CUISINE > Spicy Chicken Rib

This is a dish that originated in the city of Chuncheon in Gangwon Province. Spicy yet sweet, this delicious dish may become addictive, so much so that you can’t stop eating once you start. Spicy chicken rib is a great fare for cold winter nights, so enjoy this inexpensive and simple dish with your friends.

Ingredients:

1.5 chickens, boned

5 cabbage leaves

1 medium onion

12 sesame leaves (may substitute with spinach)

5 stalks of green onion

1 hot green chili pepper

1/2 hot red chili pepper

1/2 sweet potato (or potato)

Sauce:

1Tbsp hot chili pepper paste

3Tbsp hot chili pepper powder

1Tbsp each of rice cooking wine, sugar, dark corn syrup, soy sauce

2Tbsp chopped onion1Tbsp minced garlic

1/2tsp minced ginger

salt, pepper, sesame seed oil to taste

Direction:

1. Bone the chicken and wash the chicken pieces carefully under cold running water. Put slits on the outside so that sauce can penetrate deep into the meat.

2. Chop cabbage leaves, onion, and sesame leaves into big pieces.

3. Cut green onions into 4cm pieces and diagonally slice chili peppers and sweet potato.

4. Mix all the sauce ingredients and marinate chicken meat.

5. Stir fry chicken meat in an oiled frying pan until outside is done. Pour in the remaining sauce and add vegetables, while stirring constantly. Serve in a large, flat dish.

Tips:

1. If it’s hard to bone the chicken, ask your butcher to do it for you, or buy chicken thighs, which is much easier to bone than other chicken parts. If you are watching your weight, take off the skin and trim off the fat.

2. For a more hearty fare you may add a serving of rice cake, and cooked oriental noodle.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS > Japanese Actor Ken Watanabe to Make First Visit to Korea

World famous Japanese actor Ken Watanabe will make his first visit to Korea to participate in the press preview of his latest film “Memories of Tomorrow,” scheduled to be released in Korea on April 23.

Watanabe has become famous worldwide for his charismatic acting shown in Hollywood films such as “Last Samurai,” “Batman Begins,” and “Memoirs of a Geisha.” He has many fans in Korea.

The Japanese actor is committed to promoting his latest film because it is his first work where he not only played a leading role but also participated in the production. He was nominated for the best leading actor award at the recently-held Asian Film Awards for his role, which is completely different from his past masculine, tough roles, along with Korean actor Song Kang-ho (“The Host”) and Jeong Ji-hoon, the real name of singer Rain (“I’m Cyborg, But That’s Ok”).

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS > Kim Yun-jin to Give Interview to People Magazine

Actress Kim Yun-jin, who has recently drawn the spotlight for announcing a comeback to the Korean big screen through the movie “Seven Days,” will give an exclusive interview to People magazine on March 30.

Kim’s agency said the magazine requested an interview after the actress’s popularity soared when a section introducing Kim’s preparations for the Golden Globe event was posted early this year on the magazine’s Web site, recording more than 300,000 hits a day.

The agency added that previously, any U.S. media reports about the actress and her appearances in various talk shows typically made big news, but now Kim has gained full recognition for her hard work and passion to the extent that even a prestigious U.S. magazine has requested an exclusive interview with her.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS > Dong Bang Shin Ki Releases 2nd Japanese Album in Korea

Popular boy band Dong Bang Shin Ki, known as Tohoshinki in Japan, will release their 2nd Japanese album in their home country of Korea today.‘Five in the Black,’ which was released on the 14th in Japan, placed 6th on the Oricon Daily Album Charts. The album has a regular version and an extra DVD version, which includes music videos and behind-the-scenes footage. The 13-track album includes hit songs “Begin,” “Sky” and “Miss You,” the Japanese version of “I’ll Be There” as well as other new songs like “Zion,” “Dead End” and “Promise.”

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS > Possible Postponement of Rain’s Shanghai Concert

Singer Rain’s Shanghai concert, which was set for 2 weeks from now, will most likely be postponed.A daily reported that the Shanghai concert, scheduled for April 14th, has not yet been approved by the Chinese government.An official from the concert planner said that an official announcement would be made as soon as any news was received.Though tickets for the event have not formally gone on sale, fervid fans have rushed internet sites to make reservations.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS > Lee Jun-ki Dons 80s School Uniform for New Movie

Popular actor Lee Jun-ki (25) will don a 1980s high school uniform in the new movie, “Brilliant Holiday.”He is set to play Kang Jin-woo, a regular student who took part in the Gwangju May18th Democratization Movement in1980.Production costs for the Kim Ji-hoon-directed “Brilliant Holiday” has already amounted to 10 billion won. The movie, which was shot over 5 months last year, stars Ahn Sung-ki, Kim Sang-gyeong and Lee Yo-won. Lee Jun-ki expressed his enthusiasm over the movie and his role in it, saying he was excited to work with established actors and help tell an important story.

CUISINE > Galbi-jjim (Korean beef stew)

Galbi-jjim (Korean beef stew): This is a Korean traditional dish great for entertaining guests. Sweet and savory, it’s a favorite of young children and adults alike. Never left out from the traditional holiday table, galbi-jjim goes well with rice and lettuce, too.

Ingredients:

1kg beef short rib (cut into 5cm pieces)

1 chunk of Japanese radish (cut into 5cm chunks)

10 chestnuts

10 gingko nuts

10 dried dates

Sauce:

5 cups beef stock (water left over from boiling beef rib)

6Tbsp soy sauce

4Tbsp grated pear (preferably Korean pear)

2Tbsp corn syrup (or substitute with 6Tbsp of sugar)

1Tbsp minced garlic

1/2Tbsp minced ginger

1Tbsp sesame seed oil

black pepper

Direction:

1. First soak beef short rib pieces in cold water to draw out the blood. Trim off the fat and make little cuts on the rib so that the sauce can seep well into meat.

2. Cut Japanese radish into large cubes, about half the size of beef rib pieces. Peel the inner skin off chestnuts.

3. Peel off the outer skin of gingko nuts and stir fry them in oiled frying pan to eliminate the inner skin. You can easily peel off the inner skin if you rub the gingko nuts in paper towel.

4. Grate pear and strain it in cheesecloth to get only the pear juice.

5. In a large pot cook the rib pieces drained of blood. Once it boils, take the meat out of the pot and reserve about 5 cups of stock.

6. Mix only 2/3 of the sauce with the partially boiled meat and cook in a big pot with the reserved beef stock. Bring it to boil.

7. Add radish chunks, chestnuts, gingko nuts, and dates and put in the rest of the sauce, and mix well.

8. Let it simmer until the sauce boils down to half the amount. Garnish with pine nuts before serving.

Tips:

1. Beef rib may be tough to some people. You can soften beef effectively with grated pear, onion, pineapple or kiwi. When using kiwi, you have to remember that kiwi is a strong meat-softening agent, so use only one kiwi per 6 kilograms of beef.

2. You may add chunks of carrots, onions and black mushrooms to get more vegetables in your diet.

3. If you don’t like the rich flavor of beef, sprinkle a bit of lemon juice before serving.