apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

My boyfriend's been traveling around Japan the past week and a half. He has an adventerous taste, but his e-mails home have indicated that he wouldn't mind some familiar foods. I'm planning on making a welcome home meal of American comfort foods: crispy baked chicken, mac-and-cheese, potato salad, and pie with ice-cream.

I'll be catching up on my food-related reading: Anthony Bourdain's A Cook's Tour and Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma (finally available in paperback!)

Michelle, I'm almost jealous because reading both of those books for the first time is such a fantastic experience!

We are invited to dinner at a Hungarian friend's house, where his mother is visiting and plans to make real chicken Paprikash. We've been hearing about this epic chicken for months now, so we're pretty excited. I offered to bring salad and a dessert. For the dessert I'm making individual mini-butterscotch pudding pies with whipped cream, but I'm stumped about salad. I don't want to just bring a bowl of leaves and cut-up tomatoes, but I don't want to get so crazy that I distract from mama's Paprikash. Any ideas?

well i was planning to make some ribs, homemade fries, corn pudding and coconut cake. then sleep for two days.

The West Indian Day Parade will be taking place more or less on my doorstep, so I am looking forward to getting some fantastic food from the vendors. Jerk Chicken, curried goat, yum!

Bx, I would do a traditional cucumber or tomato salad to go with the chicken paprikas - all I remember is that's what my grandmother always served when I was little, the thinly sliced cucumbers in a vinegary dressing (or the same with tomatoes), I would think you could just look up a recipe for it.

Now I am desperate here, I just had my wisdom teeth out and am going nuts with boredom living on applesauce, yogurt and pudding. Can anyone make any suggestions on something else to eat? My only respite has been some won ton soup with really soft won tons that I could smoosh with my spoon and then eat. I am craving chips and crackers and salty, crunchy things and it's really a bit pathetic.

I'm a huge fan of Miso soup because it's salty and so easy to make. You can put tofu in cuz it's soft, and cut the udon up to bight-size pieces and maybe overcook it a bit so it's softer. All of the cut up goodies, of course, taste much better if your mom does it for you. :) I'm not sure I can help you on the crunchy things, but some Miso might curb the salt craving, and add some different soft textures.

Anne (in Reno)- A variation on SassySally's recommendation would be "soupy-rice" with miso soup. Akin to chinese congee...cooked rice plopped into miso soup (or oddly, lipton chicken noodle soup from the packet)...allow the rice to get overcooked/mushy...swirl in an egg at the end to get nice egg threads. A comfort food for me when I'm battling a cold, but good for sore teeth as well!

I'm also going to be reading the Omnivore's Dilemma! And I went a little crazy with the bulk ordering from my CSA, so I need to make a 1/2 bushel of tomatoes into tomato sauce and some pesto to freeze.

Anne,
I recovered from all my tooth pains with my mom's congee, cooked rice boiled in broth, with bits of salty preserved veg and salt pork. If I were to have any again, I'd make risotto...

Bx, I would second Anne's suggestion that you make a cucumber and tomato salad. It's what we always eat when the boy makes Paprikash. He tosses the veggies with a little plain yogurt, olive oil, and Bulgarian feta cheese. (We've done it with Greek feta too, and it's still good, but the Bulgarian cheese adds a little extra punch.) It's so yum with the Paprikash!

We tried to go for a healthier Labor Day meal this year, grilling some lightly seasoned chicken breasts and topping them with mango salsa. Of course, my family being my family, some unscrupulous soul sneaked bratwurst onto the menu, too. At least our dessert was healthy: low-fat ice cream and fresh-made blueberry/raspberry sauces!