LOS ANGELES ― After two years of sluggish wine sales, consumers are starting to reach for ― and spend more on ― their favorite vintages.U.S. domestic wine retail sales grew 7 percent in 2010 over the previous year, according to the Wine Institute in San Francisco. And the country’s wine exports also jumped to a record $1.14 billion in 2010, up nearly 26 percent from 2009. Customer Jennifer Murphy

Peking Duck has been prepared since China’s imperial era, and is now considered one of the country’s national foods. Do not miss the opportunity to try this amazing dish if you ever visit Beijing. If it is your first time trying the meat, Da Dong Roast Duck Restaurant in Beijing’s Dongcheng district might give you a great start.  A chef at Dadong Roast Duck Restaurant in Beijing, China, cooks a wh

Francesco Rinaldi, one of the oldest estates in Piedmont, is known for its classic Barolo. Those who prize the elegance and earthiness of Piedmontese reds should seek out Rinaldi’s single-vineyard Dolcetto d’Alba “Roussot.”In Piedmont, you’ll find winemakers drinking Dolcetto at their own tables ― with salumi, pasta or panini. But this Dolcetto, made with grapes from a vineyard near the famous Can

Jeungpyeon is a type of rice cake made by kneading rice powder with milky rice wine, garnishing it with jujubes, chestnuts, pine nuts and stone mushrooms, and then steaming it in a cake mold. Jeungpyeon is a good rice cake for the summer because it is fermented with wine, and does not spoil easily. It has a unique wine aroma, slightly sour taste and soft texture. It is enjoyed on Dano, the country

Korean consumers showing increased interest in beauty food productsIn Korea, the desire to reverse time, to stall its effect on our appearance has spurred the growth of the beauty food market. Supplements, jellies and drinks all promising to help rejuvenate skin have been edging their way into an industry dominated by cosmetics, treatments and surgery. “About two to three years ago, I believe that

Rubs, brines, marinades make thrills for the grillWALNUT CREEK, California ― We may grill all year round, but summer traditionally signals the start to barbecue season. And something about that barbecue grill, says Food Network star Guy Fieri, conjures up all the best parts of summer. Summer traditionally signals the start to the barbecue season. (Contra Costa Times/MCT)“I think we all have an add

Bibimbap is a mixed dish of cooked white rice, vegetables, beef, garnishes and red pepper paste. The dish is known to have come from the customs of memorial services and rural villages. It is very easy to prepare by just mixing together cooked white rice with various vegetables and red pepper paste.  Bibimbap (KTO)Ingredients ● 450g (2½ cups) non-glutinous rice 600g (3 cups) water● 300g young pump

Located down a hill in a wealthy neighborhood in northern Seoul, Mr. 8 (Palseonsaeng in Korean) might make customers wonder whether they have just stepped into an old tavern from a period Chinese movie. A single-story wooden house with a small front yard welcomes customers while red lights and wooden furniture such as long-legged chairs and a round table create an exotic feel. Tangsuyuk at Palseon

Wine of the Week: 2009 Domaine Faury Saint-Joseph ‘Vieilles Vignes’The 2009 old-vines Saint-Joseph from Domaine Faury is a stunner. Classic northern Rhone Syrah in all its intricate glory, dark plums overlaid with exotic sweet spices and violet.Grapes grown on steep hillside vineyards and meticulous winemaking from Philippe Faury and his son Lionel yield a Saint-Joseph that drinks beautifully now

Premium minerals sought out by health-conscious consumersAt Anzu, a Seoul-based Japanese tonkatsu restaurant, salt plays a crucial role. Generally an invisible entity that we take for granted, the edible rock arrives in vivid green and golden hues alongside the establishment’s fried vegetables. Powder fine, one tastes of green tea, the other of curry. For their tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet), the

A burger version of the signature Korean dish bibimbap is captivating the taste buds of New York foodies. Made by Angelo Sosa, an American chef who appeared on the U.S. TV show “Top Chef,” the bibimbap burger has made a successful debut by winning the best burger prize at a competition to find the greatest burger in America.“Recently we won, by Eater.com, the best burger not only in New York city

The booming lounge music that fills the dark, cavernous space of Addiction Plus might confuse many first timers ― is it a restaurant or is it a lounge?Contrary to its eclectic interior, which has a disco ball over the lounge area with huge mattresses and oversized cushions, an organ in a corner and strictly utilitarian tables and chairs, and an equally eclectic mix of music ― over the course of th

“Bibim-naengmyeon” is a dish of cold buckwheat noodles mixed with spicy and thick red pepper sauce. It may be garnished with raw fish. It is also called “Hamheung-naengmyeon” because it was a regional food of the Hamheung district in South Hamgyeong Province.  Bibim-naengmyeon (KTO)Ingredients ● 600 g buckwheat noodles (dried) ● 100 g minced beef● 100 g radish● 1 cucumber,½ tsp salt● 100 g pear ●

Authentic soda fountain drinks for a cool summerMilkshakes so thick they require a spoon and floats topped with scoops of ice cream are classic American drinks that stir up fond memories of the 1950s, when the soda fountains, burger joints and diners that served them abounded. Even today, that is where you will most likely find them, served up with a burger and fries, which, according to Brooklyn