Eating seasonally and locally is a great way to maintain a healthy diet, observes a veteran food consultant and Korea’s first accredited vegetable sommelier. “To me, superfoods are local foods grown in season. They taste better, are cheaper and rich in nutrition,” Kim Eun-kyung, president of the Korea Vegetable Sommelier Association, told The Korea Herald.The 49-year-old fruit and veggie guru said that fruit and vegetables eaten in season have a higher phytochemical content and contain more nutr

FoodJan. 30, 2015

The world’s most isolated and brutally repressive state, North Korea, is a place that intrigues writers and readers alike. Although very few, there are travelogue-type books, memoirs by defectors and even a Pulitzer-prize winning novel by an American writer, all set in North Korea.Korean-American author Suki Kim’s account of her six months in Pyongyang teaching English to the sons of North Korea’s elite, “Without You, There is No Us,” published in 2014, takes its title from a popular North Korea

BooksJan. 30, 2015

Exhibitions“New Wave: The Road of Memories”: A group exhibition of Asian artists will run at and.n gallery from Feb. 3-21. The exhibition invites emerging artists from South Korea, China, Taiwan, India and Indonesia whose works have gained international recognition. Six artists showcase some 20 paintings that portray their individual memories. South Korean artist Shim Bong-min depicts childhood memories in gray concrete apartment settings. Chinese artist Liu Xia captures the past memories in sti

CultureJan. 30, 2015

“Selma” wasn’t the only film about race to get short shrift from Oscar voters this past year. “Black or White” is a frank, touching and very well-acted melodrama about child custody and cultural perceptions of “blackness” and “the race card,” and could have earned Octavia Spencer and Kevin Costner fresh Oscar nominations.Mike Binder’s latest teaming with Costner has more anger, mixed with alcoholism and a bitterness that may mask racism.Elliot Anderson (Costner) tells his granddaughter Eloise (J

FilmJan. 30, 2015

Jupiter Ascending (U.S., Australia)Opening Feb. 5Adventure, SF. Directed by Andy and Lana Wachowski The Wachowski brothers, credited with the hit movies “The Matrix” and “Cloud Atlas,” are delivering another mind-boggling sci-fi thriller, “Jupiter Ascending.” When Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis), a miserable Chicago-born janitor, encounters Caine Wise (Channing Tatum), a genetically engineered military man, she finds out that she is a royalty and destined to rule the Earth. She is the only person who

FilmJan. 30, 2015

Garth Brooks makes a return to musicGarth Brooks“Man Against Machine”(RCA Nashville)As would be expected, Garth Brooks strives for an epic statement on his re-entry into full-time recording, after a 13-year hiatus.Unlike most modern male country stars, Brooks looks beyond partying and celebrating rural life on “Man Against Machine.” Like U2 or Bruce Springsteen, Brooks positions himself as a cultural figurehead who speaks for, and to, the common man.To his credit, Brooks represents the middle cl

PerformanceJan. 30, 2015

SEOGWIPO, Jeju Province ― Nighttime on Jejudo Island can be quite boring for tourists. After the beautiful sunset, the breathtaking views of the pristine landscapes are shrouded in darkness. At Kensington Jeju Hotel, which opened last year in Seogwipo, there’s a lively night scene with DJ music at the rooftop bar and swimming pool. The strong music beat signals the start of the poolside party at 8:30 p.m. The mix of dance and hip-hop music is played by a professional DJ until 10 p.m. Hotel guest

TravelJan. 30, 2015

BEIJING ― Thousands of Beijingers wake up every day in Yosemite in Northern California. Hordes more have moved to Palm Springs, not to mention Orange County and Silver Lake. They shop at UCLA and go to Hollywood for a bite to eat.All without leaving the Chinese capital.When I first moved to China about a year ago, I fretted a tad about missing the Golden State and living in a country where everything had unfamiliar names. Instead, I’ve found it hard to escape California’s good vibrations: There

TravelJan. 30, 2015

The roasted pork chops with green beans and potatoes (TNS)Ease of preparation is a big selling point for home cooks, which explains our love of slow cooker dinners and one-pot meals.Today’s version of that quick and easy kitchen savior is the sheet pan supper: all the ingredients (protein, vegetables and starch) are placed together on a sturdy, rimmed baking sheet, put in the oven, and a short time later, dinner is served.The technique has been turning up everywhere: New York Times food columnis

