BJ Alex Volume 1 - Book Review

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 BJ Alex is a completed 19+ BL webtoon manhwa written and illustrated by Mingwa.

The series was published and serialized by Lezhin Comics. It was digitally published in Korean by Lezhin Comics from November 24, 2017 to August 7, 2020.

The series was officially published book format by Lezhin Entertainment from February 25, 2021 to December 31,2021. It was published in English from August 31, 2021 to October 19, 2022.

The series is available in 9 languages, Korea, English, Spanish, German, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Polish.

Every night at 10pm, Dong Gyun shuts himself in his room, tissues at the ready, and tunes into his favourite live cam show hosted by the captivating Alex. To Dong Gyun, Alex isn't just another online performer - he's confident, uninhibited, and everything Dong Gyun secretly wishes he could be.

But one drunken night changes everything. After blacking out at a school networking event. Dong Gyun wakes up in an unfamiliar bed... beneath a shirtless stranger who looks exactly like the from his screen.

When fantasy collides with reality, Dong Gyun's carefully guarded world unravels - because facing Alex in the flesh might be far more than he ever bargained for.

I'm a big fan of BJ Alex, it's one of the stories I've re-read more than once. I love the characters as well as the development of the plot and characters.

Volume 1 for me perfectly introduces the main characters as well as some of the side characters we begin to grow close to further into the story.  I also love how it shows us how the main characters become entangled with one another and shows how different Jiwon portrays himself in public to when Dong Gyun's finds out his identity.

I love that it's prominently in black and white with flashes of red now and again throughout.

Dong Gyun seems to be really shy and reserved with his only friend seeming to be his co-worker Chanwoo, he's also really naive and doesn't seem to like confrontation.

Jiwon on the other hand is popular and the perfect student and "friend" on the surface, which all changes when Dong Gyun figures out he's the infamous BJ Alex. His let's his mask fall and shows his "true" self to threaten to keep Dong Hyun quiet.

By the end of this volume, Jiwon has put forward a deal to Dong Gyun because he knows he will be able to control him for his own gain.

I don't think I'll ever get bored of re-reading this series, and falling in love with the characters all over again each time.

See you soon!

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(ZaiJian)

Bye

Simply Cook

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Cook restaurant quality meals!

Each box comes with 4 recipe kits and 4 step-by-step recipe cards.

Following the recipes, you combine the kits with 4-6 items from your fridge or cupboard.

Then in just 20 minutes  you'll be enjoying a delicious meal for 2-4 people.

First from this box I cooked the Creamy Salmon Pasta. In this kit you get Mustard Seed & dill Rub, Garlic Chicken Stock and White Wine Reduction.

Heat oven to 200C/190C Fan/Gas Mark 6. Bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta.

Cook the salmon.

Meanwhile, get your pasta on.

Soften the tomatoes & make the sauce.

Wilt the spinach & flake the salmon.

Serve!

I thought the salmon worked really well with the pasta. I loved all the flavours, but I'm a big fan of salmon, while Skye isn't. She left all the salmon but ate the pasta.

Next from this box I cooked the Greek Chicken Gyros. In this kit you get Gyros Blend, Fries Seasoning and Mint & Garlic Sauce.

We always enjoy this dish. The chicken always cooks perfectly, and everything works really well together. I always look forward to having this one whenever it's in the box.

Next from this box I cooked the Pad Thai. In this kit you get Pad Thai Paste, Tamarind and Thao Tomato Paste.

This dish is really nice, all the flavours work really well together and both myself and Skye really like and enjoy this.

Lastly from this box I cooked the Sausage & Fennel Pasta. In this kit you get Chilli & Fennel Mix, Smoked Salt & Chive and Garlic Vegetable Stock.

I'm sad that Simply Cook seems to have stopped with this one as we did come to enjoy it. It was also perfect for my lunch at work to refuel me for the rest of my shift. I hope it's a dish they eventually bring back.

Each box is £11.78 or £9.99 if you click ship now, with your first box being a trial price of £3.

If you are interested in making your own Simply Cook subscription, then head over to the Simply Cook website, to check out more details as well as their big catalogue of dishes to make.

Here is a code to help you on your way and to get you your first box free:

Free box invitation code.

See you soon!

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さようなら

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Bye

Raspberry Jam Tarts

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I realised last year that while I bake often, I've never actually baked jam tarts before, so when I came across this recipe, I decided to give it a try.

Let's get baking!

Ingredients:

250g plain flour, extra for dusting

125g butter

1 medium egg

100g raspberry jam

Put the flour, butter and a pinch of salt into a bowl and rub with your fingertips until it looks and feels like fresh breadcrumbs.

Next stir in the egg with a cutlery knife. Add 1 tbsp of cold water, then start to bring the dough together in one lump with your hands. Add 1 more tbsp of water if it's not coming together, try not to knead it too much.

Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas Mark 6.

Butter a 12-hole tart/muffin tin.

Dust your work surface with flour. Roll out your dough so it's about the thickness of a £1 coin, then using a straight or fluted round cutter, cut out 12 circles, big enough for the holes in the tin.

Dollop 1-2 tsp of raspberry jam into each of the pastry cases. You can also cut out little pastry shapes to place on top.

Bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes or until golden and the filling starts to bubble a little.

Leave them to cool in the tin for a few minutes.

Then carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

These jam tarts were really easy and simple to make, the original recipe has the optional ingredient of a vanilla pod, which I kept out, but I think I'd add it the next time I bake them as it left the pastry tasting a little bland. I think I'd cut my pastry shapes a little thinner too next time as I think they were a little too thick against the base.

Other than the above, they did in fact taste delicious, I'd happily bake them again, rather than buying them in.

If you would like to follow the original recipe, then head over to the Easy Jam Tarts recipe page over on the BBC Good Food website.

See you soon!

안녕

(Annyeong)

さようなら

(Sayonara)

再见

(ZaiJian)

Bye