In the second half of life, change gears lightly in cooking and living! Popular chef & essayist Riko Yamawaki's new book 'Living, Light Meals: Always Your Favorite Taste with Just One Tool' will be released by Shueisha on Thursday, March 26.

Riko Yamawaki is a culinary expert and essayist whose book *Solo Travel with Good Spirits from Age 50* (Daiwa Shobo) is currently a major hit. For five and a half years, she authored a column for the wellness media outlet 'OurAge,' where she gained a massive following for over 140 recipes—all of which she photographed and styled herself. From that collection, 52 'diary-like' recipes have been carefully selected and re-edited by theme. These recipes overflow with her affection for seasonal ingredients, as well as reflections on her daily physical health, emotional shifts, and words of self-encouragement. ● **Shift gears and make daily cooking effortless with just 'one tool'—whether it’s a single pot, frying pan, bowl, plastic bag, or the microwave!** No matter how tired or unmotivated you feel, these are dishes you can actually make, eat, and feel a little better for. This collection is packed with recipes that support a healthy 'you.' As Yamawaki says, 'Cooking and eating for yourself is the simplest way to energize yourself through your own efforts. And perhaps, cooking for oneself is the ultimate form of entertainment that stays by your side for the rest of your life.' If you’ve been feeling any of the following lately, it’s time to start your 'Light Meal' journey: * [ ] Heavy meals are becoming harder to stomach. * [ ] Cooking just for yourself feels like a chore. * [ ] Eating out or relying on pre-made meals is becoming exhausting. * [ ] You're worried about whether you're getting enough vegetables and protein. Cooking just for yourself—in this day and age, and especially as we get older, the opportunities to cook and eat alone are increasing. Yet, somehow, nothing at restaurants, department store food halls, or convenience stores seems like what you actually want to eat. You might find yourself worrying: *Is there too much salt? Am I just eating carbs? Am I getting enough nutrition?* To address these concerns, this book introduces 52 recipes categorized by keyword, including the top 7 'viral' recipes that received the highest page views during the web serialization. --- **[Featured Recipes *Excerpts from the book]** **** 1. **Sweet and Sour Pickled Red Cabbage** 2. **Healthy Keema Curry with Enoki Mushrooms, Okra, and Chicken Breast** 3. **Fluffy Tofu 'Kani-tama' (Crab Omelet Style)** 4. **Cheesy Baked Zucchini and Shirasu (Whitebait)** 5. **Caramelized Apples** 6. **Jiang Mu Ji (Ginger Mother Chicken) Hot Pot** 7. **Simmered New Onions and Tomatoes**