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Foxes, Burning Love & Venus
Image: Shimomura Kanzan / Public Domain / Wikimedia If a bowl of kitsune udon is your ideal comfort food, you may have the palate of a fox. According to Japanese legend, foxes (kitsune) adore fried tofu, which is why your dish of udon topped with the thin golden slices bears their name. While eating my way through the weekend, I learned this tidbit, which is the kind of fact that makes me enjoy what I’m eating even more. Inside the red gates of an Inari shrine, fried tofu may sit beside fox statues as offerings to messengers of the Shinto deity. Not all foxes are benevolent, but even those that…
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Host a Stress-Free Holiday Party
The holidays are most definitely here. With less and less time for last-minute preparations, those of us who are hosting parties can benefit from simple ideas to keep things calm and scrumptious. Throughout my recipes and tips, I advocate slowing down to enjoy the results of time spent in the kitchen, as well as the ingredients and processes involved. Savor the act of cooking while you uphold your own food traditions and experiment with creative approaches. Certainly, admiring the magnificent shape of star anise seems easier during the lazy summer, but I still make sure to slow down and enjoy Christmas and New Year’s preparations. Fresh herbs, spiced wine, and…
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Comfort Food: Soup Dumplings
“The last monk leaves the garden; days decrease, And autumn grows, autumn in everything.” – Robert Browning
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Fresh Orange Home Spa Treatment
This week we are getting gritty. So grab your favorite sugar or salt scrub, a few fresh oranges, and maybe even your partner. Of all the seasons, summer is full of so many wonderful textures – sand on your feet, the slight grain of ocean water on your body, and the fluff of a beach towel afterward. Then there is the pleasure of returning home sun-tired, taking a hot shower, and wrapping yourself in a soft robe. While it isn’t always possible to hit the beach mid-week, you can give yourself a spa treatment at home that is reminiscent of the same textures. The best part is that it requires…
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A Skill Perfected: Mystic, CT Getaway
From the expert casts of a few night fisherman to the beautifully built wooden boats headed for an event at the seaport, I was struck by the examples of perfect skill and artisanship we encountered last week in Mystic, Connecticut. Even our meals had the touches that let you know the kitchen is honoring its ingredients.
cooking classes + wholesome recipes + mindful living
