My buddy Simon from Eat Your Kimchi is the new editor of Korea Taste: a government website run by KTO (Korea Tourism Organization). I've been writing for the site for some time and I think it's the best government run food site in Korea. Simon has an incredible following on Eat Your Kimchi and I think he'll be able to use it to promote Korean food around the world.

Here's what Simon had to say: This is Simon from Eat Your Kimchi. I wanted to use this as an opportunity to announce that I’m going to be volunteering as editor for KoreaTaste.org. Over at Eat Your Kimchi we pretty much only make video posts, and don’t really have any writing on there. That’s too bad, because there are lots of things I’d like to write about, but just don’t have the platform for. So I’m going to be here at KoreaTaste.org writing about one of the best parts about Korea: the food! Sure, I’m no expert at food like ZenKimchi or Seoul Eats or Fat Man Seoul, so I can’t offer any expert advice on Korean food the way they can, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love it any less! So, from now on, I’ll be writing about any of the cool things I find about Korean food, be it some nice pictures from another blog, or a great video on YouTube, or an interesting article online. I look forward to reading your posts as well. If you have something you want to share, set up an account and blog about your findings here as well! Link back to your site and I’ll check it out for more info.
Mashisoyo!

This article was originally published by Seoul Magazine in the August 2010 issue. It is being reprinted here with permission. Please read my monthly columns in Seoul Magazine. The magazine can be found in many establishments around the city and at their bookstore in Samcheongdong. You can also read their online magazine at http://www.seoulselection.com/index.php/home/

Black Chicken Samgyetang at Kuryeo Samgyetang Seoul, Korea

   The idea of eating black foods seems like a paradox. Maybe it’s because we have all learned that burnt steaks, chicken, and grilled cheese don’t taste very good. Or maybe it’s because we all see ourselves as beings of white light and black foods might muddy that image. Whatever the reason, the concept of “black foods” is not instantly associated with deliciousness.

    An enigma in the food world is Black Chicken or called O-golgye in Korea. This rare bread of chicken has black flesh and black bones. This rare strain of chicken is very difficult to breed- I learned that one farmer in Jirisan (a mountain in the southern region in Korea) is only able to raise 50 a year.

People ask me which restaurants do you go back to. Well, I go back to OK2 Kitchen- not because I like the place, but because I have to make sure that they are maintaining quality. I have to check out this restaurant over and over again because it's a service that I provide to the public- I need to make sure that other people that go to the restaurant have the proper experience. The other night I went with my friend Suji because I wanted to make sure that her food was going to be as good as mine. Yeah...that's why I have to keep going back to OK2 Kitchen^^

Dan

4 Whopper Patties topped with pepperoni, mozzarella, marinara sauce, and Tuscan Sauce on a humongous sesame seed bun is Burger Kings's NY Pizza Burger. Sound disgusting? Sound Fattening (2,530 calories, 144 grams of fat and 3,780 milligrams of sodium)? Well Slashfood loves it. Check out what they say here.




 Would your kitchen pass a New York City Health Inspection? The NYT has a story on one writer's experience.

Chiquita Banana's Sticker Design Contest via Slashfood Use Spiker to turn your Welch's Grape Juice into wine in 48 hours. Via Gizmodo Death Buy Lemonade from Cartoon Brew TV on Vimeo.

Death Buy Lemonade video by Kyu-bum Lee. Cute! Via Serious Eats

A blast from the past. Here's one of the first restaurant reviews I posted on Seoul Eats back when this blog was called, www.happylunatic.com (then epicourageous.com).

Nolboo Sulfur Fed, Mud Jar Roasted Duck

Say what!

Behind the Express Bus terminal in Seoul, next to the Marriot Hotel, there is a Nolboo restaurant that serves "Sulfur Duck Roasted in Mud." It is called the 놀부 유화오리 진홁구이 (Nolboo Yuhwa-ori jinhukgui). At this restaurant you get duck that's fed sulfur and then stuffed with sticky brown rice, black rice, sweet potato, beans, ginko, dae-chu (Korean red dates), deer antler, ginseng, licorice, angelica, and who knows what else.

The duck are fed sulfur (I'm not sure how they feed them sulfur, but I assume it goes into their feed). The reasoning behind the sulfur is: that direct contact with sulfur is a dangerous substance for all mammals other than ducks. Sulfur has curative qualities, but it is toxic for other mammals. The idea is that the ducks eat and metabolize the substance and make it easy I can't really explain it. Here's what I got from another blog, 

According to a widely believed oriental medical theory, sulfur can be super healthy for human body. It is because, as the theory goes, ducks’ bodies produce a lot of good elements that counteract the effects of sulfur, which neutralize in human bodies as well as working against polluting elements.

