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The summer fruit cake recipe I saw on Chowhound years ago is my absolute favorite because it becomes seasonal instantly by changing the fruit. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/279043 The best are plums, radiating out in a circle! And in the winter, when you feel totally blah, you can go with frozen berries which may not be strictly seasonal, but at least they're not flown in from Chile.

After eating here, my friends and I agreed that it didn't cost more than a three-course meal would have at a similarly nice restaurant, and we had eaten enough food, but it didn't feel right. It felt like we'd been served food by a very stingy person. I also would rather pay $16 for a small, delicious entree than $25 for something unwieldy, but charging $5 for a tiny, tiny dish of brussel sprouts, which are not expensive, felt almost rude. I'd never serve something like that to guests in my own home, and I guess I like to go to restaurants where it feels like someone is trying to make you feel at home. In contrast, the shishito peppers looked right for the price, as did a few other dishes. We decided we're happy to have the restaurant in our neighborhood because this way, we don't have to go into Manhattan to impress out-of-town guests with a "NY restaurant," but it just didn't feel warm or welcoming enough for it be a regular dinner place. It would probably be okay as a place for a drink and a small bite with a friend at the bar, though.

I bought this ice shaver on Amazon to make patbingsoo--the trigger mechanism is a little tricky, but it works pretty well, much finer than the larger Hamilton Beach Icy Treats shaver, which is more like margarita consistency:
http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-68010-Snowman-Shaver/dp/B00008IH9N/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1251406169&sr=8-1

If you can't find the sweet beans, it's not hard to make. You soak azuki beans overnight, then simmer for about an hour and puree with some sugar. It won't be quite the same, but you'll get that great paht flavor. I've heard kidney beans make a decent substitute as well. I'm working on it to see if I can get a better recipe for the cookbook I'm writing.

The tteok is a little trickier to make, but it's essentially mixing glutinous rice flour with a little bit of hot water and sugar, dividing it into little balls of dough, and then cooking them in boiling water until they float.

But the best part of this dessert, really, is that like Grace says, if you can't find the beans or tteok, you can add whatever you like! Sometimes, I just use ice, condensed milk and berries for an easy treat that's cooler than ice cream on those really hot, sticky days.

And I am one of those people who doesn't mix it at all :)

That looks wonderful! My mom often pan-fried tteok for breakfast and we would dip it either in honey (my sister) or in soy sauce spiked with vinegar and red pepper flakes (me). I'd never thought of making tteokbokki like this before, though, despite growing up in Seoul. You inspired me to try it at home--easy and delicious, though you have to work fast to keep the sugars in the gochujang from burning.