LOS ANGELES ― Italian immigrants were instrumental in founding the California wine industry, yet when winemakers sought to upgrade the image of their wines in the mid-20th century, they followed the then-current fashion and went with French grapes ― Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon. Though perhaps better suited to California’s climate, Italian varietals didn’t have much cachet at the time and were basically relegated to blends and low-cost jug wines.Steve Matthiasson of Matthiasson Wines in Nap

75-year old restaurant chain brings its prime rib roast to Korea

Fine dining has taken a step beyond a mix of good ingredients and meticulous presentation to include the setting as well. Sheraton Seoul D Cube City Hotel presents luxury dining at the hotel’s presidential suite. Overlooking the nightscape of Seoul, the 265-square-meter presidential suite on the 39th floor offers an exceptional dining experience. The hotel offers an eight-course menu prepared by Paul Dodd, the new executive sous chef in charge of Western cuisine at the hotel, targeting couples p

 Taste of Europe at Sheraton Grande WalkerhillSheraton Grande Walkerhill is offering the Taste of Europe promotion featuring a special eight-course menu at its European-style restaurant and bar CLOCK16 from Nov. 1 to Jan. 31. The menu includes an array of authentic European cuisine by world-renowned chefs. Dishes in the menu include salad with cod fish, chickpea soup with grilled prawns, seafood baked in parchment paper, cannelloni stuffed with beef cheek, balsamic vinegar sorbet, charcoal-grill

Doenjang (fermented soybean paste) is a staple Korean condiment that’s used, among other things, as a base for stew or soup. Its deep, rich flavor is created by several months of fermentation and aging. Doenjang jjigae is a stew, which typically includes meat, tofu and various vegetables. It is one of the most representative dishes of everyday home-cooked Korean meals. Korean home cooks usually save the water used to rinse rice, ssalddeummul, and use it for a stew or soup. The rice water adds st

Vegetarian sweets and grub at new cafe in Itaewon

This spicy noodle soup, “jambbong,” is one of the most popular Korean-Chinese dishes alongside “jjajangmyeon” (noodles in a black bean sauce). Adapted for Korean tastes by early Chinese immigrants in Korea, Korean-Chinese cuisine (although called Chinese by Koreans) is a huge part of Korean food culture. You will find it surprisingly easy to make this popular bowl of noodle soup at home with easy-to-find ingredients. Restaurants usually use hand-pulled noodles, but for home cooking you can use r

Quality coffee new focus of growing market

Indonesian feast at Oakwood Premier CoexOakwood Premier Coex Center Seoul is presenting a promotion for Indonesian delicacies from Oct. 17 to 31. Authentic Indonesian dishes will be served at the Residents Lounge. Guests will be able to taste Indonesian dishes from various regions of the country, including Java, Sumatra and Bali. Executive chef of Oakwood Premier Cozmo Jakarta, Deden Sherman, will be visiting Seoul for this event. He will be introducing a variety of popular Indonesian dishes inc

CHICAGO (AP) ― Doug Sohn has made an art of the traditional Chicago-style hot dog, replete with mustard, onions, pickle relish, dill spear, tomatoes, celery salt and sport peppers. (No ketchup!)But if you stop your order there, you’ll miss much of the joy of eating at his Hot Doug’s restaurant on the city’s northwest side. Because what really draws the crowds ― and foodies from afar ― is Sohn’s menu filled with rare sausages curated to offer up spicy and sweet, ethnic and American, and all serve

Dongchimi is a mild water-based kimchi made with a small variety of white radish, called dongchimi mu. Traditionally, dongchimi is made with whole radishes and therefore takes weeks to mature. This recipe is a quick version. The radishes are cut into small pieces for quick salting and maturing. Within two days at room temperature, you’ll see bubbles rising through the brine which is a sign of active fermentation. During fermentation, healthy bacteria, acidity and sweetness develop, producing a t

Fledging domestic market ready to boom next year

  Kids’ Halloween party at Hyatt Regency IncheonHyatt Regency Incheon will be holding a Halloween party for children between the ages of six to eight on Oct. 27. Children will be able to experience the Halloween spirit by dressing in costumes and enjoying events such as a dance contest, photo zone, face painting and more. A dessert table filled with an assortment of sweets will be available. The party will take place in the hotel’s Regency room at 3:30 pm. The admission fee per child is 70,000 w