What makes celebrities jump into winemaking?

There is a saying among the people who take grapes and turn them into our favorite beverage, and it goes like this: To make a small fortune in the wine industry, you have to start with a large one.Although I’ve never invested (or lost) a penny in a winemaking operation, I trust that the saying is true more often than it’s not. Which is fine -- we’re talking about poetry here, not finance. Making money is not the main priority. That’s easy for me to say, since I have no skin in the game. But real

Feb. 17, 2017

Time to eat? Maybe not. When you chow down, not just on what, can affect your heart

It’s not just what you eat that affects the health of your heart. It’s also when you eat it.A new statement by the American Heart Association says there’s growing evidence that the timing of your meal matters when it comes to cardiovascular disease. The conclusion: Earlier is better.The statement, published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation, suggests that planning when to consume meals and snacks as well as not skipping breakfast -- all hallmarks of a healthy diet -- might re

Feb. 17, 2017

[Weekender] For those who want restaurant-quality meals at home: semi-cooking food boxes

A rising culinary trend dubbed “semi-home-cooking” delivers to a very specific consumer base: people who are wary of eating out but do not want the hassle of cooking -- and cleaning up -- in their own kitchens.A number of services have begun selling “food boxes,” where prepped ingredients -- prewashed, peeled, sliced and diced -- and sauces are delivered straight to their door, often on the day of order, for hassle-free cooking.A box for the Korean staple doenjang jjigae from food box service My

Feb. 10, 2017

[Weekender] Just the way you like it

Once associated exclusively with likes of the Louvre, the Smithsonian and other museums of art and science, the use of the word “curation” has expanded in its scope to include aspects of everyday life.This includes the constant question for single-person households: What to do for breakfast, lunch and dinner?Various food curation services here, both online and offline, are now offering a helping hand in better understanding the art of dining.Gourmet 494, located inside the Galleria Department St

Feb. 10, 2017

[Weekender] Online companies ring the changes in food industry

Joseph Kim, a computer programmer living in Seoul, is a busy man. He is so overloaded at work he can rarely go grocery shopping.With few hours to spend at the gym, his weight has been creeping up steadily, forcing him to change his diet and have salads delivered to his door twice weekly. All he has to do is order on his computer or smartphone.Wrapped in a green eco bag and consisting of an assortment of fruits and vegetables, the curated meals he receives have helped him deal with his predicamen

Feb. 10, 2017

Sweet planets at Compostela

When Compostela patissier-CEO Kwon Young-mi decided she wanted to create sphere-shaped cakes she had no idea how difficult it would be. She also had no idea they would be such a hit. “When I first tried to make the cakes, it was hard and I realized why people tend not to do it,” Kwon said, in half jest. Kwon stuck to her concept and succeeded. When one walks into her newly-minted dessert cafe, colorful, glossy globes of sweetness are the main attraction, a toothsome vibrance heightened by a mini

Feb. 10, 2017

[The Palate] Beautifully crafted, domestically made

Bright white sterile walls and a cool, clean minimal decor radiate from the big windows of the newly opened cheese shop and restaurant Cheeseflo in busy Hannam-dong. Wedged between two streets near the Leeum Museum, the restaurant showcases its in-house-made cured meats hanging in an aging room with an immaculate glass encased affinage room at the opposite end. Cheeseflo immediately entices passersby with its attractive homemade products, but the true allure lies within its doors.  Cheeseflo‘s a

Feb. 3, 2017

[Around the Hotels] Packages and promotions

Valentine’s Day package at Grand Hyatt SeoulThe Grand Hyatt Seoul is offering a Valentine’s Day package that includes a one-night stay at a Grand Room, bottle of wine, signature doll and Jo Malone London hand-wash gift box. Couples can have breakfast the next day and check out at 2 p.m. The package is available from Feb. 10 for 320,000 won. For information and reservation, call (02) 799 - 8888 or visit seoul.grand.hyatt.kr.Valentine’s package at Novotel Ambassador Seoul GangnamNovotel Ambassador

Feb. 3, 2017

Young, foreign restaurateurs make foray into Seoul alleys

Kevin Scheid (left) and Gregory DeFraize, the owners of French bistro L'Empreinte, pose for a photo after an interview in their restaurant in Yeonnam-dong, Seoul, Wednesday. (Park Hyun-koo/The Korea Herald)After working at a hotel kitchen and a hip Itaewon eatery for several years, French chef Gregory DeFraize, 34, decided to open a place of his own early last year. L’Empreinte, meaning “impression,” his bistro is a 110-square meter-piece of Lyon, the chef’s hometown, in a corner of Yeonnam-dong

Jan. 30, 2017

[Around the hotels] Packages and promotions

Chinese cuisine at Grand Hyatt Incheon The Grand Hyatt Incheon is offering a promotion of Chinese fusion dishes prepared by Chef Moon Sung-jo until the end of February. Moon has prepared a selection of Beijing-style dishes made of healthy ingredients, including duck, pine mushrooms and abalone.Various dim sum dishes are also available along with a pine mushroom soup, duck noodle soup and deep-fried Mero fish. Desserts include mango sago, seasonal fruits and coconut. The price is 66,000 won per p

