In my Japanese American family, coming together to celebrate holidays or special events means food, lots of food. For holidays like Thanksgiving, most of the dishes reflect traditional American sensibilities, up to a point. We decided to lighten up our Thanksgiving carb menu this year by eliminating the mashed potatoes – but keeping the stuffing, rolls, yams and, of course, the Japanese white rice. No other holiday reflects my Japanese American roots as much as New Year’s Day, which we celebrate on January 1st. Our Japanese grandparents brought with them to America, over a century ago, the...