The Korea Herald

Just ask yourself, what would Ruth Reichl buy?

Oct 5, 2011

Move over paper catalogs. Online retailers with products selected by experts and sometimes tailored ― by you ― to your specific interests are the new face of food marketing. Featuring celebrity “curators” like Padma Lakshmi and editorial superstars like Ruth Reichl, the sites aim to cut through the volume of online products and pioneer a new era of product endorsement and editorial content. If ...
Haute cuisine fueling foodie culture

Oct 3, 2011

NEW YORK (AP) ― If you snicker at the foams, edible papers and other hallmark foods of haute cuisine, you may want to reconsider. Avant garde chef Ferran Adria says that without those, there would be no Rachael Ray, no Food Network, and eating in general would be a lot less exciting. “We wouldn’t have food television shows if we didn’t have high-end cuisine,” said Adria, who prefers that term t...
Bespoke meals on the rise

Sept 30, 2011

Establishments give diners option of tailoring dishes to suit their preferences Ever 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 of the few tables in the dining area flush up against the cafe. Lines for salads, soups and sa...
Aperitif is a civilized way to end hectic day, begin your evening

Sept 30, 2011

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 simple as a glass of chilled fino or manzanilla sherry with a bowl of oil-slicked olives and roasted ...
Wine of the Week: 2009 Walter Hansel Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Sept 30, 2011

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 braised duck, braised short ribs or some meaty lamb chops. ● Region: Russian River Valley ● Pric...
Baechu kimchi (Cabbage kimchi)

Sept 30, 2011

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 Food by Codex in 2001. Certain studies have shown a link between kimchi and cancer prevention. Ingred...
Kimchi’s new chapter: Korea’s traditional condiment blurs culinary borders

Sept 30, 2011

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.” The condiment stars in Vongerichten’s book, “The Kimchi Chronicles: Korean Cooking for an Amer...
Yeonhui-dong, next hip artists’ hang-out?

Sept 23, 2011

Old residential neighborhood morphing into bohemian cafe street A 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 ago, spreading the word that the area might very well become the next Garosugil, a hip hang-o...
Whisked away to another world

Sept 23, 2011

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 challenges, of a gourmet cooking class at the estate of the Hostellerie Berard in La Cadiere d’Azur, F...
Wine of the week: 2008 Allende White Rioja

Sept 23, 2011

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 estate. It’s made in a more modern style than the oxidized whites of the past, crisper and more ...
Gungjung-tteokbokki (Rice cake pasta with vegetables, royal style)

Sept 23, 2011

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 in recipes since the 1950s. This is a recipe for a traditional style. Ingredients ● 300g white ste...
Making Korean cuisine for foreign palates

Sept 19, 2011

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 food promotion gala event in Mumbai last week had to prepare the menu in Seoul, exchange numerous ema...
Bittersweet surrender: Try these over ice and soda or in a cocktail

Sept 16, 2011

It’s a bitter world out there ― bitter as in a growing tide of cocktail bitters, digestifs and aperitifs. The taste imparted by bitter herbs, roots and tree bark isn’t for everyone. But I like the flavor, especially in pre- and after-dinner drinks, and am intrigued when encountering a new one (or at least, new to me). Two such drinks, one a bitter, the other a vermouth, caught our eye, and pala...
European sweets in a French village

Sept 16, 2011

Liege waffles, salted caramel éclairs, madeleines and more Nearly 30 years have passed since the residential area called Seorae Village began to earn itself a reputation as a charming French neighborhood. Drawn to the baguettes spun out by the landmark Paris Croissant, and to the quaint wine shops and pastoral vibe running throughout the hilly roads, weekend visitors flocked to the village, spu...
Hobaktteok (Pumpkin rice cake)

Sept 16, 2011

Hobaktteok is a type of rice cake made with non-glutinous rice powder and steamed pumpkin. Tteok has a long history in Korea. It can be served as a main dish as a substitute for rice, or as a special food for a festive day or birthday. There are various kinds of tteok with different ingredients. Ingredients ● 5 cups non-glutinous rice powder, 1/2 tbsp salt, 2/3 cups sugar ● 2 sweet pumpkins ●...