Before the Barbecue – a Time to Remember

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

Last September, we took my mom’s ashes to be buried in the Matsukawa family plot in Hilo, on the Big Island of Hawaii. The graveside memorial service was a wistful gathering of my many cousins, my aunt and mom’s friends.

While in Hilo, we put flowers on my uncle’s grave at the Veteran’s Cemetery. Hiroshi Matsukawa fought with the Japanese-American 100th Infantry Battalion that merged with the 442nd Infantry Division, considered the most decorated infantry regiment of World War II. Uncle Hiroshi died in combat in Italy before I was born, but as kids, we spent every Memorial Day at the Veteran’s Day service at this cemetery.

Click to read more ...

Strawberry Memories

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

I have a special place in my heart for strawberries. They are the prettiest of fruits, looking like juicy red Valentines. They’re packed with nutrition. And they figure into my early career in public relations.

One of my first accounts when I worked for a big PR agency was the California Strawberry Advisory Board (now the California Strawberry Commission). As the junior member on the account team, I executed a campaign in which America’s ten most wintery weary cities were celebrated with a flat of California strawberries sent to city mayors on the first day of spring. Flats were also sent to their local TV weathermen (no women at the time) and to the weathermen on national TV. This first campaign was so successful, it continued each spring for well past a decade.

Click to read more ...

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 ...