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Articles: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

The Golden Clogs Have Been Announced
2008-02-20 02:19:00
Anthony Bourdain’s and Michael Rhulman’s monstrous but strangely apropos concoction, the Golden Clog Awards, will have their premiere this year at the 2008 South Beach Food & Wine Festival.  Here are the nominees (from Eater.com) The 2008 Golden Clog Awards, Nominees and Honorees By their Greatness Shall We Know Them [Winners will be selected by Bourdain and Ruhlman alone, who may or may not consult with their advisory board of Next Iron Chef contender Michael Symon, journalists Russ Parsons in Los Angeles, Ed Levine and Jennifer Leuzzi in New York, and Dara Moskowitz.] THE FERGUS For greatest achievement in pork, and/or guts Nominees: Martin Picard of Montreal’s “Au Pied de Cochon”; David Chang of New York’s “Momofuku Noodle Bar and Momofuku Ssam and …”; Chris Cosentino of San Francisco’s “Incanto” THE ALTON For being on Food Network and yet, somehow managing to Not Suck Nominees: Duff Goldman for Ace of...

KH Article: Harnessing Love Through Spaghetti
2008-02-19 00:18:00
Here is my latest Korea Herald article, published on Valentine’s Day. Harnessing Love Through Spaghetti You still have a little time left. Don’t fret over some overwrapped, overpriced gift basket. In my world, the best expression of your love for someone is food. You can impress without being some master chef. Let me tell you a story: My ...
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The KFDA Isn?t the Only One
2008-02-19 00:03:00
On the heels of the news that the Korean FDA is dragging its heels on recalling fish tainted with super-resistant bacteria, the US FDA is finally getting around to recalling and bringing charges against the slaughterhouse and employees depicted in a highly distributed video on the Internet. At least the US FDA is doing something about ...

Would We Be Safer if the Fish were American?
2008-02-18 15:51:00
Brendon Carr at Korea Law Blog brings up an on target point about the recent finding that one-third of fish randomly checked in Seoul supermarkets had “Golden Staph,” one of those superbugs that is resistant to conventional antibiotics.  The authorities said that they were “considering administrative measures including a possible recall.” (Pause.) Exhibit A: A miniscule bone ...
More About: Fish , American

The Deceptively Non-Kosher Pizza
2008-02-15 15:16:00
“New from Pizza Etang, the Jew Baiter Pizza!  Pork sausage, bacon, shrimp, squid, beef and cheese all heaped on leavened pizza dough and topped with a mayonnaise Star-of-David.” - Joe Mondello from The Joshing Gnome -- ZKFJ
More About: Kosher

DangMyeon Noodle Salad
2008-02-15 14:25:00
Australian blogger Anna at Morsels and Musings has come up with a recipe for Korean DangMyeon ?? (Sweet Potato Noodles) as a cold salad.  I gotta try this some time. -- ZKFJ
More About: Salad

Who Here Likes Sweet Potato Pizza?
2008-02-15 02:06:00
A Geek in Korea does.  When he first tried sweet potato pizza, he had the same reaction I did–and still do.  Now, I’ve been able to wrap my mind around toppings that Americans would think are strange.  In Germany, they served eggs, peas and unpitted olives on their pizzas.  I learned to live with that.  ...
More About: Pizza , Sweet , Potato

Roti Buns the New Trend in Korea?
2008-02-11 06:13:00
Annalog seems to think so.  She compares two roti bun shops that recently opened near each other. -- ZKFJ
More About: Korea , Roti , Trend , Treats

Celebrity-owned Restaurants
2008-02-10 01:37:00
Annalog has not had good experiences at Korean restaurants owned by celebrities. What is it with the bad quality of celebrity-owned restaurants? Last year, during my first season on EBS, our studio was located across the street from a celebrity-owned grill house in Singil. I think it was called EunHaeng Namu ?? ??.  I translate it ...
More About: Celebrity , Restaurants , Restaurant , Owned

