Category: Cooking and Food
Foodies in Japan: A Cooking Class Diary (1st of 2)
Part 1: We make sushi and learn the secrets of ramen WHAT IS THE FIRST THING that pops into your mind when someone mentions Japanese food? Is it sushi? Or Ramen? Tempura? Or something else? I love food, and cooking is a creative outlet as essential to my identity as writing. Those who have read…
Memories of stollen
When December arrives, I begin to think Christmas thoughts. This leads to memories of hot chocolate, eggnog, mulled cider, and all the goodies that go with them. My childhood memories of Christmas always include the German holiday bread called Stollen. Early in her marriage, my mother learned to make this traditional confection to please my…
Chinese Morning
Beijing, 2002 TOM BURST INTO THE HOTEL ROOM. “I’ve found the market!” he said. “It’s just around the corner.” His enthusiasm pulled me out of my jet-lagged stupor more effectively than the two cups of tea I had just drunk. We had arrived in Beijing the afternoon before. After eating a Chinese meal in a…
Climbing the Mango Trees
I am at it again – reading memoirs. Recently I was lucky enough to find the delightful memoir, Climbing the Mango Trees, A Memoir of a Childhood in India, by Madhur Jaffrey.
Comfort Food for Shelter in Place Days
The simple cooking style I practiced of necessity in my van-life days translates well to the shelter in place weeks we are experiencing now. One of my favorite comfort food ingredients, white sauce, is finding its way back into my repertoire. If you are older (say in your 70s like myself), mid-twentieth century comfort food…
Mexican Fried Rice, Van-life Cooking at a Time of Uncertainty
Last night for supper I prepared a rice dish that was inspired by both Chinese Fried Rice and the delicious Persian dish, Baghali Polo. Creating new dishes has always been relaxing and fun for me and, during these days of enforced “sheltering in place,” I’ve set myself the goal of making the best use of…