Tofurky: Snapshots of a Supermarket in Florida I was in Publix Supermarket in Florida and I was impressed and shocked. Impressed because it is so big, shocked because the produce section is so small and most of the market is filled with dry foods, cooking equipment, sauces, and frozen foods. The other oddities were the vegetarian section with Tofurky. This thing claims to be tofu turkey with stuffing, and rich giblet gravy. Sorry, but I think people should simply eat Turkey or make a new tradition. Wouldn't that be great? I think vegetarians should come up with a new thanksgiving feast dinner. I could even imagine having something like a cornucopia of vegetables that are grilled and fresh with bean pancakes or something. I don't know something like that- if not, it's like a constant reminder of the food you are missing. The other odd thing I saw was dutch chocolate with red wine. I don't know what it tastes like, but it doesn't quite jell in my mind. I hope...

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. Journalists and Chefs at Hanaro Mart in Southern Seoul A Search for Ingredients at Hanaro Mart in Southern Seoul Acclaimed Italian Confetioner Luigi Biasetto (far right) and his Sous-ch...

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. Spam and Canola Oil Spam with Canola, Grapeseed, and Tuna Fish!!!