Home Cooking: Chwinamul bokkeum (Sauteed aster scaber)

 In the winter, dried vegetables are a staple in Korean kitchens. Chwinamul (aster scaber) is a popular choice. It is a wild vegetable, with a bitter taste and distinct aroma, that grows in the mountains of Korea. Simply seasoned, chwinamul is delicious as a side dish or in bibimbap. Chwinamul bokkeum (Sauteed aster scaber) (Korean Bapsang)　There are several ways to rehydrate dried vegetables. Some people soak dried vegetables in water for several hours and then boil them, but I like to boil the

FoodFeb. 26, 2016

[Around the hotels] Round up of hotel events and news

Belle-Essence Seoul Hotel to hold graduation celebration promotion　The Belle-Essence Seoul Hotel welcomes the graduation season with a complimentary meal worth 69,000 won to 140,000 won for the students graduating or entering an upper level school until March 6.　The promotion is for families enjoying a lunch or dinner buffet at Café Elysee or Ultimate Lunch Buffet or Dinner Set Menu at steakhouse Manhattan Grill. A minimum of three people including the alumni must be present and a graduation cer

TravelFeb. 26, 2016

[Album review] Rick Springfield adds country chops to ’Rocket Science‘

Rick Springfield　“Rocket Science”　(Frontiers Records)　Rick Springfield sprinkles the sounds of country music across his 18th album, with banjos, steel guitars and mandolins underpinning electric guitars and his energetic vocals on “Rocket Science.”　Even at age 66, Springfield has been working hard, building up his resume like a Boy Scout trying to earn an elusive merit badge.　A stint on the second season of HBO’s “True Detective,” a role opposite Meryl Streep on “Ricki and the Flash,” a novel an

PerformanceFeb. 26, 2016

[Album review] Vince Gill’s latest album shows artist at his best

Vince Gill　“Down To My Last Bad Habit”　(MCA Nashville) 　Perhaps Vince Gill highlights his Gibson ES-355_the guitar B.B. King made famous_in his new publicity photos and CD artwork for a reason. “Down To My Last Bad Habit,” Gill‘s first album in four years, features plenty of blues tones, sustained notes, and gut-bucket grooves. 　A top-tier guitarist, Gill emphasizes that skill on southern roadhouse rockers “Reasons For The Tears I Cry” and “Make You Feel Real Good.” His interplay with steel guit

PerformanceFeb. 26, 2016

[Album review] Lovely melding of cultures on Rodriguez 'Lola'

Carrie Rodriguez and the Sacred Hearts　“Lola"　(Thirty Tigers/Luz)　 　On “Lola,” singer Carrie Rodriguez alternates between English and Spanish, sometimes switching in midsentence as she creates a distinctive musical language. 　The melding of cultures can be a beautiful thing, especially when orchestrated by such a talented cast. The Sacred Hearts includes bassist Viktor Krauss and the ubiquitous guitarist Bill Frisell putting their special stamp on the material.　And then there’s Rodriguez, a vers

PerformanceFeb. 26, 2016

[Box office] Latest movie releases

　Unforgettable (Korea)Romance. Directed by Lee Eun-huiOpened Feb. 24　When radio show host Hyeong-jun (Park Yong-woo/Doh Kyung-soo) receives a letter from someone with the same name as his first love, he begins to reminisce about the memories he shared with his friends and his love, 23 years ago.　　Spirits' Homecoming (Korea)　Drama. Directed by Cho Jung-lae　Opened Feb. 24　Young shaman Eun-kyung (Choi Ri) inexplicably finds herself afflicted with fainting spells, during which she has flashbacks to

FilmFeb. 26, 2016

Films shed light on colonial Korea

A government-funded organization responsible for collecting and preserving materials related to Korean cinema unveiled Thursday seven new films from the Japanese colonial era that were obtained from Russia and Germany.　The Korean Film Archive (KOFA) revealed parts of these seven new clips, which depict everyday life in Korea under Japanese rule as well as Japanese colonial economic policy, at a press conference at the Korea Press Center.From left: Professor Song Kue-jin, a historian at Korea Uni

