Come On Over For Dinner... I'll Cook

Last sunday, Victoria called me and invited me to dinner. It was so nice to be invited somewhere and have someone cook for you that I decided to return the favor. This sunday, I will be having Victoria and the new English teacher Beryl over for dinner. This is a bit trickier than you might think.

First off, I have no oven. No Korean's have ovens. So, I have to cook everything on two burners or with my microwave. So, this limits the menu a bit.

Second, I have one wok pan and one small pot. That is all I have to cook with. So, that also limits a bit what I can prepare.

So, last night I went out to the local dish and pot store and bought some plates and things, since I only have 2 plates, 2 bowls, 2 cups, and 2 sets of chopsticks and spoons. I decided to buy service for 4, since I'll probably entertain in the future, I didn't mind spending a reasonable amount of money of these things. Plus, if I'm really fond of them, I can ship them home. So, I picked out 4 dinner plates, 4 small plates, a wisk, a big spoon, and a large serving bowl. Now, if the woman had been working, it would have been cheap. A man was working. He charged me $51.50!!!! I still have to buy glasses, soju glasses, and more chopsticks. I am definitely looking at another store first, and only shopping there again when the woman is working. Damned Koreans charging the obvious foreign devil more. It's not fair.

Now, the menu is still being thought out, but this is what I have planned so far. For appetizers thee will be cheese and sausage and crackers, probably some fruit too. Maybe some fresh cucumbers and tomatoes. For dessert I'm going to make rice pudding. Now, for the main event. I will be making Russian cotlety, which is ground beef mixed with milk-soaked bread. It's made into patties, breaded and fried. It's a cross betwen a hamburger and meatloaf. It's good. Then I will be making some steamed veggies. And the be all and end all... garlic mashed potatoes.

The potatoes will be the trickiest bit. First off, I have no oven in which to roast the garlic. After scouring the web, I found out that I can roast garlic in a microwave (thank God). Next, I have no masher. I am going to really cook those potatoes until they're soft and use my big wisk on them. Hopefully that will work. I know the potatoes will be lumpy, but hopefully they'll be good.

To drink, of course, there will be some soju and this other alcohol that is very good. I have no idea what it's called, but I recognize it in the store. I will also have some soda and tea.

So that is my menu as it stands. This is going to be quite a production. If you can make it, just let me know, I'll buy another plate.