Flight of the Rays

The Fortune Teller

Wow.

These are the winners of the environmental photography contest. The pictures are breathtaking and inspiring. Go here to see more of the pictures: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1314607/Spectacular-view-thousands-Devil-Rays-mass-Californian-coast-scoops-photography-prize.html

Me and Robert Kenner: director of Food Inc

So today, I watched Food Inc. again. It's a movie I like to watch from time to time to recenter myself and remind myself to eat healthy. During my trip to Nova Scotia, I had the opportunity to meet the director, Robert Kenner, and to hear him speak. It was an eye-opening experience and now I am trying to bring natural and local and organic to the work that I do. I read an article about the 7 foods that Food Experts don't eat and it mentions apples. I love apples and often I don't peel them, but this article says that there are a ton of chemicals on the apple so i should.

The other items on the list are:
1. Canned Tomatoes
2. Corn-Fed Beef
3. Microwave Popcorn (you can make your own in a brown lunch bag)
4. Non-organic Potatoes
5. Farmed Salmon
6. Milk Produced with Artificial Hormones
7. Conventional Apples

Go here for the complete article.

Hmmm...

This is a test. Right now I'm working on a translation project on Korean food and I was wondering if any my readers are really knowledgeable about Korean food and are able to translate into English. Finding people who have the proper skill set is very hard to do. We have a team working on it right now, but there are 1000 we have to do and I want to see if this collaborative space of the web might be able to help me get some translations done.

So...if anyone is reading this and is sitting in the office bored and would like to do some Korean food translating, I would really appreciate it. Here is a sample of what we are working on. If you think you can help us with the translations (and please don't just run it through Google Translate), please contact me at dan (at) ongofood (dot) com

나문재나물    끓는 물에 삶아 물기를 짠 나문재를 된장, 고추장, 다진 마늘, 참기 름, 깨소금으로 무친 것이다. 나무재나 물, 함초나물이라고도 한다. 나문재는 겨우내 비워 둔 염전이나 해안가에 봄부 터 돋아나는 식물로, 연한 어린순만 먹 으며 상큼한 갯내음이 풍기는 맛이 독특 하다. 칼슘, 칼륨, 인, 철분, 나트륨 등의 미네랄이 풍부하고 비타민 A∙B1∙ B2∙C 등도 매우 풍부하다. 영양이 풍부 하여봄철입맛을잃었을때먹으면입 맛을 돋워주고 기력을 회복시켜 준다.

Made in China

Written by Lindsey Huster

Here's another insightful column by our own Lindsey Huster. This column discusses how even the youth of Korea have a distrust of Chinese food products.  Thank you Lindsey for your contribution and I think its definitely something we should keep in mind when we shop and eat.

Dan

Made in China: a three-word phrase that doubles as a quip in some Korean classrooms.

When something breaks in my classroom- be it a pencil, pen, or book bag- a common reply from my students is that it's, "Made in China." Usually, an eruption of laughter follows as the flawed quality of the product is readily displayed by the hapless student/consumer.

Even at a young age, some Korean students have developed a keen awareness regarding a familiar controversy surrounding Chinese exports. Although it remains laughable for some, for many Koreans, it leaves uncertainty and suspicion about many products.

These days I'm all about natural and homemade food. I'm trying to eat healthier because it makes me feel better. Everyday I start out with a big glass of water and I take my vitamin c tablets.

I'm cooking a lot more. I'm also eating more raw foods and fruit. At our cooking studio, we're working hard to make food for scratch. These days we're researching how to make butter, cheese, and other products from dairy. In the upcoming months, we're thinking of doing a class on making tofu from scratch. Here are a few videos that I found on how to make tofu.

At the Shilla Hotel on Sunday, September 26th, Seoul Gourmet 2010 had their official welcoming press conference. The CEO of Seoul Tourism, Samuel Koo gave opening remarks. Major players in the food and tourism industry were present including the president of Korea Tourism Organization, Lee Cham and the president of Ssempio Food. Most of the chefs like Michel Troigrois and Sang-hoon Degiembre were also present. After opening remarks, Jean-Pierre Gabriel, one of the organizers gave a very insightful presentation on fermentation around the world in in Korea.

