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Stretching a Meal

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Hisachika Takahashi has figured out a number of ways to expand a meal.

* SALADS To make a small salad bigger, Takahashi adds chunks of lightly toasted bread--not croutons. The result is similar to an Italian bread salad.

* VEGETABLES Takahashi often has cabbage in the refrigerator to fill out a meal, either as a side dish--chopped very thin and served raw with oyster sauce--or parboiled, cooled and mixed with other vegetables.

* MAIN COURSES To make the most of meats, Takahashi turns roasts into casseroles. For instance, he created a roasted goose casserole with wild rice, raisins, almonds and vegetables when his son, Hummingbird, arrived for a New Year's Day lunch with a bunch of friends in tow.