What if mushrooms were sold by personality type? Personally, I think these fun guys would be an ENFP, but I say that partly because I am an ENFP. Baby bella mushrooms and portobello are definitely ENTJ; button mushrooms are ESTJ; lion’s mane is ISTJ; oyster mushrooms and shiitake are ISTP; don’t ask me to justify because I really cannot.
So, it looks like I got my dates mixed up—the first day of Chuseok was September 16th and lasts until the 18th. While my wits may not have been about me for the dates, I don’t drop the ball—if I said I would share Chuseok recipes, I will, whether or not the holiday has passed. In all fairness, these are foods you can enjoy regardless of Chuseok… much like how I crave eggnog every once in a while, regardless of Christmas.
I’m sorry (not sorry) that this will be a bit long-winded. But rest assured, there is a recipe, so please feel free to jump ahead if you wish.
Lately, things have just been so go-go-go, which feels pretty typical in this fast-paced city. But I do wonder if it might be self-inflicted. It feels like I’m trying to juggle ten things I want to accomplish in a day that only permits six.
Do I need to let some things go—if so, which ones? Do I let go of my daily dose of physical activity? The need to log off work at a decent hour? Or the commitment to read a chapter of my book each day? Maybe my allocated time for doomscrolling? Each of these activities, however enriching or silly, nourishes a different part of me, and they all feel equally important. Still, some days, I don’t feel like I can feed and nourish myself fully as I would like.
Anyway, as I continue to explore these thoughts, I want to share a recipe for fritters—one of my go-to meals when I’m juggling too many things at once.
Enoki Mushroom Veggie Fritters (makes 6~8 fritters)
Ingredients:
1 package of enoki mushrooms
Julienned carrots (however much you like; I used one carrot)
Sliced onion (however much; I used half an onion)
Finely shredded cabbage (again, however much your heart desires; I used a small quarter wedge of cabbage)
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Pinches of other seasonings to taste
1/3 cup water
1 egg
Instructions:
Wash and chop the veggies, then set them aside. For the enoki mushrooms, try to separate them into six to eight clusters.
Mix the fritter batter: combine cornstarch, flour, and seasonings first, then add the water and egg. Mix well with a whisk or fork to ensure there are no lumps!
Split the batter; pour half of the mixture into another bowl.
In one bowl, add the chopped veggies (not the enoki) and incorporate them into the batter.
Heat a pan with a good layer of neutral oil (about 1/4 inch). Depending on how fast your pan heats up, test it with a drop of batter; it should sizzle upon contact but not burn.
Using a fork, lay a generous, child-sized fistful of the veggie mixture onto the pan. Try to fit as many of these lumps as possible.
Dip a bundle of enoki mushrooms into the second bowl of batter and lay them on top of the veggie lumps. Repeat for all the lumps in the pan. If you have extra batter, drizzle it on top.
Check the bottoms of the lumps for a golden color. If golden, carefully flip them so the enoki is now on the bottom.
Fry until the same golden color appears on the bottom.
Miso Maple Mayo
Ingredients (no instructions—just mix):
4 tbsp Kewpie mayo
2 tsp white miso
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp maple syrup
As someone who isn’t the best at following recipes, I hope you know there’s plenty of room for adjustments and substitutions. The beauty of 전 jeon is that you can customize them however you like. As long as you have flour, cornstarch, and egg, you can coat anything! Here are some popular ingredients: imitation crab, green onions, kimchi, seafood, oyster, tofu, zucchini, eggplant, and my personal favorite: pollack (or 동태전, “dongtae jeon”).
Happy Chuseok! Get your fritter on.
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