FilmFeb. 25, 2016

Lee Joo-mi wins grand prix at Paris dance competition

Lee Joo-mi, 23, won the grand prix in the contemporary category at Le Grand Prix de Paris Let’s DANCE 2016, an international dance competition that ended in Paris on Feb. 14, Korea National University of Arts announced Wednesday.　Lee has won several prestigious awards, including the grand prix at the Valentina Kozlova International Ballet Competition in New York in 2014, first prize at the Dong-A Dance Competition and senior female first prize in the contemporary dance category at the 10th Seoul

PerformanceFeb. 25, 2016

Korean artist’s DMZ project chosen for Venice Architecture Biennale

Korean artist Choi Jae-eun has been invited to present her project about the Demilitarized Zone at the 15th Venice Architecture Biennale in May.　Entitled “Dreaming of Earth,” the work is a collaboration with Japanese architect Shigeru Ban, who was a winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2014 and who is also a long-time friend of Choi.　The premise behind “Dreaming of Earth” is Choi’s belief that the DMZ’s rich ecological heritage can help solve complex issues between North and South Korea,

PerformanceFeb. 25, 2016

Kolleen Park presents new musical ‘Airport Baby’

Following her portrayal of a mother who struggles with bipolar disorder in the Korean rendition of the off-Broadway musical “Next to Normal,” musical director, conductor and actress Kolleen Park has stepped away from the stage and reprised her directorial role with her latest musical production, “Airport Baby.” 　The musical touches upon international adoption, a controversial social issue in Korea. It tells the story of a young Korean-American named Josh Coen, played by local actor Choi Jae-rim,

PerformanceFeb. 25, 2016

Cosmic Girls make long-awaited debut

The K-pop girl group Cosmic Girls unveiled their debut album Thursday.　The 12-member group of nine Korean and three Chinese members released its first album “Would You Like?” at noon on major Korean music streaming sites. The album has five songs, including the title track “MoMoMo,” as well as “Catch Me,” “Take My Breath” and “Tick Tock.” 　“The girl group has been generating a lot of buzz in the K-pop industry, under the wings of Starship’s winning strategies and China’s largest talent agency Yu

PerformanceFeb. 25, 2016

Multigenerational family saga of redemption

“A Doubter’s Almanac” 　 By Ethan Canin　 Random House (576 pages, $28)　Ethan Canin’s new multigenerational family saga is about the agony of the select few wired to master what seems indecipherable to mere mortals. Here math represents, among other things, a state of existential torment worthy of Sisyphus, who watched helplessly as his boulder kept falling back down the hill.　“There’s no proof in mathematics that can’t be broken down into steps basic enough for a child of reasoning age to follow.

BooksFeb. 25, 2016

Brisk thriller set in exotic locales

“The Travelers” 　By Chris Pavone　Crown (448 pages, $26)　Edgar winner Chris Pavone has built a career on involving stories about people with deep secrets. Not so much the family secrets that are de rigueur in many thrillers -- though that often enters into his novels -- but more on secrets masked by a job requiring travel or relocating to another country.　Will Rhodes roams the world writing articles for Travelers magazine, a glossy publication based in New York where Will lives with his wife, Chl

BooksFeb. 25, 2016

Debut novel depicts an unforgettable ‘Mind’

“Piece of Mind: A Novel” 　By Michelle Adelman　Norton (304 pages, $25.95)　“I was brain injured before it was trendy.”　That’s the arresting first sentence of “Piece of Mind,” the title of Michelle Adelman’s debut novel and an apt description of the way Lucy -- its 27-year-old narrator -- sees herself.　After being hit by a truck when she was 3, Lucy lost what she describes as her “executive functions,” including those that “relate to organizing, prioritizing, reasoning, disciplining, goal setting,

BooksFeb. 25, 2016