SansPoint

I have not been updating SansPoint. Readers^[1] do not fret. Life has simply gotten in the way.

1. all four of you ↩

This past Saturday, I went up to Knoebels with some family. Knoebels is a lovely amusement park nestled in the Pocono mountains, and home to two of the greatest wooden rollercoasters ever: The Phoenix, and Twister. It’d been a good while since I’d gone on a trip to an amusement park, and I was able to get my thrill ride fix, at last. The coasters are simply classic: the Phoenix is a rough little figure 8 coaster that gives the rider a huge amount of air-time on the hills. Twister, as its name would imply, twists and writhes around itself, and thrashes you about like a British Nanny^[1]. The park, too, is absolutely beautiful, and has some of the best in-park food one will feast on. Well worth a trip out of the way, I assure you.

1. Well, British au pair. Same difference. ↩

Even living in a dorm, I loved to cook, and since I have a full, though small, kitchen, I’ve been relishing the ability to prepare things that use my supplies and skills to their full ability. Today, to celebrate Memorial Day, I prepared Oyakodon, a Japanese dish consisting of chicken and egg over rice with leeks^[1]. It gave me a chance to try out my rice cooker, and try some cooking techniques I’m new at.

The recipe is pretty simple, though I was forced to make some substitutions due to my local grocery store lacking the proper ingredients. You will need:

• 1 cup Dashi stock
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tsp Mirin
• 1 Chicken breast
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 leeks

I ended up using generic seafood stock for the Dashi, being unable to find proper Dashi stock. Instead of Mirin, I used Vietnamese “Fish Sauce”, which is pretty similar. More crucially, the store also lacked leeks, and I ended up using scallions, to no detriment.

First, slice your leeks and chicken thinly, on an angle. Mix the Dashi, soy sauce, sugar, and Mirin (or equivalents) in a saucepan or Oyakodon pan, and boil. Once the sauce is ready, add the chicken and leeks, and boil on medium until chicken is cooked. Add your beaten egg, making sure it coats your chicken and leeks, then cover until it’s mostly cooked. Take off the heat, and pour the contents, liquid and all, on bowls of freshly cooked rice.

It’s quick, tasty, and fairly healthy, too. I’m going to have to make it again, sometime. Probably later this week, in fact. Special thanks to Spike of Iron Circus, for the cookbook scan I shamelessly borrowed this from.

1. In a perfect example of Japanese culinary humor, the name translates to Parent Child Bowl, as the chicken and egg are parent and child. A related dish, Tanindon—pork and egg over rice—, translates to Stranger bowl. The explanation for this is left as an exercise for the reader. ↩

The nightmare is over. I’m settled into the new place, and things are getting back in order. Expect regular posting to resume here shortly.

This is just insultin’. The place mentioned in the last post is nowhere near ready for moving into as a duplex. It’s heating system isn’t split, the electrical system isn’t split, and the damn place couldn’t possibly get occupancy clearance. Plus, the neighborhood is apparently more of a shithole than I thought.

I’m going to look at a place in South Philadelphia today, and Tuesday a place in the Northeast. Time is running out.