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Seeing the World, One Dish at a Time

Ethnic Foods and Adventurous Grandchildren Are a Good Mix

By Carol Greenberg

A few weeks later we went to a Chinese restaurant and my 6-year-old granddaughter was intrigued with trying to use chopsticks. "Can we play the game?" she wanted to know.

It wasn't until we tried a Japanese restaurant that I was in for a totally new experience, and because my grandchildren were already familiar with Japanese food they had to teach me. When a large dish of what looked liked unshelled pea pods arrived at the table everyone dug in as I watched. I decided to follow their example and found that the beans inside the shells were delicious. I recognized the bean immediately after tasting and was told that the name was Edamame.

After that, the sushi arrived exquisitely decorated and tempting. I was willing to try it but I first had to be assured that there was no raw fish, although there was raw tuna on the side that my granddaughter indulged in. We also ordered vegetable tempura (vegetables dipped in batter and deep fried) and rice and tea. My introduction to Japanese food was fascinating. Our quiz game did not turn up many right answers, however, and our little one was still struggling with the chopsticks.

On the way home I told my family that I would be making Sunday dinner and I had a few requests for noodle pudding with raisins, cinnamon and apples. I suppose good old grandma's cooking still holds a special place.