The Wonderful World of Korean Food
2008-02-09 16:35:00
This video, produced by the Korea National Tourism Organization, won a silver medal at the New York Festivals event on Friday.  The narrator reminds me of the guy who dubs the chairman’s voice on Iron Chef. “If memory serves me right…” -- ZKFJ
More About: Video , Food , World , Korean , Wonderful

?Keep the Ssangyong, Pass the Ssamjang?
2008-02-09 15:29:00
Korea blogger Fencerider has some choice words about how Korean cuisine can compete in the world: Open up a National Culinary Institute and make the faculty come from some of the best known restaurants from all over Korea. Have the courses all taught in English (yes, I see the problem here but keep reading anyway) Bring over ...
More About: Pass , Ssangyong

BBQ?s Chicken Nuggets and Cola in the Same Cup
2008-02-06 03:08:00
Serious Eats has just profiled BBQ’s “technology” of serving beverage and chicken in the same container.  I’ve seen these around for a while. I also just found out, belatedly, that BBQ has finally branched out into the American market (Ed Levine reviews).  That is some seriously good chicken, and I wish I had opened a franchise ...
More About: Chicken , Cola , Junk

The Panic Over Kimuchi
2008-02-06 02:20:00
This started out as a blip, but I have seen more and more articles popping up like it’s a big scandal.  The Chosun Ilbo reported recently that a Japanese chain restaurant named Gyu-Kaku is passing off Korean dishes such as Bibimbap, Galbi and Kimchi as Japanese food with Japanese names (Bibimba, Karubi and Kimuchi). A over ...
More About: Panic

SEOUL Magazine: 8 Ways to Get Your Seafood Fix
2008-02-04 02:48:00
My latest article for SEOUL Magazine has been released.  If you can’t get a hard copy, which I find as convenient resources when making a foray into town, a PDF of the magazine is available. -- ZKFJ
More About: Seafood , Seoul

?I Think Kimchi is on the Verge of Becoming the Next Salsa?
2008-01-31 00:31:00
The San Francisco Chronicle has an article about kimchi catching on in the States. -- ZKFJ
More About: Kimchi , Salsa

Annalog?s Korean Food Videos
2008-01-30 01:44:00
Blogger Annalog has been posting food videos of her experiences in Korea.  I’d repost them here, but she uses jumpcut, and I haven’t figured how to repost them yet. French Food in Jeongja Chinese Noodles in Chungmuro -- ZKFJ
More About: Video , Videos , Korean , Korean food

New KH Article: Mardi Gras in Korea
2008-01-29 04:56:00
My new article for The Korea Herald about how to have your own little Mardi Gras celebration in Korea has been published. [Double posted on the ZK Front Page] -- ZKFJ
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The First Korean Fast Food Chain in America
2008-01-28 01:31:00
Asian Week reports that Sorabol, a family-owned Korean fast food chain, currently has 15 stores in California, Nevada and the Philippines while looking into opening locations in Seattle, New York City and Washington, D.C.  As of now, they’re concentrating on the food court market, dominated by Sbarro and Panda Express.  The difference is that they’re not America nizing their food.  According to them, they serve authentic Korean BBQ, noodles and soups, including Yukejang 육게장.  And if their stores typically look like the ones on the web site, they look kick ass. I’d say it’s a welcome healthier alternative to the usual food court findings and proof that you don’t have to drench everything in grease to make it fast food. NOTE: They have a little section on their web site where you can tell them your location if there is not a Sorabol restaurant in your area.  Don’t know how seriously they’d take it, but I’m sure some good respon...
More About: Food , Fast Food , Fast

NYT Does Korean in Manhattan
2008-01-25 01:21:00
Seth Kugel of The New York Times tells New Yorkers where they can get their Korean fixes on the island.  I read a lot of articles about Korean food, and it’s funny how the writers have to introduce Korean dishes to the public.  Seth shares my exhaustion: It is here that many New Yorkers and visitors ...
More About: Out There , Manhattan