This is adorable and hilarious and awesome and it's totally my cup of coffee this morning. Thanks to Richard of Seoulgrid for sharing. 

When you have famous international chefs and journalists in Korea's largest and most popular farming co-operative, what do you get? Lots of "ooohs" and "aaaahs." Seoul Gourmet 2010 is in the full swing of things and it is going very smoothly. The first official outing was an press exclusive showing of Hanaro Market in the southern part of Seoul. Hanaro has a strict policy of no press. I've tried to take pictures there before and I was asked (politely) to delete the pictures. Chefs Carlo Cracco, Sang-Hoon Degeimbre, Luigi biasetto, and Fernando del Cerro were in the market checking the quality of the ingredients. Many international journalists including people from El Mundo, Travel and Leisure, and the Huffington Post were in attendance. It was a great first outing.

I would like to thank the Seoul Veggie Club for coming to our studio for this event and we hope to do more classes like this in the future.

I have a confession.

I don't list all of the best restaurants on this website because there are some restaurants I would like to keep to myself. These places are very much for the locals, so don't go in there being all loud with your "English" and requests for forks and French-style service.^^ Go in and try to act like a local. So if I introduce this place to you, I hope that you'll be on your best behavior. Ok? Good.

Korean Tuna Buffets are some of the best eats in Seoul. You get as much white tuna, red tuna, and tuna belly as you can eat- along with tempura, sushi, salads, and kimchi. The one problem is that often the tuna is cooked semi-frozen. Now you can be patient and wait till it thaws or...I recommend you go to Lee Chun Bok Cham Chi (Lee Chun Bok Tuna).

The place is always busy, but don't worry, the wait is never long and it is always worth it. The place is boisterous and loud and full of energy. The chefs are edgy and crass- they yell at customers, break out randomly with song, drink (when offered), and slice thick pieces of Tuna sashimi until you feel you will burst. My favorite chef there knows exactly the cuts of tuna that I like, the type of alcohol I like to drink, and how to make sure I have a good time. He's a surly, rock star chef with a personality that is a mix of show and skill. And if you are really good, he'll give you a shot of cactus alcohol with a tuna eyeball in the bottom. Yep, you heard me: Cactus Alcohol with a Tuna Eye Ball.

Bon Appetit!

Lee Chun Bok Cham Chi
Down from Sookmyeong University Subway Station (숙대역) Exit 6.
02-794-4558

Taco Bell in Seoul

In the Washington Post there is a story on the Seoul Taco Bell Relaunch by Chico Harlan. It's a well researched article with interviews with the CEO of the new Taco Bell: Shin Sang Yong of M2G Ltd. who says:

"people are ready for something new. They've had 20 years of pizza and hamburgers." Shin envisions opening 30 South Korean franchises in the next three years. One hundred in the next six. Right now, Seoul has about 30 Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants.

I just hope he doesn't expand too fast, because I think Taco Bell works in Itaewon, but I don't think it would work in- let's say- Nowon (way up north east). The article hits on the food trends in Seoul and mentions Omer of Sultan Kebap and Suji Park of Suji's Restaurant.

Go here for the full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/24/AR2010092402715.html?sub=AR

Back to Basics Cooking Class: Milk

Dear Seoul Eats Readers,

Our cooking studio in Insadong has been open almost 2 months now and it's going well. We've had guests from the Americas, Canada, Finland, Australia, Singapore, Japan, Germany, etc. learn from our chef Hoya. Our Night Dining Tours and our Korea Taste and Tea Tours are also doing well.

One thing that our guests have asked for were monthly cooking classes for people living or studying in Seoul. People have also been asking about healthy food classes and making food from scratch. For the month of October we are offering special classes for expats in Seoul.

For the month of October, we are offering our "Back to Basics" cooking program. The theme for this month is Milk. We are offering a Wedneday Morning 10am and a Saturday Morning at 10 am program. You can sign up for classes a la carte or all four for a special price.

Session 1 on Wednesday, October 6th or Saturday 9th: Butter
Our chefs will teach you how to make butter from scratch. Then with the buttermilk we'll make biscuits and with the butter we'll make a lemon butter chicken dish. You can take the butter you made in class home.

Session 2 on Wednesday, October 13th, or Saturday the 16th: Mozzarella and Pizza
Our chefs will teach you how to make homemade mozzarella cheese and then we'll use this cheese to make our own pizzas.

