhood that involves slowing down the funk that was "To You". See also: "Missing" and the rest of the album, Exito, aka Teen Top 20's Love Two Exito for a mouthful.
Taemin - "Ace"
Glossy and precise, Ace makes regrettably few strides towards defining Taemin's musical persona the way Rise does for Taeyang, and as a whole, this album just makes me homesick for Shinee. But as far as one night stand mood music goes, the title track is oiled up, apropos, with enough touches of pretty to make a gal feel special. So, go on, feel like a pervert watching your boy do his thing.
B2st - "Good Luck"
A recognizable, safe transition to manhood that involves slowing down the funk that was "To You". See also: "Missing" and the rest of the album, Exito, aka Teen Top 20's Love Two Exito for a mouthful.
Taemin - "Ace"
Glossy and precise, Ace makes regrettably few strides towards defining Taemin's musical persona the way Rise does for Taeyang, and as a whole, this album just makes me homesick for Shinee. But as far as one night stand mood music goes, the title track is oiled up, apropos, with enough touches of pretty to make a gal feel special. So, go on, feel like a pervert watching your boy do his thing.
B2st - "Good Luck"
B2st'sTime, felt overly ambitious and wordy, but the first EP of the year had a few memorable singles. Technique-wise everyone just keeps getting better, but their coming of age narrative has not been the most compelling compared to their contemporaries.
Tempura Batter
5 oz unbleached cake flour
5 oz white rice flour
1.5 quarts vegetable oil
1 large egg, beaten
1.5 cups cold seltzer water
0.5 cup vodka
Whisk the cake flour and rice flour together in a medium glass bowl and divide it in half. Set aside.
Heat vegetable oil to 365 degrees. Whisk the egg, seltzer water and vodka. Pour half of the liquid mixture into half of the dry mixture and whisk to briefly, about 10 to 15 seconds. Lumps remaining are good. Set the glass bowl in a larger bowl lined with ice. Put the rest of the liquid mixture in the refrigerator to chill. The oil should now be about 375 degrees.
Fry!
The SO received a LimoStudio portrait lighting setup for Christmas. I'm excited to "borrow" the umbrellas and stands for my own purposes, which is how the above food was (over) exposed and photographed. Yay!
Maple Brown Butter Cake adapted from epicurious
1.5 sticks unsalted butter
.75 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups almond flour
1 cup Cream of Wheat (or quick cooking polenta as the original recipe suggests)
1.5 tsp baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
.75 cup cane sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbsp sugar
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter, flour and line 9" cake pan.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter, flour and line 9" cake pan.
Brown butter over medium heat, 5-8 minutes, then chill.
Combine almond flour, Cream of Wheat, baking powder, and salt with a whisk. Cream chilled brown butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg 1 at a time. Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing until just combined.
Pour batter into cake pan and smooth top. Bake until cake is golden brown and pulls away from sides of pan, 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool in the pan. After 20 min., invert the cake and let it cool completely.
To serve, whip together heavy cream, sour cream, and remaining sugar until soft peaks form.
Impromptu Duck Dinner
Caramel pecans, various dried fruit "tapenade" with madeira and wine, over duck breast (prepared thusly), served with greens. This was a lovely dish, though ideally I would chop and truly candy the pecans into praline and perhaps use fresh rather than dry fruit for what was supposed to be a sauce. Not bad for kitchen scraps on the fly.
Chris Pine is the confirmed audience favorite for his hammy, show stopping performance in "Agony". But it is Emily Blunt who scene steals her way through the film, vocally and emotionally. The directorial decision to punctuate Sondheim's repetitive score through quick editing, allows the actors to tease out the pace of the lyrics. While the second half could have used a an extra dose of darkness to send harsh the message home, the film was mostly enjoyable rather than just bearable. Not often one hears that said about a 2 hour plus musical to movie adaptation.
Ramen Izakaya Kagura
Wonderfully thick broth and a slippery texture makes this ramen unique. If only the base were quite a few degrees warmer when served - the super chewy noodles might have softened up a little, the soup may not have been so overwhelmingly rich, and the flavors just might have jelled. I say this was love.