Hite Stout in Pitcher Form
2008-01-24 04:16:00
I had heard a fabled legend that years ago Hite Stout, what many Korean beer haters consider the only drinkable Korean beer (even though it is hardly a stout), was briefly in the big-ass pitcher bottle.  It was discontinued because the Korean market hadn’t developed a taste for a beer with taste. I guess the market’s ...
More About: Drink , Form , Pitcher

Deep Fried Beer
2008-01-19 12:38:00
Yep, I did it. I kept warning people I’d do it. Did it. As soon as you say this is ridiculous, let me point out that Yahoo! recently featured a deep-fried burger made of bacon meat. The whole “let’s see what we can deep fry trend” officially hit surreality when the Texas State Fair had ...
More About: Beer , Deep , Fried

Sesame Leaf Pesto
2008-01-19 05:43:00
  Here is the original article I turned in to The Korea Herald without the editors’ touches: Living in a culture that?s not your own is exciting and alienating.  My philosophy has always been to experience a culture as authentically as I can.  It is hard to respect anyone who travels across the world and only eats ...
More About: Fusion , Sesame , Leaf , Pesto

First ZenKimchi Dining Article Published in Korea Herald
2008-01-15 16:03:00
Quick!  Before it’s gone! My first little piece (Sesame Leaf Pesto), under my real name, Joe McPherson, in The Korea Herald is up.  It’ll only be online for a little while, so you might as well get a hardcopy.  While you’re at it, you should also read the pieces by The Marmot (Robert Koehler on the ...
More About: Article , Published , Dining

Big Hominid Does Brasilia
2008-01-15 02:21:00
(Photo from Big Hominid’s Hairy Chasms) Der Gross Hominid recently tried Brasilia’s (obviously a Brazilian restaurant) 25,000 won all-you-can-eat beef.  He had six steaks but says he’s not a steak man.  Yet we all know Big Hominid is a man who likes the beef, right? -- ZKFJ
More About: Restaurant

Potato Octopus
2008-01-14 01:11:00
I feel a new Korean dish coming. [original article] -- ZKFJ
More About: Potato , Octopus

Microwavable Bibimbap
2008-01-13 02:48:00
Okay, here are some Frankenfoods for you . I came across this microwavable Jeonju Bibimbap at E-Mart.  It’s not just bibimbap.  It’s Jeonju Bibimbap, which is supposed to be the best.  Number one. Opening the box revealed (clockwise from top left) Bibimbap Sauce, Sesame Oil, a container of Rice, a package of vegetables and a small ...

Epicourageous Featured in Serious Eats
2008-01-11 00:53:00
Daniel’s notorious pic of the spaghetti in a waffle cone recently got the attention of mega-food site Serious Eats. -- ZKFJ
More About: Featured

We Can All Rest Easy Now
2008-01-10 15:04:00
The two-year trade dispute between China and South Korea over Chinese-made kimchi has been resolved.  Supposedly the inspections in China to prevent parasitic eggs in their kimchi has been brought up to Korean standards. Someone please correct me here.  Aren’t the kimchi factories in China mostly owned by Koreans? -- ZKFJ
More About: News , Rest , Easy

Naengi - A Mysterious Winter Herb
2008-01-10 03:36:00
I’ve tasted a new flavor this winter.  Eun Jeong was making dinner and asked me to go to the store to get some naengi ??.  I’d never heard of it before nor noticed it at the store. “It only comes in winter,” Eun Jeong said, “It’s on the fields after all the vegetables are gone.” I went ...
More About: Winter , Ingredients , Mysterious , Herb

LA Times Does Bibimbap
2008-01-09 15:12:00
A short little piece about bibimbap written by Serena Kim in The Los Angeles Times has popped up today. -- ZKFJ