FoodJan. 30, 2015

The Lovesue Coffee’s cafe latte (left) and Dutch coffee served in the shop’s lovely takeaway cup and bottle (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)The Lovesue Coffee, a small 14-seat cafe that opened last month, marries an understated stylish aesthetic with solid brews and under-the-radar treats. Co-owners and friends Lee Hyun-ah and Kang Eun-sue add a convivial vibe to their cafe, a lovely spot wedged in between a gathering of fashion and wedding studios on a relatively obscure part of Seoul’s Cheongd

FoodJan. 30, 2015

Luxury gift sets at Millennium Seoul HiltonIn celebration of the Lunar New Year, Millennium Seoul Hilton is offering a sale on luxury gift sets from Jan. 13 to Feb. 17. The top-grade galbi sets consist of prime-grade hanwoo beef, Australian wagyu and American beef, with prices ranging from 420,000 won to 1.2 million won. The yellow croaker with roe sets are priced at 360,000 won to 680,000 won. Premium food gift sets include preserved abalone from Wando Island, crabs marinated in soy sauce and L

FoodJan. 30, 2015

In the new tvN miniseries “Hogoo’s Love,” girl group After School member Uee takes on the role of Do Do-hee, a beautiful but haughty it-girl and national swimming champion. Known for her long legs and glamorous body, Uee recently appeared in the reality show “Law of the Jungle.” “Hogoo” is her first TV drama lead since 2013, in which she played orphan Kim Baek-won in “Golden Rainbow.”  Uee of girl group After School poses during a press conference for the new tvN miniseries “Hogoo’s Love” in Seo

TelevisionJan. 30, 2015

2PM2PM has topped Oricon chart with the new single “Guilty Love” since its release on Wednesday, the group’s agency said. According to JYP Entertainment, the group also held the first and second spot on Japan’s leading music streaming service charts RecoChoku and Dwango, respectively. The single has also won the top-tier spot in the list of record sales at Tower Record. “We are glad 2PM started the year with their success on major music charts. They send their appreciation to their fans,” said t

PerformanceJan. 30, 2015

PHOENIX (AP) ― Katy Perry says her American football championship Super Bowl halftime performance will make you “Roar” ― with animals.The singer told reporters at a press conference that her performance Sunday will include “a lion and sharks.”“It’s going to be wild out there,” Perry teased.Perry, 30, said she feels blessed to perform on the Super Bowl stage “at such a young age.” She said she enjoyed past Super Bowl performances from Beyonceuro and Madonna, and what she adds “is some lighthearte

PerformanceJan. 30, 2015

Kuhyun (left) and Yoseob star in the musical “Das Musical Robin Hood” (OSEN)Yoseob of K-pop idol group BEAST has joined the Korean rendition of the German musical “Das Musical Robin Hood.” He will play the protagonist Prince Phillip, sharing the role with Kuhyun of idol group Super Junior and musical actor Park Sung-hwan. “It was difficult to play a role that requires (one) to be childish,” said Yoseob at a press event in Seoul on Friday. “Contrary to my image, I am not immature,” he said with a

PerformanceJan. 30, 2015

Kim Young-gyui had spent nearly 16 hours a day in a car for the past 30 years. The 66-year-old veteran taxi driver rode about 750,000 kilometers, more than twice the distance an average car travels in its lifetime. Recently, he had to bid farewell to his car upon retirement and was about to send it to a junkyard to be scrapped. As luck would have it, he got a chance to keep his faithful companion with Hyundai Motor’s campaign “Brilliant Memories” that transforms old, used cars into objects that

PerformanceJan. 29, 2015

Up-and-coming violinist Zia Hyunsu Shin ventures into a new terrain, playing Latin American folk songs on a new album. “Canto Antigo,” released Tuesday by Universal Music, is a collection of 16 folk pieces ― mostly from Latin America ― played on a rare combination of instruments ― one violin and two classical guitars. “At first, I was a little worried about the combination, but it turned out very nicely. The sounds (of violin and guitar) go really well together, adding a warm feel to the music,”

PerformanceJan. 29, 2015