Q: Wearing shoes inside someone's residence is not acceptable. It is customary to provide guests with slippers when they enter a home so it is unlikely you will have to walk barefoot or in socks. Some hotels, restaurants and other public establishments also require the removal of shoes. A good rule of thumb is to remove your shoes if you see tatami, woven bamboo floor mats, on the ground. In Japanese culture, gift-giving is very common and it is considered a necessary act of humility to politely refuse a gift the first time it is offered to you. Japanese people will expect this and will continue to offer, at which point you can accept it. A good way to respond the first time is "I am humbled by your generosity but I should not accept." Do not open the gift in the presence of the giver unless they specifically ask you to. When offering a gift, show humility by saying "I would like to offer this small token" to avoid the appearance of bragging about your wealth or generosity. Receive the gift with both hands out, not just one. Punctuality is extremely important in Japanese culture so showing up late to a meeting or event may indicate that you don't respect the time of your companions. If you are late, offer a contrite apology.
A: Remove your shoes before entering a residence. Learn gift-giving conventions. Show up on time.

Q: To ensure that the shortcake will bake evenly, check that your oven rack is in the center position. Next, set the temperature to 450 degrees Fahrenheit (232 degrees Celsius) to preheat the oven. Most ovens beep or flash an indicator light when the oven has reached the preheated temperature. Pay attention so you know when yours is ready. Find a 8-inch by 8-inch (20.32 cm x 20.32 cm) baking dish or pan for your shortcake. Use butter or a nonstick cooking spray to lightly grease the pan so the shortcake won't stick to it when it's time to remove it. If you prefer not to grease the pan, line it with parchment paper or a nonstick baking liner. Sift 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour with cup (66 g) granulated sugar, 4 teaspoons (20 g) baking powder, 1 teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt, and a pinch of ground nutmeg in a large mixing bowl. Mix until the ingredients are well blended. If you don't have a sifter, you can use a fine mesh strainer. Place it over the bowl and dump the flour in it, shaking it to help the flour pass through. If you don't have a sifter or strainer, use a whisk or fork to mix up the flour before adding it to the mixing bowl so it has a lighter texture. Take cup or 1 stick (113 g) of very cold unsalted butter that's been cut into small pieces and add it to the bowl with the flour mixture. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Continue working until the butter is cut into pieces that are as big as small peas. If you don't have a pastry cutter, you can use a fork or a butter knife to cut the butter into the flour. After you've cut the butter into the dry ingredients, mix in 1 well-beaten egg and cup (78 ml) cold milk. Stir together until the egg and milk just moisten the dry ingredients. Avoid overmixing the batter or you may wind up with a tough shortcake. Once you've mixed in the egg and milk, press the batter into the bottom of your greased or lined pan. Work quickly and avoid touching the batter too much so you can keep the butter cold. Place the pan in the preheated oven, and allow it to bake for 15 to 20 minutes. You'll know that it's done when the top of the shortcake is a golden color. Allow it to cool for approximately 20 minutes on a wire rack. To make sure that the shortcake bakes evenly, place it on the center of the oven rack. That allows air to circulate around evenly in both directions. Once the shortcake is cool enough to handle, it's time to divide it into individual servings. Cut the cake into even squares. You can make them any size that you prefer, but 2-inch (5 cm) square is usually a good size.
A: Place the oven rack in the center and preheat the oven. Grease a pan. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients. Add the egg and milk. Press the batter into the bottom of the pan. Bake the shortcake for 15 to 20 minutes. Cut the shortcake into squares.

Q: The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), a division of the National Institutes for Health, considers soy safe for most people "when used as a food or when taken for short periods as a dietary supplement." When choosing a soy product, it should be whole, organic, and non-GMO instead of refined or processed. Research has indicated, however, that eating large amounts of soy can reduce fertility in women. It may also interfere with the normal development of fetuses and infants fed on soy formulas. Asian societies used soy for centuries without a problem. This is probably because in Asian cuisine, soy is usually used as fermented food like natto, miso, and tempeh. The process of fermentation may change some of the components of soy while leaving the isoflavones, which are the potential disease fighting elements in soy, unchanged and functioning in different ways. Following the recommendations of NCCIH and the American Association of Family Physicians, men and women should eat soy in moderation. This means that adult men and women should limit soy to 25 grams a day. This means you can have one to two servings of soy product a day, like a cup of soy milk or four ounces of tofu. A reasonable recommendations for those under 18 would be about half this amount, or 12 to 13 grams of soy each day. This amount of soy can benefit you by lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels. The same amount of soy can decrease menopausal hot flashes and maintain bone density. Currently, there is not enough information to provide recommendations about how much soy for women with a history of breast cancer. One of the benefits of soy is that usually soy products are eaten in place of unhealthier options containing more fat. Incorporating soy into your diet adds fiber, vitamins, minerals, and polyunsaturated fats. Soy is a healthier option for protein over red meat. It includes high levels of protein without saturated fat. Soy can be used in place of red meat and dairy products, both of which can be unhealthy.
A:
Know how to eat soy safely. Eat soy in moderation. Replace unhealthy foods with soy.