Session 3 on Wednesday October 20th, or Saturday the 23rd: Yogurt 
Our chefs will teach you how to make homemade yogurt from scratch and then we will strain the yogurt to make Tzikiki: a Greek Yogurt Spread. Lunch will be a Greek Gyro topped with tzikiki and fruit yogurt smoothies. You will be able to take the yogurt you made in class home.

Session 4 on Wednesday October 27th or Saturday the 30th: Dessert
Our chefs will teach you how to make creme brulee and 2 other simple desserts using creme, butter or milk. After this session, we'll take you on a tour of Seoul's famous bakery market so you can bake at home.

Sessions cost 65,000 won a piece or you can sign up for all 4 for only 240,000 won (a 20,000 won savings). You can watch the demonstration only for only 30,000 won each (you will not be able to participate in the cooking portion of the class). Classes are taught in English. Koreans and Expats are welcome to join. You will see a demonstration, a hands on tutorial, recipe book, and a light meal. Please indicate if you would like to sign up for Wednesday or Saturday Classes.

To sign-up, please send an e-mail to eat@delectabletravels.com or call Monday through Friday from 9-6pm.

After receiving countless e-mails on the recipe for Michael Howell's sandwich, I was able to track down the recipe. I found it on a Nova Scotia Blog called Loopy Lair: Home of the Laughingwolf. Here's the address: http://laughing1wolf.blogspot.com/2010/09/canadas-best-grilled-cheese-recipe.html

Award-winning Panini Toscano by Chef Michael Howell. Photo courtesy Dairy Farmers of Canada.

Panini Toscano
By Chef Michael Howell

Ingredients:
1 fresh ciabatta bun, about 5“ (12cm) square
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon aioli
1 ripe fig cut into 4-5 slices
2 slices of Parma prosciutto thinly shaved
2 slices 1 oz (30g) each Canadian Havarti cheese, 1/8“ (2mm ) thick
1 oz (30g) fresh baby arugula
½ roasted red pepper, peeled & cut into ¾“ (2 cm) slices
1 tbsp (15 mL) balsamic vinaigrette

Lemon Aioli Ingredients
¼ cup (60 mL) prepared olive oil mayonnaise
Juice and zest from ½ a lemon
1 clove garlic

Balsamic Vinaigrette Ingredients
1 tsp (5 ml) balsamic vinegar
Pinch of salt and pepper
½ tsp (2 mL) Dijon mustard
Pinch of sugar
Juice of ½ lemon
¼ cup (60 mL) extra virgin olive oil

Preparation & Cooking
Mix aioli ingredients together and let flavours mingle for ½ an hour.

Split the fresh ciabatta in ½ and brush both sides liberally with the lemon aioli.

Layer one slice of havarti cheese on the bottom of the bun, then top with the sliced figs, prosciutto, couple sprigs of arugula and finish with other slice of cheese.

Has Seoul Eats become Nova Scotia Eats? I know it seems that way for now, but it's because I had such a great food experience there that I want to share it with you all. I'll start mixing in Seoul food as soon as I start eating again. Here are some pictures of my visit to the Fox Hill Cheese. Chef Michael Howell from the Tempest Restaurant was on hand serving up his world class cuisine made from local ingredients including his award winning grilled cheese sandwich.

Maple Bacon Chocolate Truffle

No, I didn't stutter. At the Taste of Nova Scotia's Culinary World Summit, I went to the lobster dinner that they had for delegates and for the good people of Halifax. Following the Lobster Dinner was the Chocolate Salon which was a history of chocolate starting from the discovery in South America. I'll go more into this in a future post, but on the truffle tray was a Maple Bacon Chocolate Truffle- I don't know if you can go more decadent than this. The chocolate had a warm maple taste with a hint of saltiness and the perplexing wowness of bacon grease. It was definitely droolworthy.

The Coastline: Nova Scotia

This is near Peggy's Cove in Nova Scotia.

Canadian Thanksgiving at Dragon Hill Lodge in Seoul, Korea

Dear Canuck Friends,

After my recent trip to Canada, I am almost ready to turn in my red, white, and blue for the red maple leaf. I found Canada to be a great food country full of great people and I learned a lot. Now I know that Canadian Thanksgiving is coming soon and I wanted to let you know that it is possible for you to get a cooked turkey from the base. Since we don't get vacation days off for Thanksgiving, so getting a cooked turkey or ham off the US military base might be a great idea. Instead of cooking, you can spend time with your country-people and have fun.