In the search for more vegetarian dishes, an article in Food&Wine Magazine re: David Chang's recipe for Edamame Kimbap seemed worth experimenting with.
2 cups sushi rice
2 cups water
1/4 cup sake-mash vinegar (or white wine vinegar)2 cups water
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons salt
1 tbsp canola oil
2 cups walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup edamame, shelled
3 tbsp molasses
1.5 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
10 sheets of nori
20 shiso leaves
pickled daikon, 3/8" wide, 2" long
2 large carrots, 2" matchsticks
Steam rice with a bit less water than normal if using a rice cooker. While still warm, treat rice with sushi vinegar in Morimoto fashion, or sesame oil and salt in Korean fashion.
from Tadashi Ono's Japanese Soul Food Cook Book
salt and pepper
3 tbsp butter
1 medium sweet onion - 12 oz, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1⁄4 cup mirin
1⁄4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper
3 tbsp butter
1 medium sweet onion - 12 oz, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1⁄4 cup mirin
1⁄4 cup soy sauce
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp chopped parsley
2 lb sirloin steak
To tell you the truth, the book was not as exciting as I thought it would be. The recipes are relatively standard these days and can be found just about anywhere. I was hoping to find something more unusual. Nor are the directions as precise as they may seem. The flavors/textures seem a little off as well. Perhaps this is preference, but I did end up mucking around a bit with the recipes in terms of ratios and cooking time. Careful with that.
Tenderize steak and season.
Melt 2 tbsp butter on low heat and caramelize onions and garlic for 8 minutes. Raise heat to medium and reduce mirin and soy sauce for 1 min. Add vinegar and cook for 30 seconds more. Reserve.
Sear steaks in butter and set meat aside on a separate plate. In the steak pan, quickly stir in pan juices on high heat for 10 seconds or so, loosening fond. Top the steaks with the onion mixture, garnish with the parsley, and serve immediately.
Melt 2 tbsp butter on low heat and caramelize onions and garlic for 8 minutes. Raise heat to medium and reduce mirin and soy sauce for 1 min. Add vinegar and cook for 30 seconds more. Reserve.
Sear steaks in butter and set meat aside on a separate plate. In the steak pan, quickly stir in pan juices on high heat for 10 seconds or so, loosening fond. Top the steaks with the onion mixture, garnish with the parsley, and serve immediately.
Carrot Ginger Dressing
1 cup vegetable oil
½ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tbsp. sugar
1½ tsp. finely grated ginger
2 medium carrots - 8 oz
½ medium yellow onion - 6 0z
salt and pepper
Combine oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, carrots, and onion in a food processor, and process until smooth; season with salt and pepper.
1 cup vegetable oil
½ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tbsp. sugar
1½ tsp. finely grated ginger
2 medium carrots - 8 oz
½ medium yellow onion - 6 0z
salt and pepper
Combine oil, vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, carrots, and onion in a food processor, and process until smooth; season with salt and pepper.
To tell you the truth, the book was not as exciting as I thought it would be. The recipes are relatively standard these days and can be found just about anywhere. I was hoping to find something more unusual. Nor are the directions as precise as they may seem. The flavors/textures seem a little off as well. Perhaps this is preference, but I did end up mucking around a bit with the recipes in terms of ratios and cooking time. Careful with that.
Eggplant and Acorn Squash tempura
Black King Fish
Tai, Barracuda
Amaebi
Agedashi Tofu
Spicy Tuna Roll, Hamachi, Saba
Uni, Medai, White King Salmon
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind - Miyazaki
Much preferred to the film version... this beautifully illustrated Manga pits the determined mystic against mankind's need for warlike resolutions to save a ravaged world.
Cities in Flight - James Blish
Elegantly written prose probes economics and restless political imperatives during the long relentless game of survival.
Fanciful blurring of lines between history and science fiction, young romance and religious passions to serious affect. Not an accident is the fall from Eden.
Much preferred to the elephant series, though burdened with similar lackluster character writing. Stay for the utterly compelling investigation of space travel and various permutations of corporeal knowledge encompassing eons.
