FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2012 ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT / LOS ANGELES TIMES A3

K-RECIPE Yaksik sweet with nuts and jujubes Yaksik is a sweet dish made with steamed , honey, , jujubes, chestnuts and pine nuts. It may also be called yakbap (medicinal rice). It is said that yaksik was prepared and served to the crows as a reward for saving the king’s life in the Kingdom.

melts, coat the pan with oil. When the sugar turns to a brownish liquid, add the starch powder and boil while stirring for 1 min. to make the sauce. 7. While the steamed rice is still warm, add soy sauce, sweet steamed rice sauce, yellow sugar, cinna- mon powder, jujube stone tea, honey, regular sugar and sesame oil into the steamed rice and mix them well. Mix them well again after adding chestnuts, ju- jubes and pine nuts. 8. Put the mixture of above steamed glutinous rice into the steaming pot for 10 min. on high heat. Then lower the heat to medium, steam for 20 min. and mix it well. Reduce the heat to low, steam for 20 min. and then mix again and steam for another 10 min.

Tips:

Yaksik (Institute of Traditional Korean Food) • To cook good-tasting steamed rice, the rice Ingredients: • Sweet steamed rice 4. Pour water into the should be steamed to be sauce: 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp steaming pot, heat for 8 pretty tender, neither too • 1 1/2 cups glutinous rice, edible oil, 1/2 tbsp starch min. on high heat. When hard nor too soft or watery. 8 cups rice steaming water powder, 3 tbsp warm water it gives off steam, layer a • Steaming in boiling wa- • Salt water: 3 tbsp water, 1. Wash the glutinous damp cotton cloth on the ter will produce a deeper 1/2 salt rice and soak in water for bottom, put in the gluti- brown color, better taste • 5 jujubes, 3 chestnuts, 1 about 3 hours, drain water nous rice and steam for 20 and sweet smell. tsp pine nuts through a strainer for 10 min. Sprinkle salt water, • Two hours is a good time- • Jujube stone tea: 5 jujube min. (330g). mix well, and steam for frame for steaming in boil- stones, 1 cup water 2. Wipe the jujubes with another 30 min. ing water. • Sweet steamed rice sea- damp cotton cloth, cut the 5. Put the jujube stones • For the sweet steamed soning: 2 1/2 tsp soy sauce, flesh round and cut it into and water in the pot, cover rice sauce, caramel sauce 2 tbsp sweet steamed rice 6 pieces (16g). Skin the and simmer for 15 min. on may produce a good color sauce, 3 tbsp yellow sugar, chestnuts and cut into 6 medium heat. Then strain and sweet smell. 1/4 cinnamon powder, 1/2 pieces (30g). (19g). tsp jujube stone tea, 2 tbsp 3. Remove tops of the pine 6. Put the sugar in the pot, (Adapted from the Insti- honey, 2 tbsp sugar, 1/2 nuts and wipe the nuts heat it for 3 min. on medi- tute of Traditional Korean tbsp sesame oil with a dry cotton cloth. um heat. When the sugar Food)

Health Healthy bathing in winter

and scrubbing the skin can els, or ordinary towels with stead, pat the skin gently cause the destruction of soap to scrub your skin. to dry. Apply moisturizer this skin layer, causing in- Instead, use gentle soaps all over your body. It is best creased moisture loss and to lather with your hands to do this right after hav- skin symptoms explained and apply to your skin as ing a bath, in the bathroom above. When the skin stra- if applying skin lotion. Fo- when the environment is tum corneum layer is de- cus on cleaning areas that still moist. Avoid excessively stroyed, it can take between can get sweaty, such as the hot temperatures of bathing one to two weeks to recover. armpits, groin, and the area water, and it is not advised If you have scrubbed your below the breasts. You may to take long baths. skin excessively, you should skip the other outer areas take care to look after your of the arms and legs if they The author is a doctor of skin for the next 1-2 weeks aren’t dirty. It is advised to the Department of Derma- and be careful when taking use gentle acidic soap with tology at Samsung Medical baths. Elderly people are moisturizing properties. Center and a professor of more likely to develop dry Avoid using soaps that con- Sungkyunkwan University skin. The outer surfaces of tain deodorants or antibac- School of Medicine. - Ed. the limbs are more prone to terial agents. When drying develop dry eczema, so they your skin, do not rub your shouldn’t be scrubbed. skin with a dry towel. In- In the winter, you should adjust the frequen- cy, timing, and method of bathing from summer hab- its. The frequency should be limited to 2-3 times per week, and you should also With the start of the in the outer surfaces of the ing to the public bath once a reduce your bath times to 15 winter season, increas- arms and the legs. The dry week, along with their daily minutes each. Middle-aged ing numbers of people are and itchy symptoms can baths for a “proper bath.” men tend to enjoy hot baths complaining of itchy and progress to dry eczema, so it However, such a practice or saunas daily to recover dry skin. The itchiness and should be managed appro- can lead to increased skin from their fatigue, but this dryness of skin in winter priately. trauma, causing itchiness will lead to damaging the is associated with the cold Before the 1970s, people and dryness, which can in protective skin layer thus weather. In countries such only went to the public baths turn lead to eczema symp- causing skin itchiness and as , where there are once a week in the winter. toms. skin aging. You should also continental climates and With the abundant supply The stratum corneum use lukewarm water, rather continued dry weather, of apartments, hot water layer covers the skin, which than hot water, to cleanse such skin conditions are is now available 24 hours a is only 10 micrometers thick. your face, followed by a quite common. It is more day and some people have This layer plays an impor- cold-water rinse to prevent common in those aged 40 baths once to twice daily. tant role in preventing the skin aging. years and over, with the Some people still continue loss of moisture from the You should also avoid symptoms most prominent with their old habits of go- skin. Excessive use of soaps using coarse bathing tow-