They are also great deals as well. For $99.95 US you get a whole turkey or ham with mashed potatoes, turkey gravy or bourbon sauce, beans almondine (green beans), dinner rolls, STUFFING, CRANBERRY SAUCE, and pumpkin pie. You can also get extra sides for only $3.95 a pound. They will deliver to most military gates. If you have a car the easiest one to get to is gate 10 CORRECTION GATE 17 (across from Ichon Station). I get mine delivered to gate 3 (right near Haebanchon's famous kimchi pot wall). They also have turkeys or hams ala carte for $49.95 and $59.95 US.

Call 02-738-2222 ext 6716 (If that number doesn't work, try 0505-738-2222 extension 6716)
http://www.dragonhilllodge.com/main.html

Also, if anyone would like to help me organize a Canadian Thanksgiving Dinner at my cooking studio in Insadong, please contact me. We can hold 100-150 people, we have 4 ovens, and lots of tables so I think we could do a great thanksgiving party there. People could cook their favorites from home and do a potluck dinner. If anyone is interested, please contact me.

Dan

I was lucky enough to meet up with a native Nova Scotian while I was in Halifax this week for the culinary world summit. Mr. Michael F. is the father of a friend of mine, Marie and he offered to show me around the city for the day. We first checked out downtown Halifax. Then we went to Opa! Taverna for a fabulous lunch. After lunch he was even kind enough to take me to Future Shop in Halifax to indulge in my technonerdiness. The highlight of the trip was heading to Peggy's Cove- a beautiful seacoast town. Here are pictures. Enjoy and be sure to visit Nova Scotia!

I feel inspired. I didn't wake up in the middle of the night because of jet lag or because the copious amounts of chocolate that I indulged in at the Chocolate Salon Dinner last night at the Culinary Tour Summit in Nova Scotia.

I woke up because my mind was on fire with ideas. Being invited to the Culinary Tour Summit in Nova Scotia has reconnected me with myself and the reasons why I have always been drawn to working in the food industry. I woke up with a craving for food so fresh and so flavorful that I wanted to embed my brain with the memories of its flavors of Nova Scotia before I leave. I want to embed a memory so strong and so deep that it will make me in the future pack my bags and to make this journey back to Nova Scotia to enjoy these tastes again. So I am up at 4:30am having a mug of wild blueberry juice and having spoonfuls of matured, organic, artisan made cheddar cheese.

For me, this is culinary tourism at its core: it taps into memories. It creates a sense of peace and happieness through the senses. Through the tastebuds, you can find a location, a center, a place to call home. Kitchens are often the places of comfort in our houses because that is where the food is. It's where the good smells whaff around as happy images in our minds-yet can you smell a memory? The kitchen is the hearth where people lovingly preparing a dish. Sure the kitchen sustains our lives, but it gives us much more.

It is not just the kitchens, but restaurants where we have memories, but these memories are more controlled. You take people to your absolutely favorite restaurants when you expect a lasting friendship or relationship. You don't go there to tell them bad news. 

Now being in Nova Scotia, I have relearned it's more than just the kitchen: it's the farms. The farmers are the ones that transform the fundamental building blocks of life and transform them into life. It is their hard work, love, and care that we take to form ourselves. We are what we eat and we should start from the very basic level.

If you were at a restaurant and you found a hair in your food, you would send this back because it shows the carelessness of the cook. So, why wouldn't you send back an apple or a bunch of spinach if you found out it was recklessly sprayed with pesticides?

And we always say don't upset the chef at restaurants because we fear that the chef will possible contaminate the food. Now I say, don't upset the farmers, but I fear we have done so already. And they have have responded by "spitting" on the food.

Well, not all of the farmers. In Nova Scotia, I've met a number of people that care for all the people; they are good Samaritans that help others without being asked. After all, we are all kin; we are all human. What is good for one human (generally) is good for another. These farmers go out of the way to educate and cure others. These are the people that culinary tourism should be for- not for just for the travelers.

The Culinary Summit made me realize that Culinary Tourism is not just for travelers that want to visit a new land. Culinary Tourism is for the land locals call home. Culinary Tourism is a way to sustain the farmers that are keeping our homes, our lands, and our environments alive. These people hold traditions and keep us human. These people change the world, literally everyday by planting and growing and pruning. These people change the world.

