Meal for Mom

Calendar trumps weather. Once I folded the month of April on itself to reveal May, I traded soups and stews for summer fare. Disregarding the chill and rain of Mother's Day, I prepared one of my favorite warm-weather meals for Caren and Mark: Japanese soba noodles with as many trimmings as I can muster.

Soba noodles surrounded by bok choy and topped with nori strips. Homemade dipping sauce to the right. Zigzagging from right center, tofu with pickled ginger, more nori, pea shoots, green onion, and sardines.

This was my first attempt at plating food for each guest. I drew inspiration from Peter and Joan Martin's Japanese Cooking.

Green onions float in tsukejiru dipping sauce.

What meal says warm weather to you?

"Food and Nutrition Information You Can Trust"

I renewed my student membership to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (the Academy). I did not make this decision lightly.

I recently joined a group of "Progressive Nutritionists," started by members of the Hunger and Environmental Nutrition dietetic practice group. These RDs are fed up with the company the Academy keeps. Partners include the following:

• ARAMARK - a food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel company

• The Coca-Cola Company - no explanation needed
• Moderation Nation - a national consumer education campaign sponsored by the Hershey Center for Health and Nutrition
• National Dairy Council - providing science-based nutrition information to the public on behalf of dairy farmers

The Premier Sponsors line-up includes General Mills, Kellogg Company, Mars, Inc., SOYJOY, PepsiCo, Truvia, and Unilever (owner of such brands as Ben and Jerry's, Hellman's, Skippy, and SlimFast), as well as two companies that sell various nutritional products.

How credible does the nutrition advice from an organization that takes money from these companies seem to you?


Revised 8/4/12.