Let not the confusing pronouns and big statements deter you, this book deserves it's accolades on the basis of of imaginative characters, an unusual central conceit, and a tensely plotted narrative whole that reveals one bit at a time.
A very masculine text with a flawed, psychologically unstable protagonist and his band of ruffian friends, making and breaking their fortunes at the edge of the known human world in a way that will feel utterly universal. Probably my favorite out of this bunch of readings.
Much preferred to the film version... this beautifully illustrated Manga pits the determined mystic against mankind's need for warlike resolutions to save a ravaged world.
Elegantly written prose probes economics and restless political imperatives during the long relentless game of survival.
"Living seems to be a process of continually being born again. I suppose the trick is to learn how to make that crucial exit without suffering the trauma each time. Good-bye John..."In the Garden of Iden - Kage Baker
He thought that what she had said was probably the truth - for a woman. For a man, he knew, life is a process of dying, again and again: and the trick, he thought, is to do it piecemeal, and ungenerously.
Fanciful blurring of lines between history and science fiction, young romance and religious passions to serious affect. Not an accident is the fall from Eden.
And as the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so was my beloved among the sons. Et cetera. What would I give, to have that night back, out of all my nights? No treasure fleet could hold it. What I'd give; no caravan of mules could carry it away.House of Suns - Alistair Reynolds
Much preferred to the elephant series, though burdened with similar lackluster character writing. Stay for the utterly compelling investigation of space travel and various permutations of corporeal knowledge encompassing eons.
To see something marvelous with your own eyes—that’s wonderful enough. But when two of you see it, two of you together, holding hands, holding each other close, knowing that you’ll both have that memory for the rest of your lives, but that each of you will only ever hold an incomplete half of it, and that it won’t ever really exist as a whole until you’re together, talking or thinking about that moment …that’s worth more than one plus one. It’s worth four, or eight, or some number so large we can’t even imagine it.Ancillary Justice - Ann Leckie
Let not the confusing pronouns and big statements deter you, this book deserves it's accolades on the basis of of imaginative characters, an unusual central conceit, and a tensely plotted narrative whole that reveals one bit at a time.
Thoughts are ephemeral, they evaporate in the moment they occur, unless they are given action and material form. Wishes and intentions, the same. Meaningless, unless they impel you to one choice or another, some deed or course of action, however insignificant. Thoughts that lead to action can be dangerous. Thoughts that do not, mean less than nothing.Gateway - Frederik Pohl
A very masculine text with a flawed, psychologically unstable protagonist and his band of ruffian friends, making and breaking their fortunes at the edge of the known human world in a way that will feel utterly universal. Probably my favorite out of this bunch of readings.
What were we doing here? Traveling hundreds or thousands of light-years, to break our hearts?
This dish is a family recipe and extremely easy to make. Essentially, pork ribs baste for a long time in a watery sauce that tastes a bit like onion soup. The dried shrimp imparts a mild aroma of fish sauce. This sounds strange, but is actually really good.
Pork Ribs in Onion Sauce
1 slab pork ribs. Have the butcher slice lengthwise through the bone and then separate into smaller pieces
3 tbsp rice wine
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
3 large onions, diced
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp dried shrimp, ground fine. Use less if serving to newbies.
chicken stock or water
Quickly and lightly sear pork on high heat, adding in rice wine and 1/2 tbsp soy sauce at the end. Reserve.
Saute onions till translucent and lightly browned, adding 1/2 tbsp soy sauce towards the end. Mix in reserved pork and shrimp. Add enough stock to barely cover meat. Put the lid on and stew slowly on very low heat for 3 hours or until the pork is fork tender and the onions are mostly melted. The onion sauce will darken slightly but remain rather pale. Do not be tempted to add more soy sauce as it will change the flavor of the dish. Season with salt if necessary.
Pork Ribs in Onion Sauce
1 slab pork ribs. Have the butcher slice lengthwise through the bone and then separate into smaller pieces
3 tbsp rice wine
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
3 large onions, diced
1/2 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp dried shrimp, ground fine. Use less if serving to newbies.
chicken stock or water
Quickly and lightly sear pork on high heat, adding in rice wine and 1/2 tbsp soy sauce at the end. Reserve.
