Korean Side Dishes

Another fantastic class with Sherly tonight!! This would be a typical Korean home cooked meal. The main would be the rice and soup and then you have the side dishes. The sides are always an odd number.

It is so interesting to learn to cook new dishes and learn about the culture at the same time.

Tonight's menu was: lotus leaf steamed rice, miso soup, salad with Korean yuzu dressing, chicken wings braised in gochujang sauce, Korean potato stir fry, marinated seaweed, and yuzu sablé cookies.

Sherly had made radish kimchi, but we all forgot about putting it on the table.

Yuza (Yuzu) sablé cookies. This butter cookie just melts in your mouth.

We have taken a class with the woman to the left.

The menu for tonight's class

Typical layout for a meal. The rice and the soup are the main. Then, you have an odd number side dishes, kimchi, and soy sauce

The lotus leaf had to be soaked in water first.

Lotus root, chestnuts, and Asian dates were put on top to the rice.

Potato Stir fry

Peel the potatoes

Cut into matchstick sizes, put in bowl, add a teaspoon of salt to help drain out the water in the potato, and mix. Set aside

Potatoes, matchstick cut red and green peppers, cut up half an onion

For me, the chicken was the star of the evening!!! I can't wait to go back to Arizona and try it. I can even use chicken thighs instead of the chicken wings, too. Way beyond delicious!!!!

The next time I make the gochujang chicken , I will use more gochujang when I braise the chicken.

For the sauce, you can use white wine or sake.

The Yuzu salad dressing was very simple to make and was refreshing and light.

For two main salad or 4 small salads

Ingredients  

• 1 Tbsp Shallot minced 

• 2 Tbsp Korean Yuzu preserve “Yuja Chung” 

• 2 Tbsp apple vinegar or lemon juice • 2 Tbsp sunflower oil 

• 0.5 teaspoon salt 

• Ground black pepper 

• A small jar with lid for shaking

Steps  

1. Mince the shallot and put in a jar 2. Add 0.5 tsp salt  

3. Add 2 Tbsp Yuzu preserve 

4. Add 2 Tbsp vinegar, some black  pepper. Mix to melt the salt 

5. Add 2 Tbsp oil, close lid and shake jar  to mix well. 

6. Taste and adjust

Now, I can't wait to go to Korea next Spring!!!!!!!

We couldn't finish everything so Michael has lunch while I go back to Zürich for a chocolate class at Lindt.

Speeding fines were the discussion in the breakfast room this morning.

Switzerland has one of the strictest traffic law systems in Europe, reflected in the high penalties for traffic violations. Violations of the road traffic regulations can have serious consequences that go beyond simple fines.

Yes, speeding fines in Switzerland are indeed based on the offender's income, particularly for more serious offenses that go beyond a fixed fine. For minor violations, a standard administrative fine applies, but for cases that escalate to a criminal summons, the court takes into account the offender's financial circumstances to determine a penalty based on daily fine units calculated from their income.

If you're caught speeding significantly in Switzerland, expect to provide documentation of your financial situation for a potentially high fine. This system is designed to ensure that the penalty for an offense has a comparable impact, regardless of the offender's wealth. 

This happened in August.

"The driver was clocked going 27 kilometers per hour (17 mph) over the speed limit on a street in the Swiss city of Lausanne, and now he’s facing up to 90,000 Swiss francs (over $110,000) in fines as a result. But he can afford it.

Why the eye-popping penalty? Because the speedster, a repeat offender, is one of Switzerland’s wealthiest people, and the Vaud canton, or region, serves up fines based on factors like income, fortune or general family financial situation."

"The Swiss are not alone. Germany, France, Austria and the Nordic countries all issue punishments based on a person’s wealth. The recent fine isn’t even a record in Switzerland. In 2010, a millionaire Ferrari driver got a ticket equal to about $290,000 for speeding in the eastern canton of St. Gallen."

"Back then, the Swiss safety group Road Cross said rich drivers had been lightly punished until voters approved a penal law overhaul three years earlier that let judges hand down fines based on personal income and wealth for misdemeanors like speeding and drunk driving.

Under today’s rules, an indigent person might spend a night in jail instead of a fine, while the wealthiest in the rich Alpine country could be on the hook for tens of thousands.

A court in the Swiss canton of Vaud recently ruled that the tycoon must pay 10,000 Swiss francs ($12,300) up front and could be forced to pay the rest – 80,000 more – if he’s caught for a similar roadway infraction over the next three years."

"In Switzerland, penalties for speeding can even catch up with the cops: One officer was fined for racing at nearly twice the speed limit through Geneva streets back in 2016 while chasing thieves who had blown up a bank teller machine."

"More serious offenses, such as drunk driving, driving without a license, or participating in illegal street races, are punished even more severely.

• Drunk Driving: In Switzerland, the blood alcohol limit is 0.5‰. Violations result in high fines, immediate driving bans, and in severe cases, even imprisonment. A blood alcohol level of 0.8‰ or more leads to very high fines and a driving ban of several months.

• Driving without a license: This carries severe penalties, including possible imprisonment. The driver is also registered in a driver's suitability register, complicating future driving permissions.

• Illegal street races: These are strictly prohibited in Switzerland and are punishable by high fines and imprisonment for several years. Additionally, the involved vehicle is usually confiscated.
  

Parking Zones and Their Meaning

"Switzerland has a color-coded system for parking zones that is easy to understand:

• White Zones: In these zones, you can usually park freely unless there are additional restrictions indicated by signs. These zones are often found in urban areas where parking is less regulated.

• Blue Zones: These zones are restricted to a limited parking time and require the use of a parking disc indicating the arrival time. The allowed parking time is usually one hour. These zones are often found in residential areas or near shopping streets.

• Yellow Zones:  These are mostly reserved and are generally not for public use. Yellow markings often indicate parking spaces reserved for certain businesses, institutions, or residents. Parking without the appropriate permission can quickly lead to towing."

Roundabouts

"Roundabouts are common in Switzerland and follow a simple rule: Vehicles already in the roundabout have the right of way. This means that you must yield to traffic coming from the left when entering the roundabout.

It is important to signal when exiting the roundabout to clearly indicate your intentions to other drivers."

""There are also specific regulations for certain traffic situations:

• Public Transport: Buses merging from bus stops into traffic have priority. This is especially true in urban areas, where buses play a central role in the public transport system.

• Emergency Vehicles:  Emergency vehicles using flashing blue lights and sirens always have the right of way. Other road users must immediately create a corridor or, if necessary, pull over and stop."

That's why we have the Swiss Pass and don't rent a car.