My mama and I have this ritual lately where we go to the Mt. View farmer’s market on Sunday mornings. The market here in the Bay Area is unreal- it’s such a vibrant celebration of vegetables and fruits, the way I have never seen in NYC. There’s so much energy and color- even street musicians, […]
Author Archives: Kayoko Akabori
July 31, 2009
UM Recession: Bushi-Tei Sunday Brunch (SF)
To celebrate my VERY FIRST paycheck since moving back to the Bay Area, I took my parents out to their lunch of choice last week. They had been wanting to try Bushi-Tei, a Japanese “French California Fusion” place up in San Francisco, so we dressed up in our Sunday best, piled into the Toyota Camry […]
July 28, 2009
The Umami Reader, vol. 066
– A heartfelt, authentic account of former NYT Restaurant Critic Frank Bruni’s childhood: FB aka Fat Boy. The piece is so damn long that it’s the only thing I’m making you read this week. Make sure to check out the slide show narrated by FB, the man. He was so cute! But if they make […]
July 24, 2009
Apricot Jamming: Jarring and Sealing (UGH), Pt. 4
Preface: Apricot Jamming: Fruit Prep, Pt. 1 Apricot Jamming: Sterilizing Jars, Pt. 2 Apricot Jamming: We’re Jammin, Pt. 3 I’m not gonna lie- this step was the biggest pain in the ass. Mostly cause some of the jars didn’t cooperate and I had to try sealing and resealing them over and over again. NOT FUN. […]
July 23, 2009
The Umami Reader, vol. 065
– Scientists confirm umami to be a real deal taste receptor (Food Navigator) – A view into a 14-course “kaiseki” meal at Bar Charlie in Vegas, where the chef de cuisine is Japanese. Gorgeous! (kevinEats; via Ricky) – Above pic: Pabst Blue Ribbon street art! I took the photo off the 101 in SF. The […]
July 22, 2009
Apricot Jamming: We’re Jammin’, Pt. 3
Preface: Apricot Jamming: Fruit Prep, Pt. 1 Apricot Jamming: Sterilizing Jars, Pt. 2 Now that you have let the apricots rest for at least two hours, and your jam jars are set and ready to go, let’s get to jammin’! This is a pretty straight-forward procedure: bring apricots to a boil, and for the next […]
July 21, 2009
Apricot Jamming: Sterilizing Jars, Pt. 2
Preface: Apricot Jamming: Fruit Prep, Pt. 1 Once you have the apricots marinating in the sugar-lemon mixture (for at least two hours), this would be a good time to sterilize the jam jars. I couldn’t find the Ball mason jars anywhere- you know the ones with the lids and seals that come separately? I looked […]
July 20, 2009
Apricot Jamming: Fruit Prep, Pt. 1
When I saw Merriberry’s beautiful apricot tree budding with gorgeous blush-hued fruit, I knew just what I wanted to do: JAM IT! This would be my first time attempting such an arduous-sounding project, and arduous it would indeed end up being. All in all however, it was well worth all the spills, burns and bottling […]
July 19, 2009
Unagi Pizza
Went out to dinner the other night in Cupertino to a newish Japanese “fusion tapas” place called Gochi. The place is always ridiculously packed, and their menu is way too long. They had several “fusion pizzas” on the menu, and we got one topped with unagi, egg, cheese, shimeji and shiitake mushrooms and seaweed. We […]
July 17, 2009
Daytrip to Calistoga: Yo el Rey Roasting
Erin needed to get online for work, and we sauntered around town looking for wifi. We saw a little cafe, Yo el Rey (YeR), off the main road and what a lovely surprise- not only did they have free internet, but it turned out to be such a peaceful coffee-lover’s haven. Owner and founder J. […]