Mr brother-in-law and art of Shabu-shabu

My brother-in-law is a steak and potato man, meaning that his diet strictly steak and potatoes - no real vegetables, no lamb or other foreign foods, - just beef and potatoes until he met our family.

Being of Italian descendant my family ate different foods from around the world. The first time we introduce my brother-in-law to chop sticks he almost starved to death as the rest of us ate well. Fortunately my sister rescued him in time and taught him the art of eating chop sticks. "NO! Husband, put BOTH sticks in the same hand like my brother is doing! OH, Never mind, Can some PLEASE get him a fork, NOW?" :-)

It took my brother-in-law time to mastered the art of eating with chow sticks. Little did he realize at the time, that a few years later his wife's family dinner lessons would pay off in big way.

A few years ago, shortly after the earthquake in Japan my brother-in-law was sent to Japan to recover some equipment for his boss's company. The Japanese employees greeted them at Tokyo and then headed north to the job site.

After arriving the site, the Japanese men took put for dinner, too the Americans' surprise they sat down in front several large cooking bowls. "Guess what for dinner?" asked they Japanese host very proudly. My brother-in-law answered for everyone," Shabu-shabu?". Their Japanese host was very happy that he had chosen a dish that Americans had recognized. Of course, most Americans never heard, Shabu-shabu a Japanese soup. However, some have heard of Sukiyaki which the photo above look like. My brother-in-law later explained - to the other Americans -that was familiar with the dish because his wife's family served it to him, once!