#misutgaru

A while ago, I got a present. The present was a pouch containing a common korean food named misutgaru (미숫가루). It's basically a powder often consumed  as a drink, diluted in milk. It has a nutty taste, since it's made of various grains and nuts, including, black beans, peanuts, brown rice, black rice, barley and so on. I checked the composition and discovered there were even traces of apple, carrots, and sweet potatoes. So, healthy it is.

For a first use, I decided to fold it in a very simple recipe and shortbread came to my mind. Why a shortbread? Maybe because I watch a lot of british series these days? Who knows...

Ingredients :

1 cup butter at room temperature

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup misutgaru

1/2 cup rice flour

Preparation :

Cream the sugar and the butter.

Mix the dry ingredients in another bowl and fold in the butter.

Spread and flatten the dough all over a baking pan (mine was about 22 cm diameter and 2 cm thick), with a knife cut into the dough 8 equal pieces and prick the dough with a fork.

Bake at 150C for about 40-45 min.

-Lise-Anne.

For today's post I will be posting about this place called Caffe Crema! Because one of my friends works at this place I visit here very often, but there's another reason why I visit here it's because you can taste very unique drinks and desserts that are actually not available in ordinary cafes in United States. The owner of this cafe is actually from Korea and they sell many kinds of stuffs that are oriental, which you might find it very different from any other cafes with high quality.

오늘의 포스트는 제가 정말 좋아하는 카페! 카페 크레마에대해 쓰려고하는데요! 제가 아는 지인이 이곳에서 일하는 관계로 정말 자주 가기도하지만 주인분이 한구인이셔서 음료들도 미국에서는 맛볼수없는 그런 한국적인 테이스트를 맛볼수있어서 자주가요! 

Because this place was one of the newest cafe in Coralville, which opened about one to two years ago, I was expecting very few customers but actually there were full of people occupying the seats.. and that I had to pick up my drinks and go home..! 

지어진지 얼마 안되서 손님이 얼마 안될줄 알았지만 정말 항상 가도 사람들이 많아요.. 그게 어찌보면 단점이 될수도있겠네요 ㅠㅠ 갈때마다 자리가 안날때도있답니다.. 그럴땐 음료만 들고 집에 올때도..하아..맛있는 맛집에 사람이 없길 바란다면 그건 너무 큰 욕심이겠죵? 

Before you walk into the door you will see this pretty hand-written piece on chalk board that has Today's menus on it! Along with wallpaper and furniture, from the start of this cute hand-written menu and drawn peach, you will see many kinds of lovely displays that will make your eye twinkle.

카페 안에 들어서기 전에는 이렇게 오늘의 메뉴가 이쁘게 손글씨로 적혀진 보드가 있는데요! 안에있는 벽지나 가구들도 가구들이지만 정말 크레마에는 이렇게 귀엽게 손으로 그려진 복숭아부터 시작해서 아기자기한 잡동사니 물건들이많아요! 

Here are some menus that you will be expected to see. It ranges from 3-5 dollars! With its unique and high quality it is well worth the money!

메뉴입니다! 보통 가격대는 3-5불 정도 생각하시면되요! 정말 고퀄인만큼 돈이 아깝지않아요~

Like what I've said, I visit this place very often and I will have to weigh heavy on posting more pictures of menus from Crema! 

This is Misutgaru Latte! I'm very definite that Koreans would know this misutgara for sure, but not with Americans or people from other countries. We Koreans often enjoy drinking this misutgaru, a powder mixed with many kinds of grains and sugar in water or milk, for nutrition and delectable flavor! By making this powder into Latte, the taste of misutgaru, which may feel too thick only with water or milk, you can enjoy more gentle and aromatic drink!

이제부터 제 먹방이 시작되겠습니당! 제가 아까전에도 말씀드렸지만 제가 이곳에 자주오는만큼 전에 포스팅했던 포스트들보다 메뉴들이 많아요~ 

이건 미숫가루 라떼입니다!!  한국분들은 다들 미숫가루가 뭔지 아시겠지만 외국분들은 모르실수도 있겠네요! 정말 미숫가루의 텁텁함을 라떼로 진화시켜서 부드럽게 만들어주었어요. 부드러움과함께 미숫가루의 고소함 정말 진리입니당 한번 드셔보세요! 미숫가루의 고소함이 그대로 남아있어요...

Here's a picture of patbingsoo, I beg you to taste this if you visit Crema!! Patbingsoo is a great treat for summer, it will take hot summer away from you instantly. Patbingsoo is sweet ice sherbet served with fruits, red bean, ice cream, mochi (small rice cake) and many kinds of syrups that will make your mouth full of freshness and sweetness. This treat only costs about 8 dollars in which I'm kind of worried about the owner that he might not even profit from selling this Patbingsoo since he puts too much fruits and other stuffs on it.

미국에서도 팥빙수를 드실수 있으시다면 믿으시겠나요? 정말 여름철엔 팥빙수가 제격이죠ㅠㅠ 더위와 맛을 한번에 잡아줄!!!!!그런 메뉴! 제가 팥을 좋아하는 편은 아니여서 한국에선 그냥 빙수만 먹었지만 여기 팥은 먹을만 하더라구요! 요즘은 과일도 비싼데 항상 많은양의 메론, 딸기, 수박, 키위등등이 얹어져 있더라구요~ 이젠 집에서 만들어 드실필요없이 사드셔도 됩니당!

