Family Friendly
Carlings are dried peas, a traditional meal for Lent in Yorkshire. It’s said that whoever gets the last pea in the pot will be the first to get married.
Holidays and festivals in England are a time for families and friends to get together and enjoy a break from work or school. In many towns and villages, people take part in customs that have been around for centuries, whether it’s the colorful flash and lively beat of Morris dancing or the bonfire on Guy Fawkes Night.
Food often takes center stage during holiday celebrations. Perhaps the most famous holiday fare is Christmas pudding, a steamed dessert filled with dried fruits, such as plums and currants, and topped with a sweet sauce. At Easter, English cooks bake many types of sweets, such as hot cross buns or Easter biscuits. In Cornwall, an Easter specialty is bright yellow saffron buns, made with a spice that comes from the crocus flower.
A refreshing do-ahead dessert nice enough for guests.
Although Japanese diners do not eat beef very often, sukiyaki is one of the most popular and well known of the nabemono dishes, both in Japan and in North America. If you choose to substitute bite-sized pieces of chicken for beef, this dish is called torisuki.
Nabemono dishes combine meat or seafood and vegetables in one pot to make a hearty and satisfying meal. In Japan, “nabe” cooking is done at the table, using a pot heated over a gas or charcoal burner.
Meals featuring nabemono are particularly popular in the winter because the heat of the burner warms the room as well as cooks the food.
Strawberry tartlets are delicious, small, sweet and juicy, for dinner parties, afternoon teas and on picnics. These tarts are easy to make and all the ingredients can be prepared in advance but the final assembly of them is best left up to an hour in advance as the pastry can become moist.
Bing Chef invites you to try this Chicken Hunter-style: Pollo alla Cacciatora with fresh Italian bread for a simple but tasty combination.
