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Stir-fried mushrooms with salt (Beoseot bokkeum)

By Kim Yong-ja Try to find more flavorful mushrooms like oyster, shiitake, porcini (in Italy) or steinpilz (in Germany). Do not wash fresh mushrooms. They will soak up the water like a sponge and lose flavor. Wet a paper towel and wipe off the dirt. INGREDIENTS (serves 4) ㆍ 1 pack mushrooms, cut into big pieces ㆍ Vegetable oil ㆍ Pinch of garlic powder ㆍ Salt and pepper 1. Heat a non-stick frying pan over high heat. Stir-fry the mushrooms with oil. Brown them partially and sprinkle garlic powder. 2 Season with salt and pepper. Immediately remove from the pan and let cool.

Sep 16, 2010

Hotel lobby

JW Marriott Seoul JW Marriott Seoul offers a three-tiered Chuseok Package available from Sept. 19 to 26. The first option includes a night in a superior room along with free access to the fitness club and swimming pool at 135,000 won. Another package includes breakfast at the renovated buffet restaurant opening on Sept. 20 including all the same benefits as the first one at 175,000 won. The last one offers an 80,000 won credit for meals at the hotels restaurants ㅡ steakhouse or Italian, Chinese or Japanese ㅡ and bars with a night's stay and free access to hotel facilities. For reservations, call 02-6282-6282.

Sep 16, 2010By Kwon Mee-yoo

Weekender Rediscover traditional markets

By Chung Ah-young YEONGJU, North Gyeongsang Province — Chuseok, or Korean-style Thanksgiving, which falls on Sept. 22 this year, is one of the nation’s biggest holidays and traditional markets are probably one of the busiest places, bustling with shoppers and bargainers at this time. Although the old markets have waned in recent years due to the mushrooming of Internet shopping malls and supermarkets, the “scruffy and down-at-heel” stores are being given a face-lift to present a more modern look. In Yeongju, North Gyeongsang Province, the Punggi Ginseng Market is nestled in a tidy and clean, modernized building accommodating 45 shops. Ahead of the upcoming peak season, Lee Hyung-sook, 50, is engrossed in placing her ginseng products decoratively on display. “Autumn is the best season for ginseng since it ripens and becomes firm. Customers can buy the best products around this season,” Lee told The Korea Times. She seems to be filled with pride in her ginseng grown in the Punggi area that is renowned for its geographical and climate conditions suitable for cu

Sep 16, 2010

Chrysanthemum leaves with seasoned chili paste

By Kim Yong-ja Sukat (chrysanthemum leaves) has the most incredible scent. If you like the intriguing taste and the scent of ginger, you will love this one too. INGREDIENTS (serves 4) • 2 bunches Sukat (chrysanthemum leaves), large stems removed • Seasoned chili paste): 3 table spoons Gochujang 3/4 tablespoon Gochugaru 2 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 teaspoons sesame seeds 1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 garlic clove, crushed fin 1/2 teaspoon salt 1. Add half of the Yangnyom Gochujang (Seasoned chili paste) to sukat and mix together. Drizzle some more on top according to the spiciness you prefer. This is an excerpt from “Korean Cuisine: Healthy Food, Full of Flavor,” (Yekyong Publishing, 224 pp., 28,000 won). The book is on sale at major bookstores such as Kyobo Bookstore, Youngpoong Bookstore and Bandi & Luni’s. – ED.

Sep 9, 2010

Hotel Lobby

Millennium Seoul Hilton Il Ponte, Millennium Seoul Hilton’s Italian trattoria, will be a venue for the annual Seoul Gourmet 2010 festival, presented by the Seoul Tourism Organization. Italian Michelin-star chef Carlo Cracco and award-winning Italian pastry Chef Luigi Biasetto will cook up an unforgettable evening of epicurean delight at the Gala Dinner on Sept. 27. The two Italian guest chefs will create their signature dishes using local ingredients. This marriage of Italian cooking mastery with Korean premium produce is meant to unfold an elegant harmony. Along with promoting Korean ingredients the special event will introduce discerning local diners to the high quality international dishes prepared by Michelin Star level chefs. The Gala Dinner begins at 7 p.m. and is priced at 300,000 won per person (including dinner and wine pairing). Advanced reservations are required as there is limited seating for this one-night dining extravaganza. For reservations or enquiries, call (02) 317-3270.