Jan. 20, 2017

Tastingroom duo masterminds another hit

Restaurateurs often dream of holding a track record the likes of that held by the duo behind hit eateries Tastingroom and Melting Shop. Since the launch of their first Tastingroom in Seoul nearly eight years ago, the husband-and-wife team has seen continued success, opening multiple Tastingroom outlets and yet another hit restaurant, Melting Shop, in 2014. Now Kim Ju-young and her husband have circled back to where it all started, to the spot where they opened their first Tastingroom. Here, the

Jan. 20, 2017

[The Palate] Yukkal, the perfect winter hybrid

Seoul has an array of vibrant new restaurants and food shops that show its progressive and forward momentum on the international food scene. For locals, it’s a breath of fresh air to find foreign restaurants sprinkled around the city that bring new flavors closer to home.But time and time again, whether one is a native or an expat living in Korea, “matjip,” the more humble “mom and pop” restaurants that serve tried-and-true local dishes as authentic as they come, are still enjoyed by all. It is

Jan. 13, 2017

[Around the Hotels] Packages and promotions

New Year package at Grand Hyatt Incheon Grand Hyatt Incheon is offering a Lunar New Year package, which includes access to an indoor playground and Nintendo play zone, from Jan. 27 to 29. The “fun” package includes a one-night stay in a guest room, breakfast for two adults and access to an indoor playground, Nintendo play zone, three swimming pools, sauna and fitness center. The “full” option includes all of the above services plus dinner for two adults.The indoor playground features kinetic san

Jan. 13, 2017

[Home Cooking] Sataejjim (slow cooker braised beef shank)

Sataejjim is a traditional braised dish that’s made with bite-sized beef shank meat (satae). Beef shank meat is a tough cut of meat with lots of connective tissue. Slow cooking breaks down the collagen into a rich, flavorful gelatin. Sataejjim is often a cheaper or less fatty alternative to galbijjim (braised short ribs).In Korean cooking, beef shank meat is a popular cut of meat for making soup and braised dishes such as jangjorim. If you are using bone-in pieces, cut the meat off the bones int

Jan. 13, 2017

Wines with moderate tannins, umami flavors for a thrown-together soup

The peculiar title of this soup was born of its creation. Making soup from what you have on hand is an excellent way to use leftovers and also to build flavor from the good things you’ve been cooking. Some leftover edamame prompted the title, as it subs for the peas that might be more expected. One diner thought that weird, hence the name. But to us it’s just delicious. A wine with staying power completes the dinner.Make this weird soup Combine 2 cans (395 grams each) low-sodium beef broth, 1 ca

Jan. 6, 2017

Korean-French cuisine with a fresh attitude at the Green Table

The food at the new home of owner-chef Kim Eun-hee’s restaurant, the Green Table, channels Korean flavors with a French backbone and fresh nuances. Gamte, paper-thin, dried seaweed, is used to sandwich plump shrimp in one dish, while doenjang (fermented soybean paste) powder is used to season fish for a ceviche.Although Kim, who moved to a new location in Sinsa-dong several months ago, uses Korean ingredients in her cuisine now, there was a time when she would have been more hesitant to use cert

Jan. 6, 2017

[Around the hotels] This week's promotions, packages

Special promotions at Walkerhill The Walkerhill hotel in Seoul is offering new food promotions throughout January. Guests can choose various menus priced at 54,000 won at restaurants Ondal, Geumryong, The Buffet, Clock 16, Myongwolgwan and Pizza Hill.They can also enjoy an overnight stay under three packages until Feb. 28 in the Douglas Room, Deluxe Room and Club Suite Room, which cost 150,000 won, 235,000 won and 295,000 won per night, respectively. A diary will be given to all guests and there

Jan. 6, 2017

[Around the hotels] This week’s promotions, packages

New Year countdown at Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel is throwing a New Year’s countdown party at Lobby Lounge Bar on the 41st floor on Dec. 31. Guests will enjoy a performance by the Popera team from 8 p.m.-10 p.m., followed by various guest DJ performances from 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. The bar will offer a Moet Chandon Set featuring a bottle of champagne, Iberico pork, abalone, tuna, caviar, sea urchin roe and more. Guests can either reserve a table for dining or en

Dec. 30, 2016

[Recipe] Let’s eat: Cheese enchiladas with chili gravy

This time of year, things can get crazy. You might wonder who has time for a home-cooked dinner.These saucy, cheesy enchiladas are the answer to a busy person’s prayers. The gravy comes together quickly and uses everyday ingredients you most likely have on hand.I substituted scallions for the white onion and also spooned sour cream on top. Cheese enchiladas with chili gravy. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS)Cheese enchiladas with chili gravyFor the chili gravy1/4 cup neutral oil, like canola or use

Dec. 29, 2016

Fermented foods open a gateway to good health, culinary adventures

SACRAMENTO, California -- The surge in popularity of fermented foods in recent years -- eating them, creating them at home, exploring different cultures and cuisines -- is based largely on the idea that this stuff can be really good for you.In today's filtered, purified, sanitized, antibacterial world, you might think avoiding bacteria of any kind is a good thing. Turns out, plenty of bacteria, invisible to the naked eye, are plastered all over our food and working on our behalf.Yes, that food y

Dec. 29, 2016