We are what we eat. We are the sun in the sky, the wind, the trees, the plants, the seeds, the soil, the minerals, the water. We are not computers and blackberries and ipods and Toyotas and twitters. We are not high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, xantham gum,  We are humans that are sustained by food and the food is sustained by farmers and the farmers are sustained by the environment. The world is too big to try and save the environment all at once. We need to start local. We need to start where we live. And each place that places the importance on local will change the global ubiquitousness that makes all french fries or burgers taste the same. Let's fight global and be local.

Dan

I got to meet Chef Josef Majaess at Opa Greek Taverna in Nova Scotia. He is a very humble and worldly chef that pushes Greek food to the edge of tradition and sprinkles a bit of new age. His flavors are bright, lemony, and a slight hit of spice. Now, I don't know if you knew this, but my first job was as a dishwasher in  a little Greek Restaurant in Delaware called "European Bistro." I was a Pearl Jam listening, long haired, "grunge" kid that went there to work at a very conservative (but very pink- literally, everything was pink) Greek restaurant. The husband and wife owners, Gino and Ruth Veriopolas, were the most caring people I ever met and it was here that I fell in love with Greek cuisine and culture.

Most times I come back to the states or travel to another country, I try to have at least one Greek meal. It is nostalgia and it reminds me of my youth. Sometimes, it is great, but often it's just...meh. At Opa! Greek Taverna, it was not meh, but outstanding. Chef Josef Majaens uses all fresh ingredients, sources locally- when he can, and gets the top grade Greek ingredients. Also, the restaurant has a very modern look to it. It's very open and the skyroof makes it feel like you are having lunch on an outside field on a temperate day.

I am glad that I had a chance to experience this restaurant while I was in Nova Scotia and I'll have to come back again. Now if I can make some room in my stomach, I will have to go (there is a location downtown) and have a slice of his Feta Cheese Cake topped with Quince.

Opa Greek Taverna
215 Chain Lake Dr.
Halifax, NS B3S 1C9
902-876-8899
www.opataverna.com


See more pictures after the jump

Downtown Halifax, Nova Scotia

I only have a minute or so to blog this because I have a conference to get to. Here is my first night and morning in Nova Scotia. I went shopping at Lawson's Drugstore in the morning and I am going to have to find a grocery store tonight.

Cheers,

Dan

Here are some pictures that I took on my way over in Narita and Toronto Airport.
Cheers,
Dan

We will have a Vegetarian Temple Cuisine Cooking Class starting at 10am followed by a market tour on Saturday the 25th. The menu for the day will be:

• Potatoes in Soy Sauce Side Dish (Kamja Jorim)
• Stone Bowl Nutrional Rice steamed with beans, nuts, and jujube. (Yeongyang dolsotbap)
• Temple Cuisine Soup Stock :which can be used as a flavoring to dishes and as a soup base. In this class, it'll be used to make rich soybean and tofu stew.

The class will be taught in English by Chef Hye-Jin Kim. It will be a hands on class and you'll have a chance to eat the food after you cook it. You'll receive a recipe book and a market tour after the class. The class will cost 55,000 won per person.

RSVP by e-mailing us at ongofood@ongofood.com or calling us at 02-3446-1607. Payment can be made in advance through Korean Bank Transfer: Woori Bank 1005-480-990616  Choi Jia, O'ngo Food Communicaitons 최지아 온고푸드커뮤니케이션 우리은 or through Paypal: dnlgray@gmail.com.

Crescent Moon Rice Cakes: Songpyeon

Here's another great column from Lindsey Huster. 

With Chuseok less than a week away, preparations have long been in the works for this food-lovers holiday. Already coworkers are bringing home pears, SPAM and other boxed goods.
The timely, uxorial duties have also fallen upon Korean women to (once again) exhaustively prepare large quantities of food. Although the holiday is known for its traditional japchae, bulgogi and fruit, Songpyeon remains the ultimate attribute of this holiday season.

Songpyeon, or crescent moon rice cake, consists of rice flour dough, which is stuffed with an endless possibility of fillings. Although the rice cake itself is a half-moon shaped, the filling is always molded into a full moon shape. At one time, people believed that their wishes would come true if they prayed to the moon.

Songpyeon is made by kneading rice flour with hot water and mung beans. Then, the filling is put into the dough. Songpyeon is later steamed in a layer of pine needles, which leaves the trademark pattern on the finished Songpyeon. The unusually strong scent of pine needles (phytoncide, a protective chemical) symbolizes purification and is believed to eliminate bad luck.

