Deodeok-saengchae is thinly ripped deodeok roots mixed with spicy and sour seasonings. Deodeok is referred to as sasam (ginseng from sand). It is high in saponin like ginseng and bellflower roots. In Oriental medicine, it is considered a health food that is good for the stomach and strengthens the lungs, intestines and kidney. Ingredients ● 300g deodeok roots, 2 cups water, 1/2 tbsp salt● Seasoning sauce: 1 tbsp sugar, 2 1/2 tsp red pepper paste, 2 tsp ground red pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tbsp min

Ding. Bzzzt. Bap. Beep. That’s the sound of conversation in restaurants these days. Where cellphones once posed a nuisance as people chatted loudly into them during meals, smartphones now present a whole new set of etiquette issues as entire tables disappear into the Internet via small glowing screens.Like an analog world-munching Pac-Man, the modern smartphone has morphed into instant messenger, mailbox, camera, flashlight, computer, map, dictionary, newspaper, personal assistant and social med

Hungarian wines encompass much more than sweet Tokajis. Consider this lovely dry red from J&J Eger Wine Co. in the hills 60 miles west of Tokaj. The grape is the indigenous Kekfrankos, and it’s made by the winegrower Janos Stumpf in partnership with Canadian master sommelier John Szabo (who’s of Hungarian ancestry).Similar to Blaufrankish in Austria, Kekfrankos gives a minerally nuanced red with a generous perfume. The Eged-Hegy Dulo (Eged Hill Vineyard) is dry-farmed, and the vines are 40 years

WALNUT CREEK, California ― It’s no accident that oysters are identified by the specific tidal region in which they are grown. Think of the sweet Miyagi oyster lifted from Tomales Bay, that narrow, cool Pacific Ocean-fed inlet north of San Francisco.Like that sense of place that defines a wine ― terroir ― the flavor of these beautiful bivalves is influenced by the nutrients, temperature and salinity of the water in which they are raised. In the industry, they call it merroir.While oysters’ chewy

Drinking diet soft drinks on a daily basis might increase the risk stroke, heart attack and vascular death, U.S. researchers said. Customer Wendy Rosen pushes a shopping cart past a display of soft drinks at a Dollar General Corp. store in Saddle Brook, New Jersey, U.S. (Bloomberg)Hannah Garden

Maesilcha is Asian plum tea made by marinating maesil (Asian plum) with sugar or honey, and then diluting that liquid with cold or boiling water. Maesilcha is served chilled in the summer. It is high in organic acids, which are good for relieving physical fatigue, quenching thirst and stimulating appetite. Ingredients ● 500g plum, 500 g sugar, 2 tsp pine nuts, 2.16 kg water 1. Wash the plums in water, remove stems, wash again, and then drain water with a strainer for 2 hours.2. Put the plums and

You can follow a recipe to the letter, but you don’t really begin to cook until you learn to play with your food. To be precise, learn to play with a few key ingredients and cooking techniques to boost the flavor of a dish, moving it from boring to beautiful.Consider a simmering pot of split pea soup we made the other day. Followed the recipe to the letter. Didn’t need salt. Didn’t need pepper. But it was downright dull. Try apple cider vinegar, suggested a friend. We stirred in a good splash. B

Here’s an exceptional white wine made by genius Port producer Dirk Niepoort _ and it’s priced well under $20. Instead of a blend, Niepoort makes this entirely with the native Loureiro grape fermented and aged in stainless steel. And he gives it the same attention to detail as his more expensive whites.The 2010 Niepoort Docil is crisp and fresh yet nuanced and more complex than many a Vinho Verde. Tasting of lime and juicy green apple, it has a bright acidity and finespun texture that makes it a

In South Korea, whiskey has long held onto a steadfast position as a popular libation for business and social gatherings. Mixed with beer as a “poktan” drink or served up on the rocks or straight, the spirit maintained a secure position in the alcohol market that appeared unshakable. Then the makgeolli boom took off several years ago and the shift from whiskey-formulated “poktan” drinks to soju-based concoctions took a chunk out of the industry pie. Rather than proclaim the imminent death of the

This is a zippy Trebbiano from an estate in Italy’s south dedicated to organic farming. I can remember when it was nearly impossible to find a crisp white from that region. But Cirelli’s 2010 Trebbiano d’Abruzzo is as refreshing as lemon sorbet. The fruit tastes ripe and golden, but the wine is bone dry.It’s just what’s needed if you’re serving a seafood salad or pasta. It’s great with vegetable soups, beans with tuna and grilled salmon. Who knew easygoing Trebbiano could have this kind of elega

Tteokguk is a soup made of diagonally sliced rice cakes simmered in beef broth, garnished with pressed meat, and fried egg white and yolk strips. People enjoy tteokguk made with sliced garaetteok on the first day of the year. Garaetteok is a rice cake that is pulled into a long rod. It is eaten in hopes of expanding one’s property.Ingredients ● 600g white rice cake● 300g beef (brisket or shank), 8 cups water ● fragrant seasoning: 20g green onion, 10g garlic ● seasoning sauce: 3g clear soy sauce,

Coffee has long become a fixture of Korean food culture. It seems impossible, in fact, to walk one block down a street in Seoul without encountering a coffee shop. While the primary purveyors of the cafe experience are major franchises and chains, a growing number of specialty cafes have been steadily carving out a market for themselves. Hand-dripped, cold brewed, roasted in-house; a coffee aficionado can indulge in many a caffeinated fantasy in this metropolitan hub. The options are endless, an

NEW YORK (AP) -- Paula Deen, the Southern belle of butter and heavy cream, makes no apologies for waiting three years to disclose she has diabetes while continuing to dish up deep-fried cheesecake and other high-calorie, high-fat recipes on TV.  Paula Deen (AP)She said she isn't changing the co