The cheese ball is back

I’m not sure the cheese ball ever fell out of favor, but it’s certainly back at the center of the table this holiday season.There was Kinston chef Vivian Howard on a recent episode of her PBS series, “A Chef’s Life,” making a spiced pecan cheese ball rolled in country ham chips. On the show, Howard said, “The cheese ball is so cliche at this point I think it almost stands a chance of being cool again.”A recent Huffington Post headline screamed: “Make These Cheese Balls If You Want to Throw a Kil

Jan. 2, 2015

Homey Japanese food at 28 Teheranro

28 Teheranro, a new Japanese restaurant-pub that opened in October in Seoul’s Daechi-dong, specializes in wholesome and homey meals that are fortifying yet light. “I want to make food that others and I want to eat,” said co-owner and chef Kim Gun-hee. 28 Teheranro represents Kim’s second act. After running a small Japanese restaurant in Seoul’s Gyeongnidan-gil for over three years, Kim teamed up with her brother to open a sophomore effort near Samseong-dong’s Coex. “We work well together,” Kim,

Dec. 26, 2014

Cooking tips and tricks to smooth the holiday

Doing a lot of cooking over the holidays? We’ve gathered some tricks and tips from our reporting to help you with the little things.Peeling squash: Attack it like chefs do when making supremes, those jewel-like, membrane-less sections of orange. This works best with smooth-sided squash, like butternut. Cut the vegetable in sections crosswise. Place a piece flat on the cutting board. Place the knife blade at the top, just inside the peel. Cut in a downward stroke to remove the peel, with the knif

Dec. 26, 2014

Around the hotels

Celebration of French cuisine at Grand Hyatt IncheonGrand Hyatt Incheon’s Restaurant 8 presents French course menus during the month of January as part of the restaurant’s promotion for each different global cuisine. The French Café offers a five-course lunch and dinner, featuring luxury ingredients such as caviar, truffles and foie gras, paired with fine French wines. The lunch is 66,000 won and the dinner is 88,000 won. In February, grill chefs will present traditional Korean Lunar New Year me

Dec. 26, 2014

Festive holiday eats in Seoul

With the holiday season in full swing, restaurants and hotels throughout the city are celebrating with special dinners, drinks and parties. Here’s a guide to where to go for some festive grub and refreshments. Holiday dinnersChristmas Eve at the BeastroOn Christmas Eve, pastry-encased braised beef cheeks with a red wine bone marrow sauce and gingerbread cake with egg nog panna cotta will be featured as special additions to the Hongdae-based restaurant the Beastro’s menu, which will also be spinn

Dec. 19, 2014

Blue cheese, walnuts take chicken to another level

A dish that comes together quickly can not only look pretty, but wow in the flavor department as well. That is, if you don’t overcook the chicken.But here’s my tip for getting moist boneless, skinless chicken breasts: Sear first, then bake them. To do this, it’s a good idea to use a skillet that’s not nonstick but is ovenproof. You’ll get a better sear on the chicken if it’s not nonstick. First, sear the chicken in the ovenproof skillet and then transfer it to a preheated oven to finish the cook

Dec. 19, 2014

Around the hotels

Mother & Daughter bonding event at Sheraton Grande Walkerhill Sheraton Grande Walkerhill will hold a special dinner party for mothers and daughters on Friday at the European restaurant Clock 16. The “Merry Mother’s Day” event will start with a seven-course dinner, featuring grilled shrimp and tenderloin as the main dish. The dinner will be followed by a jazz performance and a lecture by dermatologist Seo Gu-il, secretary general of the International Society for Dermatologic Surgery, with tips fo

Dec. 19, 2014

Modern take on ‘soondae’ soup

Damso-story, a Gangnam, Seoul-based franchisor of Korean sausage “soondae” soup, offers the popular dish with a modern twist.It attempts to break the stereotype of the dish ― strong pork smell, low quality and the usual drab interior of soondae dining places. Soondae is steamed pig intestine stuffed with a mixture of sticky rice, bean sprouts, cabbage or other vegetables seasoned with garlic, ginger, sesame oil and fermented bean paste. Damso-story specializes in soondae soup. For broth, it uses

Dec. 14, 2014

Myeolchi bokkeum (stir-fried dried anchovies)

Myeolchi bokkeum (stir-fried dried anchovies) (Korean Bapsang)These stir-fried dried anchovies (myulchi/myeolchi) are a popular side dish. Dried anchovies are a staple in Korean kitchens. Medium-sized to large anchovies are primarily used to make stock, while smaller ones are used to make a variety of side dishes. Because they are an excellent source of calcium, Korean moms encourage their kids to eat more anchovies. The dried anchovies are first stir-fried in a little bit of oil, and then mixed

Dec. 12, 2014

Naturally leavened bread at Lotte World Mall

It is not surprising when Le Pain owner-baker Im Tae-eon says his favorite bread at his bakery is his baguette.Utterly crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, Le Pain’s baguette is something to pause over. There is that crackle and snap of thin crust, akin to a potato chip in texture, that gives way to a nutty, slightly grainy, airy crumb. “Spread some unsalted butter on and sprinkle a little salt over it,” Im, 39, divulged his own penchant for cutting a freshly-baked baguette and savoring th