Saute onions till translucent and lightly browned, adding 1/2 tbsp soy sauce towards the end. Mix in reserved pork and shrimp. Add enough stock to barely cover meat. Put the lid on and stew slowly on very low heat for 3 hours or until the pork is fork tender and the onions are mostly melted. The onion sauce will darken slightly but remain rather pale. Do not be tempted to add more soy sauce as it will change the flavor of the dish. Season with salt if necessary.
Below is the rough template for Bo Kho, Vietnamese lemongrass stew, as compiled from various recipes. No right way to do it apparently, but the basic procedure falls between a basic indian curry and French stew, sometimes with the beef cooked in broth alone and then the aromatics added later. The lemongrass can be quickly fried to bring out the aroma or added at the end for a fresher taste. These digressions are always interesting and fun to experiment with.
Bo Kho
Beef Marinade
1.5-2.5 lbs of chuck, shank, and tendon
2 tbsp sugar, either rock, brown, or palm
1/2 tsp ginger, minced
1/2 tbsp 5 spice powder
soy sauce, hoisin, oyster, fish sauce
1 tbsp annato oil*
1 dried red chili, or chili flakes
1/2 tbsp ginger, minced
5 garlic cloves
1 large onion or shallots, diced
Broth
1 fresh tomato or 1 tbsp paste, ketchup or canned crushed tomatoes
2 lemongrass stalks, white parts bruised and trimmed to 4" lengths and tied for easy removal
beef, chicken stock, or coconut water
carrots, large chunks
seasoning: soy, salt, sugar, fish sauce
Toppings
sweet onion, sliced and soaked in water, or fried shallots
green onion, thinly sliced
basil or cilantro
lime
Chinese Salted Egg Meatloaf
1 lb ground pork, and a little bit of minced pork belly. Have the butcher grind up some fine.
1 tbsp rice wine
white pepper
soy sauce
sesame oil
2 salted chicken eggs or 1 salted duck egg
1 tbsp of chicken stock
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
pickled mustard greens, diced
3 green onions, white parts sliced, green tops reserved for garnish
optional: dried shiitake mushroom, shrimp or scallop. Soaking juice incorporated. Chinese sausage. Water chestnut.
The texture of the meatloaf should be slightly more moist than you would expect. Add egg or liquid as necessary. Steam gently for 30 minutes or so until the pork is cooked through.
Bo Kho
Beef Marinade
1.5-2.5 lbs of chuck, shank, and tendon
2 tbsp sugar, either rock, brown, or palm
1/2 tsp ginger, minced
1/2 tbsp 5 spice powder
soy sauce, hoisin, oyster, fish sauce
1 tbsp annato oil*
Paste/Stir Fry
1 tbsp madras curry powder, predominantly flavored by star anise (around 3), cinnamon, bay leaf1 dried red chili, or chili flakes
1/2 tbsp ginger, minced
5 garlic cloves
1 large onion or shallots, diced
Broth
1 fresh tomato or 1 tbsp paste, ketchup or canned crushed tomatoes
2 lemongrass stalks, white parts bruised and trimmed to 4" lengths and tied for easy removal
beef, chicken stock, or coconut water
carrots, large chunks
seasoning: soy, salt, sugar, fish sauce
Toppings
sweet onion, sliced and soaked in water, or fried shallots
green onion, thinly sliced
basil or cilantro
lime
Chinese Salted Egg Meatloaf
1 lb ground pork, and a little bit of minced pork belly. Have the butcher grind up some fine.
1 tbsp rice wine
white pepper
soy sauce
sesame oil
2 salted chicken eggs or 1 salted duck egg
1 tbsp of chicken stock
1/2 tbsp cornstarch
pickled mustard greens, diced
3 green onions, white parts sliced, green tops reserved for garnish
optional: dried shiitake mushroom, shrimp or scallop. Soaking juice incorporated. Chinese sausage. Water chestnut.
The texture of the meatloaf should be slightly more moist than you would expect. Add egg or liquid as necessary. Steam gently for 30 minutes or so until the pork is cooked through.