Noodles, Perilla Oil Makguksu, Buckwheat Noodles

20210524, #breakfastdiary 98, 15°C/misty Blanch buckwheat noodles in boiling water, then rinse them several times in cold water — or at least that was the plan, but they kept snapping apart. Must be a high buckwheat content. Pour the dressing into a bowl (following the recipe: soy sauce 3, sugar 1, vinegar 1, and a little Yondu in place of vegetable stock — though that tasted off, so I switched to Yondu 2, sugar 1, water 2) and add the noodles. Ah, the noodles are falling apart everywhere. Top with chives, gim, and ground sesame seeds, then drizzle with perilla oil. It tastes better than it looks, good enough that I think it deserves a spot on the signature menu. On the last Monday of May 2021, I start the day with perilla oil makguksu. An economics article I read this morning Last year, when COVID-19 hit, companies cut production sharply. With the economy frozen, it was obvious that anything they made wouldn't sell anyway. Once the government started paying out disaster relief funds and increased fiscal spending, things changed. As households gained more room to spend, demand rose quickly, but companies, unsure the shift would last, responded only cautiously. Inventory ended up filling that gap. (Lee Jong-woo, Let's Consider Factors Beyond Inflation) Eventually, once inventories ran out, corporate profits rose. As production increased to meet demand, raw material supply couldn't keep up, and product prices went up. (There may be some ups and downs, but barring any major setback) the outlook is that the stock market should stay strong at least through the first half of the year. After that, who knows. If the stock market turns sour, capital will move again in search of other investment opportunities. For the stock market, the first half of the year could turn out to be a turning point.