Breakfast for Mom that Kids can Make

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

Until the day she died, my mother worried and fretted about me, even if the tables had been turned and I was her caregiver. Mothers are like that.

I tend to be the same way with my boys, even if they’re grown men. But I try not to show it too much. A sneeze? I’m thinking, are you coming down with a cold? But I restrain myself from asking; I don’t want to be hovering.

Mother’s Day is on Sunday and mothers across the U.S. will be feted, usually with breakfast in bed. That seems to be the typical treat for moms, while dad is usually honored with a barbecue. It may be that sleeping in is the most luxurious treat for mom, who is usually the first one up in the household, making breakfast.

Click to read more ...

In Love with Lentils

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

Lentils have so much going for them. They cook fairly quickly, they store well and they’re good for you. But I never think of making anything with this versatile legume.

The last lentil recipe I cooked was Mejadra, a traditional Arab comfort food of rice, lentils and spices from Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi's Jerusalem: A Cookbook. Part of the deliciousness in that recipe comes from frying sliced onions until they turn into aromatic, caramelized strings that are stirred into the dish and also sprinkled on top. It’s not a difficult recipe, but not one that I’d whip up on the spur of the moment, when I’m hungry for dinner.

Click to read more ...

Hosting a Get-Together to Be Safe

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

Do you know your neighbors? In city life, people come and go, and it’s easy to lose track of those who live around you. At least, that’s been the case with us.

So this week, I’m hosting the kick-off for our first neighborhood safety group get-together. Having walked door-to-door with a flyer, we’ve already been able to build our contact list to alert each other to safety issues. And this group will also serve as our network for earthquakes and other emergencies.

In our first face-to-face meeting this week, our guest speakers will be our city and county district supervisor and our precinct police captain. They’ll give us an overview of any issues in our district and provide safety tips.

Click to read more ...

Looking Back: Food Tips I Learned from my Clients

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

Like most bloggers, I’ve always had a day job. And if you’ve followed my posts, you know what it is: doing PR for food clients. It’s a job I’ve loved, that has sustained me over decades.

My client list over the years reads like a supermarket shopping list – agricultural commodity boards like mushrooms, raisins, dried plums walnuts, almonds, strawberries, iceberg lettuce, avocados, limes, papaya, fresh ginger, garlic, turkey, duckling, beef…. And brand accounts like Fleishmann’s Yeast, Spice Islands, Pillsbury, Green Giant, Glad Press ‘n Seal Wrap, Kikkoman, Ghirardelli, Progresso and Kerrygold. I’ve also worked on wines, liqueurs and more.

Click to read more ...

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.

Click to read more ...