The Boston Globe : Feature Articles
Time to step out of the box and make your own crispy crackersThey won’t steal limelight from spreads
Munching away happily on a variety of crackers gathered in a basket, a friend was incredulous when informed they were all homemade. ”Get outta town!” she exclaimed. ”These are awesome!” If you can make cookies, why not crackers? According to Merriam Webster, a cracker is ”a dried, thin, crispy baked bread product that may be …
Read moreA pumped-up energy-drink industry flexes its muscles
”Party like a rock star.” ”For energy that lasts.” ”Xapp your mind, Xapp your muscles.” ”Vitalizes body and mind.” Amp, Monster, Adrenaline Rush, Red Bull, XAPP: Are we talking about heavy metal bands here? No, these are the latest entries in the exploding energy-drink market, replete with fan clubs. What their devotees are cheering about …
Read moreAebleskiver, Denmark’s answer to the doughnut
COPENHAGEN — Ask any Dane or Danish-American about aebleskive, and you’ll be treated to broad smiles. Aebleskiver –literally ”apple slice” — is a pancake puffball that rarely contains the apple tidbit originally tucked into its center as a sweet surprise. But the name, pronounced ay-bla-skeever, has stuck. Gone in two bites, this traditional Danish dessert, …
Read moreFor vegetarians, creativity and nutrition knowledge are key
”My favorite food used to be Chinese spareribs,” says Reuben Solomon, 13, of Lexington. ”That is, until I realized I had ribs, too. I think I was 9 and I haven’t eaten any meat since then.” Reuben does drink milk and eat eggs. That makes him an ovolactovegetarian. When someone says, ”I’m a vegetarian but …
Read moreConsuming more than one serving a common diet buster
In your cache of kitchen gadgets do you have a scale for weighing food? Are your measuring cups and spoons ever-handy for dishing out those suggested serving sizes on the nutrition label? For example, the one that says two tablespoons of salad dressing equals 1 serving? We know that the amount of food we eat …
Read moreIn the Lime-light
MIAMI — Ask any five people about Key lime pie and they will agree on one thing only — it should never ever be green. ”Honey,” said the slight waitress with weather-beaten skin at a little dive called the Crack’d Conch (where the choices for dessert were a slice of Doris’s Key lime pie or …
Read moreClay pots irresistable in design, function
What do a Romertopf Schlemmertopf, tagine, and donabe(donabay) have in common? They are all earthenware pots with covers, from different parts ofthe world. The high-domed Romertopf and Schlemmertopf are fromGermany, the pyramid-shaped tajine (tagine) is from Morocco, andthe round donabe is from Japan. Using clay pots is an ancient method for cooking. You can now …
Read moreThese breads go with the grain
BERLIN – Early each morning, the smell of fresh bread beckons Berliners to the tiniest of backerei (bakeries), where locals line up for a slice, a bun, or a roll to munch on the way to school or work. Loaves are tucked into bags and eaten later with hard cheese, strong mustard, and ham. Bread …
Read moreHomemade goodies a satisfying gift
There is something satisfying about making a gift of food. If you have time to bake and make the cookies everyone salivates for, great. However there are also wonderful recipes for snack mixes, granola, or spiced nuts that can be made in bulk in very little time. If you don’t have time to cook, but …
Read moreJapan’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 …
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Bento: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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