Food critic dines out on Michelle Obama favorites

WASHINGTON (AFP) ― It’s sure nice work if you can get it: going to nearly every restaurant in Washington patronized by Michelle Obama and ordering exactly what she ordered.Marian Burros did just that for the Politico website (www.politico.com), and the experience ― which took her through 25 eateries

Oct. 14, 2011

Fine Italian dining with wine and cocktails

Try polenta gratin with sauteed seafood, rare-grilled tuna with spicy tomato sauce along with over 50 beverages to choose from, including wine and cocktails.For Italian food lovers, a special promotion offered by Oakwood Premier Coex Center’s Residents’ Lounge will be a pleasant surprise. Running fr

Oct. 10, 2011

Wine of the Week: 2010 Famille Brechet Lirac ‘Plateau des Chenes’

The minute I poured this 2010 Lirac, the scent of dried wild herbs, ripe blackberries, olives and earth leapt out of the glass. It’s so rich and intense, it comes on like a baby Chteauneuf. In fact, the Brechet family that produces this wine, a blend of 60 percent Syrah and 40 percent Grenache, is r

Oct. 7, 2011

Soe-galbijjim (Braised beef ribs)

Soe-galbijjim (Institute of Traditional Korean Food)Soe-galbijjim is braised beef ribs with Korean radish or brown oak mushrooms, vegetables and seasonings. This is a typical Korean dish, loved by people of all ages. Jjim is a popular cooking method that simmers or braises seasoned ingredients with

Oct. 7, 2011

Gochujang burger lands Iowa native for a South Korean bite

Jim Calhoun’s grand prizewinning glazed gochujang burger with ginger-lime aioli (Park Hae-mook/The Korea Herald)Contest winner on how the Korean condiment perfectly compliments the classic American dishSome people are just born to cook. Take burger contest winner Jim Calhoun, for instance. The Iowa

Oct. 7, 2011

Micro-breweries take on local flavor in China

BEIJING (AFP) ― In a poky room in a backstreet of Beijing, self-taught brewer Carl Setzer uses spicy Sichuan peppercorns, oolong tea leaves and cinnamon to invent beer flavors suited to Chinese tastebuds.The burly American runs Great Leap Brewing, one of a small but growing number of micro-breweries

Oct. 5, 2011

Bespoke meals on the rise

Establishments give diners option of tailoring dishes to suit their preferencesEver since Dean and DeLuca opened its first Seoul outlet in late September, the American gourmet food retailer’s brand new market-bakery-deli-espresso bar quartet has been dizzyingly busy. Customers need to hustle for one

Sept. 30, 2011

Aperitif is a civilized way to end hectic day, begin your evening

As life gets ever more hectic, I rely more and more on the civilized custom of a before-dinner aperitif. Sometimes it’s all I can do to make it to that magical hour when I’m handed a Campari and soda or a glass of rose and take a first bite of dusky olive tapenade on toast.An aperitif can be as simp

Sept. 30, 2011

Wine of the Week: 2009 Walter Hansel Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

From Hansel Family Vineyards comes this fine expression of Russian River Pinot. Round and silky, with a beautiful balance and taste of red plums and black cherries, the 2009 is a splurge, but worth it for a California Pinot of this quality.Save it for a special dinner party to have with roasted or b

Sept. 30, 2011

Baechu kimchi (Cabbage kimchi)

Baechu-kimchi is made by fermenting brined Korean cabbage with Korean radish, vegetables, salt-fermented seafood, ground red pepper and various seasonings. Kimchi is a quintessential side dish that is served without fail on dining tables in Korea. Kimchi was approved as an International Standard Foo

Sept. 30, 2011

Kimchi’s new chapter: Korea’s traditional condiment blurs culinary borders

Marja Vongerichten’s new cookbook and public television travel/culture/cooking series share the same name: “The Kimchi Chronicles.” The choice of kimchi in both titles was easy.“Kimchi is so distinct to Korea,” Vongerichten says. “It’s the first thing people think of. It’s a great attention-grabber.

Sept. 30, 2011

Yeonhui-dong, next hip artists’ hang-out?

Old residential neighborhood morphing into bohemian cafe streetA brief taxi trip away from college hub Hongdae stands its significantly more serene cousin, Yeonhui-dong.Just a decade ago, the place was a quiet residential area. Then, coffee shops started springing up. The pace quickened about a year

Sept. 23, 2011

Whisked away to another world

LA CADIERE D’AZUR, France ― It is day four of cooking class at La Bastide des Saveurs, and many of the 14 students are looking for chairs to catch a few minutes of rest before the whisking begins. But it is also dessert day, so a delicious reward at the end is guaranteed.Such are the joys, and chall

Sept. 23, 2011

Wine of the week: 2008 Allende White Rioja

Looking for an alternative to Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc? Lately, some interesting whites are coming out of Rioja, and Allende’s Rioja Blanca is one of them.A blend of Viura and Malvasia aged in French oak, the 2008 is a rich, almost oily wine, with an extravagant scent, from this relatively new

Sept. 23, 2011

Gungjung-tteokbokki (Rice cake pasta with vegetables, royal style)

Gungjung-tteokbokki is a dish made of white rice cakes, beef and a variety of dried and raw vegetables stir-fried with soy sauce for seasoning. Tteokbokki was not spicy and only made with soy sauce until the 18th century. Now, however, it is cooked with a spicy red chili paste, which has been seen i

Sept. 23, 2011

Making Korean cuisine for foreign palates

MUMBAI ― Cooking Korean food for foreign palates in foreign lands requires much creativeness and resourcefulness. Chef Bae Han-chul, formerly with the InterContinental Hotel in Seoul and currently a professor at Gangdong University, who served a five-course hansik meal for 200 people at a Korean foo

Sept. 19, 2011