Dec. 12, 2014

Around the hotels

British afternoon tea at Grand InterContinental Seoul ParnasGrand InterContinental Seoul Parnas presents a British afternoon tea set at the Lobby Lounge & Bar to celebrate the completion of the 10-month hotel renovation. The “Weekend High Tea Buffet” promotion offers a wide variety of dessert menus, including Earl Gray cake, brie crème brûlée, blueberry cheesecake and more prepared by the hotel’s patisserie. The selection of the dessert menu was assisted by InterContinental London Park Lane. Gue

Dec. 12, 2014

Affordable Dim Sum on Garosu-gil

At lunch time, despite the recent chill, hungry diners wait outside for one of a few seats inside Jooo’s Dim Sum and Noodles. The wait is clearly worth it. Not only does Jooo’s owner-chef Lee Byung-joo serve up tasty soup dumplings and fragrant bowls of hot noodles, each dish only sets one back an affordable 3,500 won to around 9,000 won, keeping lunch generally under 10,000 won. Wallet-friendly prices and tasty grub clearly makes for a winning combination, but that is not all that makes Jooo’s

Dec. 5, 2014

Chew on this: ‘Sweet Potatoes’ author debunks yam myths

Hillsborough, North Carolina, cookbook author April McGreger wants to settle the confusion about yams and sweet potatoes.First, McGreger says, they are not the same vegetable. Sweet potatoes are grown in the U.S. Yams are a tropical plant, grown in Africa and Asia, and they look much different from sweet potatoes.“Unless it’s buff-colored, the size of a football and hairy, it is a sweet potato,” said McGreger, who has just published her first cookbook, “Sweet Potatoes,” part of the UNC-Press Sav

Dec. 5, 2014

Around the hotels

Korean and Chinese restaurants reopen at Sheraton Grand Walkerhill Sheraton Grande Walkerhill reopened the Korean restaurant Ondal and Chinese restaurant Geumryong after six months of renovation on Dec. 1. The Korean restaurant Ondal presents Korean royal cuisine based on the recipes of an aristocratic family of the Joseon era. Ondal also serves the head chef’s “Summit Luncheon,” which was served during the G20 Seoul Summit and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Korea. Geumryong (Golden Dra

Dec. 5, 2014

Around the hotels

‘Christmas Delight’ at Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel’s Lobby Lounge.Bar is providing a new afternoon tea set in time for the festive Christmas season. The tea set consists of dessert items arranged on a tiered tray and a choice of cocktails, coffee or tea. Desserts include cinnamon raisin scone, blue cheese macaron, Earl Grey panna cotta, red velvet cupcake and snacks such as turkey bruschetta, salmon tataki with yuzu jam and more. The tea cocktails are non-al

Nov. 28, 2014

Dak galbi (spicy stir-fried chicken)

Dak galbi (spicy stir-fried chicken) (Korean Bapsang)Dak galbi is very popular all over Korea, especially in Chuncheon, a city in Gangwon Province, where the dish originated in the 1960’s. It is a spicy stir-fried chicken dish made with boneless chicken pieces, rice cakes (tteokbokki tteok), green cabbage, sweet potato and other vegetables. Dak means chicken, and galbi means ribs. But, there are no ribs in this dish. Back in the day, pork ribs (dweji galbi) were too expensive for everyday grilli

Nov. 28, 2014

A memorable pizza from a Nashua childhood

NASHUA, New Hampshire (AP) ― It’s one of those haunting food memories I’ve tried ― foolishly ― to escape for nearly 25 years. And it’s ruined me for any facsimile since.I’m speaking of the pizza joint ― for in the days before artisanal, gluten-free crusts and free-range mozzarella, they all were joints ― that formed the backbone of my high school years. Sort of dingy with a smattering of so-not ironic arcade games, Espresso Pizza was the only correct answer to teenage boy pizza cravings in this

Nov. 28, 2014

[Design Forum] Food for thought, thoughts on design

The Herald Design Market on Thursday welcomed visitors with an array of snazzy snacks, one-bite sweets and beverages that bring greater aesthetic inspiration. Peter Callahan, renowned caterer and food stylist, shared his genre of food that brought a whole miniature food boom in the U.S., during a “Food Talk” session. “We try to make every ingredient a decoration,” Callahan said. “It’s all about the details that make the difference.” Callahan, who has served food for many famous personalities suc

Nov. 27, 2014

Sweet treats at Garosugil

Sweets can be found in almost every nook and cranny of Garosugil and its adjoining streets.In fact, one can practically gauge the latest dessert trends of the city by taking a stroll through the scenic area that is located in Seoul’s Sinsa-dong. There one will come across at least three different takes on soft serve, uber-popular roll cakes, variations on the bingsu and other delights. One will also find sister shops of established dessert stops, like sibling stores Pumpkin Terrier Cake Shop and

Nov. 21, 2014

A guide to Thanksgiving turkey labeling

Once upon a time, buying your Thanksgiving turkey was easy. You went to your neighborhood grocery store and picked up whichever frozen bowling ball they were selling. No more. Today, a high-end grocery may sell as many as a half-dozen types of turkey, and telling one from another takes a bit of homework.What’s the difference between frozen and fresh? It’s not as obvious as you think. And then you’ve got organic, free-range, pastured and heritage birds.Here’s a handy guide to some of the definiti

Nov. 21, 2014