Have Cold; Need Soup

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

I’ve been in the mood for soup these past few days. And hot tea with lemon and honey.

I caught cold on Thursday and warm liquids seem to suppress my incessant cough. Being sick over the weekend was all the more painful because the weather in San Francisco was simply glorious; bed was the last place I wanted to be.

With soup on my brain, I’m sharing some good recipes from Special Fork’s database. These aren’t stick-to-the-ribs, hearty winter soups. They’re quicker-cooking and especially useful choices when you need a little warmth and sustenance and don’t have time for long simmering, or when you don’t want to heat up the kitchen.

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A Preview of Cool Kitchen Tools

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

Of all the food-related trade shows I attend, the International Home + Housewares Show at McCormick Place in Chicago is my favorite. Like a kid in a candy shop, I love to be able to preview all the cool kitchen tools and appliances before they hit the shelves of Sur la Table, Williams-Sonoma and all the other cookware stores around the country. With more than 21,000 buyers from around the globe visiting 2,000 exhibitors, this is an annual show of consequence in the housewares business.

I used to cover the show, writing freelance stories for the Associated Press. After an absence of many years, last week, I happened to be in Chicago at the right time to check out the latest for Special Fork.

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Another Reason to Vacation in Hawaii: The Food!

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

Years ago in Hawaii, when I was the food editor of the Honolulu Advertiser, “fine dining” meant an elaborate leatherette menu of classic French dishes prepared by European chefs, often made with imported European ingredients. My visiting New York friends used to wonder why food in Hawaii was always a disappointment, given the wealth of fresh produce growing abundantly everywhere (and obviously being ignored).

Today, of course, Hawaii continues its culinary renaissance, which started in the early 1990s with a dozen chefs vowing to use their talents to showcase the best of local ingredients in uniquely local interpretations. Once exclusive to high-end dining, the attitude has infected the next generation of young chefs across a wide spectrum of eateries, spurring them to push the boundaries as they draw on their cultural roots, fostering local pride.

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St. Patrick’s Day Recipes

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

I didn’t know anyone Irish, growing up in Hilo, Hawaii. And my only awareness of St. Patrick’s Day was remembering to wear something green to avoid getting pinched at school.

So there was definitely a learning curve when I started work on Kerrygold’s public relations ten years ago. And what a rewarding education it has been!

I have had the pleasure of traveling to Ireland four times, meeting the dairy farmers, the butter and cheese producers, and the chefs, TV cooking show stars, cooking teachers, and cookbook authors who personify Irish food today. And through these introductions, I have developed tremendous respect for the food culture of Ireland.

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Happy Valentine’s Day

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

Steve and I have enjoyed many Valentine’s Days together, having been married since we were 23. But we don’t have a special way to celebrate.

Sometimes we go out to dinner, sometimes we cook dinner together at home, and sometimes, when the kids were young, we’d have a family dinner, with small gifts for everyone. When your husband will make you a latte every morning or breakfast in bed for no special occasion, do the grocery shopping and pitch in on all the household chores, every day is Valentine’s Day.

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