Those Chuseok virtuosos who are able to produce tasty Songpyeon are held in the highest regard for the season. According to Korean tradition, those who possess the talent of molding pretty Songpyeon will meet a pretty or handsome partner in the future. Others believe that you will have pretty daughters if you can create pretty Songpyeon. Either way, good Songpyeon makings ensure good luck for those with deft hands.

I am going to be off to Nova Scotia for a Conference at the Culinary Tourism Summit in Nova Scotia tomorrow morning. I am one of the presenters and I'll be speaking about how to reach the Culinary Consumers of Today -and Tomorrow. And no, I haven't starting packing.

But before I leave, I wanted to finish up a few loose ends. I've been trying to get this post up for a while. If you are lucky enough to get base access to the Dragon Hill Lodge this weekend (September 17 and 18, 2010), I recommend you head over to the Oktoberfest event. I was there last weekend and it was outstanding! There was lots of great food and beer. The German Chocolate Cake is like crack dipped in liquid crack and then touched by a unicorn's horn. It's delish and I want to go back to the base for it! The Sauerbraten is great as well and yes, they have authentic saurkraut and GIANT PRETZELS.

Bottoms up! Korean Soju Shots

I just wrote an article for Koreataste.org which has been kind enough to ask me to write for them on a regular basis. The site is one of the best sites I have seen so far for Korean food. It's new (It has only been open since August 15th), but it has a wealth of content on the site. I wish that I could make Seouleats that organized. Anyway, I'm a writer and I'm happy to write for them.

Here is an excerpt of the article. Jump over to their site to read the rest. Please vote (Give a Thumbs up!) and leave a comment. It makes the site administrators (and me) very happy.

When our company, O’ngo Food Communications (www.ongofood.com) started our night dining tours, our concept was to introduce real Korea to tourists and have them experience the culture through the cuisine. It has become our most popular tour with over 200 participants.

We start our tour around the shops of working class people around Kwangjang Market. As night falls, the busy streets become calm and craftsmen and shops turn off their lights and the business energy transforms into joviality as workers shake off the dust of the day’s toil over tin cups of rice wine and platters of fried, crispy potato latkes-like pancakes (bindaetteok).


Our guests that join our tour are very excited about Korea. It is an actualization of a dream for them. They have read about Korea from books and magazines, they have seen it on television and in movies, and they have heard about it from other travelers. They are optimistic, excited, and even a little scared.


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Dan

Seoul Gourmet is coming to Seoul from September 26th to September 30th! Top Michelin Starred Chefs will be in Seoul giving classes and cooking dinners. We'll have Michel Troisgros, Fernando del Cerro, Dr. Bruno Goussault, Luigi Biasetto, Jordi Roca, Carlo Cracco, and Sang-Hoon Degeimbre. 6 of the world's top chefs will be on hand giving lessons in Seoul on Tuesday, September 28th and Wednesday, September 29th.

The classes are 50,000 won each or you can get a full days worth of classes for only 150,000 won.

The schedules on Tuesday, September 28th:
11:00-11:50 Michel Troisgros
12:10-13:00 Korean Temple Food
13:20-14:10 Luigi Biasetto
14:30-15:20 Traditional Korean Cuisine
15:40-16:30 Dr. Bruno Goussault

The schedule for Wednesday, September 29th is:
11:00-11:50 Sang-Hoon Degeimbre
12:10-13:00 Modern Korean Cuisine
13:20-14:10 Jordi Roca
14:30-15:20 Fernando del Cerro
15:40-16:30 Carlo Cracco

You can make reservations via Ticketlink (you might have to get a Korean friend, or call them at 02-1588-7890 to make reservations). Here's the link to the ticketlink site
VIA Seoulgourmet.org

Chuseok is coming. This year it is September 21st to 23rd. I'll be in Nova Scotia for a business conference there so I will miss how tranquil Seoul can be when everyone is out of the city. As Chuseok approaches, you'll see more and more gift sets appearing for sale. The one that has always been my favorite (to see, not to receive) is the SPAM gift set. This year at E-mart, they are upping the premium-ness of SPAM and they are packaging this with Canola or grapeseed oil so Korean families can pan-fry their processed ham snacks with healthy oil. (It sounds a bit like having a diet coke with a big mac and supersized fries to me.) Anywho, be sure to give the gift of SPAM this holiday.