Sep 9, 2010

Geumsan birthplace to Korea’s Ginseng

By Lee Hyo-sik Geumsan, South Chungcheong Province ­ Geumsan County, the birthplace to the world famous Korean ginseng, also known as ``Goryeo insam,” is holding the 2010 Geumsan Insam Festival on Sep. 3 to 12, attracting tens of thousands of health-conscious visitors from home and abroad. Visitors can taste ginseng chicken soup and other delicious dishes made from ginseng and other healthy ingredients at local restaurants, while participating in a range of programs and view ginseng promotion exhibitions at the festival venue, which is set up at the heart of the Geumsan County. They can also visit the nearby traditional market where over 1,000 shops and stalls offer a variety of high-quality ginseng and medical herbs at cheaper than normal prices. The festival marks its 30th anniversary this year and has become one of the nation’s most popular and successful local fairs. It has been rated highly for providing visitors with a wide array of events and programs designed to promote Geumsan’s cultural heritage in which ginseng plays a central role. Ginseng and its health

Sep 9, 2010By Lee Hyo-sik

Banyan Tree spa offers exquisite massage

By Bae Ji-sook When Banyan Tree Spa and Resort opened in June, many spa-lovers jumped with joy to see world-class massage programs in the very heart of Seoul. Located at the foot of Mt. Nam, the hotel provides essential massage programs filled with the know-how they have acquired from Thailand, Indonesia and other major tourist destinations worldwide. The spa is indeed one of a kind. With its heavy colored interior and Zen ­ like music paying all day long, the place is all about creating a meditative and refreshing atmosphere. From Balinese traditional massage that delivers stimulation to the deep tissues, to the rather lighter and gentle Swedish one, the spa has it all in every level of intensity to every aromatic oil you can imagine. The spa room consists of individual showrooms with a rain-shower system and several beauty items. After changing into comfortable robes, one can choose the type of herbal incense. With a toilet, shower and locker installed in each room, the guests can avoid the embarrassment of having to face other people half-naked. Then the m

Sep 9, 2010

C20-Weekender A taste of Korea raw and exotic

C20 guests savor Noryangjin Market’s unique culture By Lee Hyo-won It’s just past 5 a.m., Thursday, before sunrise, but the day has already long begun at Seoul’s Noryangjin Fisheries Wholesale Market. Its 700-plus stalls are already in full swing, spanning the length of several baseball fields and crammed with exotic sea creatures from end to end — offering one of the most unique gastronomic spectacles, 24 hours, nonstop. “This is amazing,” said Gerd Borgbohmer, a chef from Germany. “I’ve been to Rungis, the big fish market in Paris, but there’s such little fish compared to here. And it’s all so fresh,” he exclaimed, pointing his camera lens to the yards of stingrays and line of aquariums packed with fish of every description. “Oh that would make a fine liver pate,” Canadian food columnist Lucy Waverman said about a rather gruesome exhibition of monkfish with split bellies. “Yes, very tasty,” agreed Koichiro Hata, a Japanese cuisine technical advisor. “This over here,” he commented on a display of shiny gizzards, “would make good sushi, though not good enough for

Sep 9, 2010

Cultural delegates: two chefs, one passion

By Ines Min The Culture 20 (C20) kicks off today with delegates from the G20 member countries gathered in Seoul for three days of cuisine, concerts, clothes, cinema and communication. The event, hosted by the Corea Image Communication Institute (CICI), is designed to create natural ambassadors of culture from the iconic names coming here for a truly Korean experience. The Korea Times sat down with the delegates from the United Kingdom and India — both chefs — for an inside look at their thoughts and opinions on national cuisine and their personal experiences. United Kingdom Judy Joo is a slim figure, dressed in a peaked-lapel blazer and dangling earrings. Her handshake is as strong as her confidence and her easy-flowing, purposeful speech: a mile a minute. Joo, a Korean-American living in London for the past five years, will represent the United Kingdom during the C20, making a return visit to her native country. The 35-year-old graduated from Columbia University with a degree in the sciences before heading off to Wall Street to work with Morgan Stanley.

Sep 7, 2010
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