This cute little treat is called Cham Boong-uh-bbang, which means a gold fish bread. It's a Korean treat that you can also find in Korean market which is located in Coralville near Crema and even in downtown, but it's easily available at Crema too which I often go there and buy them. It's covered with soft bread and red bean inside, it does not exactly taste the same as original Boong-uh-bbang, that are sold on streets in Korea in winter times, because this treat is produced in a mass production and aims at toddlers for main buyers of the product and that it is more soft and has less red beans inside.

이 귀여운 간식은 참 붕어빵이라는건데요! 많은 분들이 이미 아시겠지만 한국마켓에서도 흔히 구할수있는 간식이랍니다! 참붕어빵은 부드러운 빵으로 덮어져있고 그안에 달달한 팥이 들어있어요~ 붕어빵과 맛이 같지는 않지만 그래도 먹을만 한거 같아요! 대량 생산을 하다보니 맛도 다르고 어린이를 타겟으로 한 간식이다보니 바깥 밀가루가 빵으로 대체되고 팥이 덜 들어간거같네요 대신 달달함은 빵이 채워준답니다!

Not only they have great atmosphere for studying or chatting with your friends, but also they have great atmosphere for performances. Caffe Crema often hold concerts for free or for fundraisers.

And These are the pictures that I have taken from when I have visited Crema around Christmas, these performers sang and played Christmas songs in both Korean and English. It really was a good time to visit in winter break when no one was around in Iowa City, I was able to get warm welcomes and drinks.

크레마는 공부하기에도, 친구들과 담소를 나누기에도 안성 맞춤이지만 공연을 보는데도 말이 필요없을만한 분위기를 만들어 낸답니다! 크레마는 이런 무료 공연 또는 펀드레이징을 위한 공연을 자주 주최하는데요, 저 사진은 제가 크리스마스 즈음에 찍은 공연사진이에요! 연주자들은 영어와 한국어로 크리스마스 캐롤들을 부르셨어요! 정말 따뜻함이 전해지는 그런 하루였어요... 특히나 겨울의 아이오와에 아무도 없어 춥고 외롭기만 했지만 잠시나마 공연과 함께 따땃한 커피 한잔을 마시며 온기를 느낄수있는 하루였답니다.

It only takes about 6 minutes from downtown to Crema, and you can obviously take the blue bus(Coralville bus) from pentacrest which comes every 30 minutes and take off at public library which only takes five minutes to walk from there to Crema! You might think that it's too far away, but it really isn't and it worth your time to try unique flavors that is only available in Crema. The staffs there are really kind and will welcome you very warmly, the only thing that is inconvenient about this coffee shop is that the drinks comes kind of slow, so if you are busy and have to head to work soon I would not recommend you going to Crema.

크레마는 다운타운에 그리멀지 않은 곳에 위치해있습니다. 차 타고오신다면 6분 정도 밖에 안걸리시구요! 펜타크레스트 쪽에서 30분에 한대씩오는 파란 버스를 타시면 20 분정도 소요되실거에요! 어쩌면 너무 멀게 느껴질수도 있는거리지만 정말 다른 커피숍에선 맛보실수없는 크레마만의 유니크한 "맛"을 경험해 보시는것도 나쁘지않을거 같네요~ 여기서 일하시는 분들도 너무 따스하게 맞아주셔서 정말 갈때마다 가족같은 느낌이나요.

ever since i've started working out i've been researching about protein powders and since they are quite expensive (for me, at least), i was trying to find other options...

and then it occurred to me... we have misutgaru and congaru in our house! *lightbulb*

Misutgaru (미숫가루) is a powder made from roasted beans, rice, barley and other grains, and congaru (콩가루) is pure soybean powder.  Many people in Korea drink water or milk mixed with misutgaru as a dietary supplement/ protein drink; congaru is less common but actually has more protein and less fat than misutgaru, which is what my dad told me. so i've been drinking both alternatively: misutgaru after harder workouts and congaru for most-- and as a snack.

So this is the package the soybean powder comes in:

this is sold at my local rice cake shop, so it can probably be found at most korean bakeries/rice cake place/korean markets.  if not this exact product, soy protein powder is fine too! :) misutgaru is more widely available, you can even order it online.

so just take about 2/3 of a tablespoon (or a whole tablespoon, up to your taste) of either misutgaru or congaru and mix it into a cup of water or milk with a spoon or a fork (fork might be better for getting lumps out).  if you have a lidded cup, put both ingredients in there and shake well until there are barely any lumps.  

then you're done! it tastes like a raw peanut buttery, savory drink.  if you want you can add a squirt of honey or some stevia/raw cane sugar to sweeten it. enjoy :)

it's been helping alot with my indigestion and just basically providing my body with the nutrients it needs.  one tablespoon of both misutgaru and soybean powder is approximately 40-50 calories, so you can actually a tablespoon or two more and it'll still be under 200 calories :D WOOHOO!