Many Westerners, particularly fans of British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, have heard of his restaurant Fifteen. Jamie Oliver’s website says, In 2002, Jamie Oliver combined two ambitions: to open a top class restaurant and to give disadvantaged youngsters the chance to gain professional training that would set them up for an independent, inspired and productive…
Young consumers exhibit less demand for fresh vegetables
Image from http://www.sxc.hu At-home demand for fresh fruits and vegetables among younger consumers has decreased over the past 20 years, according to a report released by the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) Economic Research Service released a report in August 2009 (DatelinERS Newsletter, August 2009). The study focuses on several possible reasons for this decline….
Kkaenip Pesto video featured on ZenKimchi Korean Food Journal
Whenever I make a YouTube cooking video or post an item on this blog, I never know who’s going to see, comment on or pass it to their family, friends and co-workers. People notice the strangest things. So you can imagine my surprise when I found out that ZenKimchi Food Journal wrote about my Kkaenip…
Trend spotting in Dosan Park – INSIDE JoongAng Daily
The Dosan Park neighborhood of Seoul is the current trendsetting neighborhood. When I lived in Korea, all the buzz was about Apgujeong-dong, but not anymore, according to JoonAng Daily. “More boutiques have opened here recently,” said Kim Hyun-jung, a manager at Gorilla in the Kitchen, the Italian restaurant in the Dosan Park area owned by…
Korean wine: Bokbunja joo
If you ask the average person what kind of liquor or spirits Koreans make, the first response is soju. Although soju (소주), a distilled grain beverage with 20 percent to 45 percent alcohol, might be the definitive Korean liquor/spirit, it is not the only liquor product made in Korea. Asian wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius) courtesy of…
Small Bites (LA Times): Debbie Lee at Gyenari
Debbie does Gyenari: The judges on “The Next Food Network Star” raved about Debbie Lee’s cooking. If you want to find out what the fuss was all about, you might want to try Gyenari in Culver City, which bills itself as an “upscale Korean BBQ destination.” Lee, a Los Angeles-based restaurant consultant who made it…
Behind the scenes: Kkaenip Pesto
For every cooking video, I have to come with something new. Not just a new recipe but new clothing, music and script as well. I purchased the apron I’m wearing in the video at the Sunday Farmers’ Market in Windsor, Calif. It’s reversible, one side with garlic, the other side is a simple light brown…
National Potato Month: Celebrate Korean-style
According to the wild and wacky calendars out there, September is National Potato Month in the U.S. Before you get out the bagpipes and start singing “Danny Boy,” you should know that potatoes are quite popular in Korea as well, particularly in the northern, mountainous areas. That love of potatoes in Korea inspired my videos…
Fad diets in Korean newspapers
Koreans are not immune to the appeal of trendy new diets, it seems. Despite the fact that only 3 percent of Koreans are obese, they have become very alarmed at the prospect of ballooning to American-esqe proportions. Fad diets have seem to be more popular than ever. The newspaper Chosun-Ilbo, published an article about the…
Supersize this – INSIDE JoongAng Daily
What did I say about Koreans and portion control? These little ones are preparing to sink their baby teeth into a one meter (3.28 feet) in diameter Australian beef hamburger. The colossal burger was on display at the Yongsan branch of E-Mart on Aug. 27 to promote Australian beef. Supersize this – INSIDE JoongAng Daily…