The Boston Globe : Feature Articles
Japan’s lunchbox fare pleases eye, palate
FUKUOKA, Japan – ”Tadaima!” (I’m home!) Yuriko and Satoshi Kawasaki cry as they remove their shoes and tumble into their house after a hard day at kindergarten. ”Okaerinasai!” (Welcome home!) replies 40-year old Misako Kawasaki. She empties their school bags and brings their Ultraman and Hello Kitty lunch boxes into the kitchen. Early that morning, …
Read moreIn Italy, fine dining is done at home
You would think a trip to Italy for a food lover would send her scrambling for guides to the endless trattorias, ristorantes, and osterias. When cooking is your passion, however, what can be better than staying in a house with a kitchen? My family recently took a house in the small town of Magliano in …
Read moreJapan, being in hot water takes on a whole new meaning
NAGANO, Japan – Bathing in Japan is not just about getting clean. It is as much about transmitting culture as it is about relaxation. Children may bathe with their parents until they are 7 or 8 years old. Friends will make an outing to a hot spring for a day of soaking and lounging, scrubbing …
Read moreSatisfy sweet tooth with juicy watermelon
This is high season for the most refreshing fruit ever cultivated: watermelon. According to the National Watermelon Promotion Board, cultivation probably started about 5,000 years ago in Egypt. A member of the squash family, watermelon is said to have come to the United States through Africa during the slave trade in the mid-1600s. Florida, California, …
Read moreOn hot day, cold noodle dish goes down easy
It’s really summer now – too hot to eat, too hot to cook.You need something easy to make and digest.It should be appetizing, cooling, and nutritious. In many Asian countries, noodles are considered a snack foodor a light meal. In summer, they are served cold, often with a tangydressing. In Japan, noodles are a noisy …
Read moreYard sale cycle can spin out of control
What do a bread machine, electric wok, heart-shaped waffle maker, Tater Twister, and avocado-green fondue pot have in common? They all seemed like a good idea at the time! A wedding present? Spur-of-the-moment buy? Mother’s Day (Father’s Day) present? What was your excuse? Whatever the reason, these contraptions that ended up hidden in the back …
Read moreSmooth and sweet, pudding’s a treat
Mmmmm, pudding. Creamy, sweet, and smooth. Soothing, simple, and easy to digest. No wonder pudding is often a child’s first dessert, or a sweet offering when we’re ill. Often it’s the first thing a child learns to cook. Puddings are soft desserts usually boiled, baked, or steamed. They are often made with milk, a thickener, …
Read moreThere’ll always be room for gelatin
Admit it. You miss those old Jello-O salads. Remember the desserts? Mini-marshmallows, Cool Whip, nuts, and pineapple suspended in luminescent layers of primary colors like prehistoric species in amber. Open the fridge and the multi-layered form comes to life when the reverberation of the door sends it quivering. Cherry-flavored Jell-0 with banana slices. Tuna aspics …
Read moreMaking sushi can be fun and easy
Making sushi at home may seem fussy and complicated, but it need not be. It needs virtually no cooking, is inherently low in fat and nutritious, and can involve the guests in preparation. A temaki zushi(hand-rolled sushi) party is fun and an authentic way to eat sushi at home. When the Japanese are not eating …
Read moreHot cereal brings comforting start to the day
WHETHER you call it porridge, gruel, mush, or hot cereal, there is a world of wonderful grains for hot breakfast on a cold New England morning. Some gag at the thought of hot cereal. Others drool thinking about brown sugar, a pat of butter, and milk melting into a creamy bowl of steaming oats. Carol …
Read moreBento:Build a Better Lunch
Debra Samuels, bestselling author, food writer and cooking instructor, wants to give the American lunchbox a makeover. In the chapter on “bento,” the traditional Japanese lunch box, in her upcoming book, My Japanese Table, Debra encourages the use of color, texture and taste to create healthier and more visually appealing meals.
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