Living
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Kitchen Moves
Cooking is a vein that runs through my family. When my great-grandfather arrived from Italy, he opened a butcher shop and became known for having the best sausage in the neighborhood. While the store has long since closed, its legacy carries on through stories and the ongoing quest to recreate its recipes. We talk about the short-sightedness of not writing such things down, but it tests the memory of those who actually tasted them. They will know if we ever achieve the right combination of pork fat and spices. Beyond those who worked for the butcher shop, many became dedicated to baking and perfecting recipes within the home. Rarely did…
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Valentine’s Day Inspiration
Valentine’s Day is almost here, and I have to admit that it’s my favorite holiday. As a child, I was thrilled to head off to school with a heart-shaped bag my mother would sew out of a few pieces of red patterned fabric, and which I would stuff with little notes for everyone. Two hearts sewn together simply with a handle long enough to hang off my shoulder. Perfection. Of all the holidays, Valentine’s Day can be fraught with disappointment for those expecting declarations, gifts, and romantic messages. The greatest love letters come at random times, with motivations often ranging from loss to apologetic desire. Consider the closing lines of…
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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
