It’s a fine time for rose, and where better to find one than from the French Mediterranean. A perfect summer wine, Domaine Ferrer Ribiere “F” Rose from the Cotes Catalanes, is primarily Grenache with some Syrah in the blend. It’s pale pink and tastes of rose petals and wild herbs. A fine rose at a modest price. ● Region: Languedoc-Roussillon ● Price: About $11 ● Style: Dry and aromatic ● What...

Shrubs ― they’re not just for hiding in! Tart, acidic and weirdly, wonderfully refreshing, drinking vinegars known as “shrubs” are finding a savory home on a growing number of Los Angeles drink menus. Sometimes they’re added to soda water as an alternative to mainstream sodas, and sometimes they’re mixed with booze as a mouth-pleasing alternative to predictable acids such as lemons and limes. Ei...

Janggukbap is a dish made of cooked white rice in long-simmered beef broth, seasoned with soy sauce. In the olden days, when a big event or festival took place in the royal court, janggukbap was served to the mobilized soldiers, musicians, dancers and singers because the dish is convenient for serving to many people. Ingredients 300 g non-glutinous rice, 2 cups water Broth : 200 g beef (briske...

Nutrient-rich food helps restore appetite and energy Summer keeps heating up and as the weather starts to get warmer than usual, many people might already feel exhausted from the heat. Still a long way to go till the end of the season, staying healthy during the summer requires some nutrient-rich food to keep you revved up. According to Jeong Ian, an Oriental medicine doctor, summer is the tim...

NEW YORK (AP) ― Disney says its programming will no longer be sponsored by junk food. The Walt Disney Co. said Tuesday that it will become the first major media company in the U.S. to ban such ads for its TV channels, radio stations and websites intended for children. The guidelines won’t go into effect until 2015 because of existing advertising agreements. First Lady Michelle Obama, who has pu...

Dogs across Italy are wagging their tails as a new ice cream for man's best friend goes to market. It's called IceBau and it was released Friday at a gelato festival in Ancona, Italy's ANSA news agency reported. IceBau creators said the product will hit grocery store freezers across Italy this summer. Meanwhile, Italians chose not to give up ice cream during the country's economic crisis, ANSA...

I don’t know anything about the Fat Monk depicted on a bottom corner of the label hoisting a wine glass, halo hovering over his head. But I would like to second that halo for making a terrific everyday Pinot at an everyday price. I first tasted this wine when an astute friend brought it to dinner months ago. She’d scooped up the last few bottles at Surfas but kept an eye out and when they restoc...

Tiny temptations high on cute, low on guilt What’s less than 2 inches wide, covered in candy and impossibly adorable? A cake pop, those irresistibly moist confections made by mixing crumbled cake and frosting. The blogger Bakerella first unleashed these miniature cakes on sticks back in 2007. Once they went viral, pastry chefs, home bakers, even Starbucks jumped on the trend, creating ambitious...

Maejakgwa is a type of cookie made by kneading wheat flour with salt and ginger juice. It is sliced thinly and slit, then flipped over after squeezing one end into the slit. The cookies are fried in oil, coated with sugar syrup, and sprinkled with pine nut and cinnamon powder. Maejakgwa gets its name from its shape, which is similar to a sparrow (jak) in an apricot (maehwa) tree. Ingredients ● ...

Akira Back talks about where Korean food should be headed Koreans who tasted a Korean-American chef’s Las Vegas cuisine in Seoul earlier this week might have found some common ground with him. Akira Back’s seven-course Las Vegas meal was a representation of his memories of Korea and life experiences. “When they eat it, they will go like ‘I ate this when I was little,’” Akira Back, the executiv...

Exhaustion reigns when a new baby arrives. Between the 2 a.m. feedings, endless diaper changes and extreme sleep deprivation, merely getting dressed becomes a herculean effort. And don’t even get us started on cooking one-handed while a purple-faced infant howls in your ear. Thank heavens for grandparents, colleagues and neighbors, because one of the loveliest rituals that accompanies new mother...

This is an elegant expression of Nebbiolo (here called Chiavennasca) from one of Italy’s smallest appellations in the mountains near the Swiss border. Valtellina has several sub-zones, the best known of which is the wonderfully named “Inferno.” Giuseppe Rainoldi’s 2007 Valtellina Superiore “Inferno” Riserva is definitely a keeper. Though these wines age well, this one is drinking beautifully righ...

Oi-sobagi is a type of kimchi made with slightly fermented cucumbers that have been slit and stuffed with seasoned Korean leeks. Oi-sobagi may also be served without fermenting. Ingredients ● 3 ea cucumber (white), 30 g coarse salt ● saltwater: 380 g water, 20 g coarse salt ● 50 g small wild leaks ● 1 tbsp salted shrimp ● seasoning : 2 tbsp minced green onion, 1 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tsp mi...

Beyond Romanee-Conti and into the diverse world of historic French wine region The impact of Japanese comic book series, “The Drops of God,” on Burgundy and its wine can still be felt. When the press highlighted the bottle of wine that inspired “The Drops of God” and the series itself put the spotlight on Burgundy, the storied region in eastern France got noticed. It was a bottle of 1985 Domai...

To celebrate a Detroit restaurant's 95th anniversary, 955 raw hot dogs were dropped from a hovering helicopter onto a soccer field Wednesday morning. The stunt, arranged by WKQI-FM, Detroit, honored the American Coney Island restaurant, whose third-generation owner, Grace Keros, noted the famed eatery has "been at the same location for the past 95 years." The hot dogs, referred to at the restau...