Chuseok

“You must give everything to make your life as beautiful as the dreams that dance in your imagination.”

– Roman Payne

I sleep in after too many beers at Playground.

If someone asked me if I had a hangover, I would say no, but I need some Panadol and I skip the gym.

There is rain outside, and we have nowhere to be. I make some coffee. Breakfast later.

Ten o’clock before we head to the Slow Espresso for someone else to make us coffee.

We play a game of Hive. It is an insight into mindset.

There will be one game or several, depending on who wins.

When I lose, we play again.

When Shell loses, this is a stupid game, and I don’t want to play another game and why are you so mean and rude to beat me. Wipe that smug look off your face.

Mindset.

We play one game.

“You are the knife I turn inside myself; that is love. That, my dear, is love.”

– Franz Kafka

To the bakery to get some lunch, and a stop at Songdo Mart for squid. I grab some mackerel to grill as a starter.

I do some bike maintenance, ready for the ride into Seoul tomorrow.

The intention not to drink is revised around 4.00 pm. Shell’s refusal to drink anything under screwcap means we open a bottle of Brunello di Montalcino—hardly a good match with either the mackerel or the squid. If history is any indicator, the bottle will be done before the starter hits the pan.

I spine and pin bone the makerel. Clean the squid. It is different to SE Asian and Australian squid. The skin and guts coarser.

I mix some cream cheese with wasabi for the makerel. Fry them in a hot pan. Oily fish in an oily pan with nothing but salt. They are superb. I wish I had a Chablis to wash them down. Mineral fruit and the fishiest of fish.

For the pasta sauce, slice the squid, fry some onion, garlic and chorizo. Add the squid and a tin of tomatoes. There is no recipe, I ordered too many chorizo and need to cook them.

For all the work that went into the pasta, the makerel was the highlight. The pasta was good, but you can’t beat very simple, tasty food.

Tonight’s wine –

2018 Podere Le Ripi Cielo d’Ulisse Brunello di Montalcino (Montalcino, Italy)

Good drinking from an OK vintage. Some signs of premature aging, the nose is leathery with red raspberries that are deep and not sweet. Elegant, yet has some of that Brunello power. Powdery, grippy tannins finish it off.

I have a soft spot for Brunello’s. All that Sangiovese and nothing else. Purity, nowhere to hide. I drink Chianti because I cannot afford Brunello.