LONDON ― Never mind the sprints, relays and marathons coming to London this summer. Look at the competition now among the flower vendors of Columbia Road.“Who’s got a fiver?” hollers one grizzled man with a fistful of roses.“Four for 2 quid!” bellows another.“Five pounds a bunch!” howls yet another.These guys sound better than the extras in “My Fair Lady,” and they’re here every Sunday morning at Columbia and Ravenscroft streets, supplying blooms, succulents and a soundtrack to accompany London’

When architect and design firm owner Steve Kadlec was asked recently whether bookshelves were becoming obsolete in the iPad age, he wisecracked: “Who reads books? We buy them for pretty!”He was only half-joking. With digital competition, hardcover books are being judged by their covers more than ever before, some earning their keep in the home and heart by doubling as objets d’art.“It’s sort of a trite phrase, but when you have people over, you don’t show off your iPad library,” said Josh Baker,

It’s not often that you find a premier cru Burgundy of this quality at this price. I still can’t quite believe it. Beautifully balanced, with a silken texture and subtly ripe flavors of plum and cherries, the 2009 Faiveley Mercurey “Clos des Myglands” would make any Burgundy lover very happy.Erwan Faiveley, the seventh generation of his family to run Domaine Faiveley, hit it out of the park with this one. Drink it with a roast chicken, skirt steak or veal schnitzel. It actually would go with alm

Gyeojachae is a fresh salad dish made of vegetables, the Korean pear, chestnuts and sliced pressed meat in a mustard dressing. Gyeojachae stimulates the appetite with its hot, sweet and sour taste. It is usually served as an appetizer. It should be assembled just before serving to keep its taste fresh and prevent it from becoming watery.Ingredients ● 200g beef (brisket), 3 cups water ● fragrant seasoning : 20g green onion, 10 g garlic● 1/2 cucumber, 1/3 carrot, 90g cabbage ● medium 1/4 pear, 1/2

PHILADELPHIA ― A rainy, windy forecast is a day to sleep in for many food truck owners. But the weather didn’t deter Jonah Fliegelman, Nathan Winkler-Rhoades, and Eric Hilkowitz, the owners of Pitruco, a 2-month-old, Ferrari-red pizza truck, from serving lunch recently at 33rd and Arch Streets, one of their regular spots. (Eric gets there at 8:30 a.m. to snag the space.)Jonah called out to a customer, “Would you like an umbrella? We have some you can borrow.” He turned back to manning the truck’

A quest to make new friendsMWF Seeking BFF: My Yearlong Search for a New Best FriendBy Rachel Bertsche(Ballantine Books)Making friends shouldn‘t be complicated. We’ve been doing it since we were kids, right?But for many of us, as a new book points out, “friend-making is not the natural process it used to be.” Chicago transplant and journalist Rachel Bertsche discovers this the hard way when she finds herself without close friends to speak of, two years after moving. She comes up with a game plan

The French Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry launched the First Guidebook on French Restaurants in Korea this week, the first publication of its kind. “The 72 restaurants and bistros in this Guidebook will surprise you by their succulent dishes, their decoration mixing French and Korean styles, and their variety; you will find the right place to go out with friends, for a business lunch or dinner, or with your family,” said FKCCI President David-Pierre Jalicon.To reach a wider base, 24 res

Ilmin Cultural Foundation and Donga Ilbo announced on Wednesday that Kansong Art Museum’s chief curator Choi Wan-su is the winner of the 10th Ilmin Cultural Award. The judges noted Choi’s achievements in rediscovering the value and beauty of Korea’s culture, promoting it to the public and enhancing the people’s self-esteem. Choi conducted considerable research on Korean art, especially on Joseon Dynasty artist Gyeomjae Jeong Seon, Buddhist images and royal tombs, and hosted more than 80 special