Celebrating the New Year

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

On the last day of the old year and into the new, our house takes on the delicious aromas of a Japanese restaurant – the smell of shiitake mushrooms, gobo (burdock root) and soy sauce simmering, intermingled with the tang of rice vinegar and the ever-present fragrance of dashi, the soup stock that’s a signature flavor in Japanese cooking.

As a third-generation Japanese American, my cooking is quite eclectic and more Western than Eastern. I use olive oil by liter, but soy sauce? Not so much.

Still, once a year, I go for tradition – I love that my family has a rich Japanese food heritage nurtured over three generations and I’m proud to carry it forward.

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Crazy for Cukes

Congratulations to Melinda G from Missouri who won our Picnic Time English-style willow basket sweepstakes! We hope you'll have plenty of opportunity to use it this summer.

Sandy's out on vacation having fun in Japan this week. In her stead, Catherine Pantsios, one of our stellar Special Fork Food Editors is sharing her latest obsession: Thai Cucumber Peanut Salad.

By Catherine Pantsios

I guess it’s pretty obvious where the phrase “cool as a cucumber” comes from—there’s no denying this crisp green fruit (yes, cukes are a fruit, not a vegetable) is a sure-fire refresher on a hot day. Cucumbers have a bright, yet subtle flavor that blends well with many flavor palettes, whether it’s in a Russian salad with sour cream and dill; a Japanese quick pickle with rice vinegar, soy sauce and a touch of sugar; or a fiery Korean kimchi.

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Here's what to do with Tilapia

By David Hu

When I’m at the fish counter of the supermarket, I’m always attracted to the tilapia – in part because it sounds exotic, but mostly because it’s cheap. The problem is that I didn’t have the slightest idea what to do with this fish.

If you’re in the same boat, I’ve found a great recipe that not only uses tilapia in a delicious way, but also can be prepped and cooked in under 20 minutes. In fact the fish cooks for 2 to 3 minutes per side, and the prep is pretty much just cutting up cucumbers and radishes.

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