Hina-matsuri, or Girls' Day, is celebrated on March 3rd. My one and only daughter is a gift from God, and I plan to spend the day honoring her with a special meal, special gift and special time together. This day is even more poignant for me because she was recently diagnosed with a terminal illness (the same one that killed my little boy) and no one knows how much longer she'll be with us. It could be months or years. But it is the same with everyone. We never know how much time we have left on earth. Why not honor each other now and celebrate what we do have, however long or short our time together may be.

I wish I had began her hina-doll collection at birth but we were too consumed with surviving than upholding traditions. It's never too late, I say, so we will be starting now. I love her so much.

Please remember to love and honor the girls in your lives!

Here are the latest articles from the Japanese Food site at BellaOnline.com.

Hinachirashi Girls’ Day Sushi Recipe
Hina-matsuri, or Girls’ Day, celebrates daughters with special foods like this colorful sushi bowl. Read more about Girls’ Day which also is known as Japanese Doll Festival.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art2653.asp


Hamaguri Ushio-jiro Clam Soup Recipe
This traditional clam soup is often served on Hina-matsuri or Girls’ Day because the clam symbolizes a particular part of the female anatomy.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art19024.asp


Salted Sakura Cherry Leaves Recipes
Cherry leaves preserved in salt are used in many delicious ways in Japanese cuisine. Here are two methods for making your own.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art18900.asp

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Your Japanese food vocabulary: Today, the Japanese have incorporated many foreign words into their language. For example, soup is suimono (soo-ee-moh-no) but also suupu (soop-poo) which is the English word with a Japanese pronunciation. So if you find yourself without a Japanese word, try saying the English word with Japanese pronunciation. Here are other examples:

dessert=dezetto (deh-zet-toh)
omelet=omuretsu (oh-moo-ret-soo))
salad=sarada (sah-rah-da)
spaghetti=supagetei (soo-pah-get-ee)

See? You already know how to speak more "Japanese" than you think!

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Chidori Phillips, Japanese Food Editor
http://japanesefood.bellaonline.com

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