Sorry this column has been defunct for the past few weeks- honestly, I just haven’t been going out to eat lately! I actually got a job at this Spanish restaurant in Menlo Park, so I’ve been working there five nights a week. My dinner usually just consists of bread and butter that I manage to […]
Author Archives: Kayoko Akabori
June 24, 2009
Made in Osaka, Available in San Jose
My mama came home with this box of hot, just-made takoyaki (octopus balls) the other day. I guess they were having an “Osaka Fair” at our neighborhood Mitsuwa, where there was a booth from this famous takoyaki joint in Osaka called Kukuru. When I looked at the box closer, I recognized the picture of the […]
June 23, 2009
The Umami Reader, vol. 61
– 66 reported ill from E. Coli in Nestle cookie dough. Cramps, diarrhea and vomiting due to eating RAW dough- WTF did these people expect??? (Bloomberg News) – Brooklyn Unfancy Food Show, Sunday June 28, 12-6pm. Featuring the fine ladies of the Green Pirate Juice Truck, Marlow and Sons, and Blue Marble Ice Cream. (Brooklyn […]
Dozeu Iidaya: Serving Small, Slippery Fish for 100 Years (Tokyo)
I’m finding all these pictures from my Japan trip that I never blogged, so please excuse this outdated trip down memory lane. I went to a kabuki show in Asakusa (in Tokyo) and afterwards, my family took me to feast on dojo, a small eel-like fish prepared in various ways. The whole experience was right […]
June 19, 2009
Lazyass Cookin’: Ebi Chili
Cooking time: 5 minutes. The Japanese have perfected the art of lazy cooking. Instant ramen, instant white rice, instant consomme, instant miso soup complete with tofu and green onions. Where do you think I get it from? So the other day, I found some shrimp in the freezer and decided to pair it with chili […]
June 18, 2009
Deshelling/Deveining Shrimp 101
I’m about to post a meal I made with shrimp, but before I do, I thought I should do a little shrimp deveining tutorial. It’s so easy to pass up the fresh, shell-on shrimp in the seafood section of the grocery store, since the thought of deshelling and deveining is such a pain in the […]
Dorayaki with Cream
My mama bought this special gift box of dorayaki at Mitsuwa the other day. I guess they were on sale for half-off ($9 instead of $18- Japanese gourmet snacks tend to be pricey); she’s so friggin’ shrewd! Dorayaki is a Japanese dessert of azuki (sweet red beans) sandwiched between two little pancakes. This special brand […]
June 17, 2009
Umamiventure #16: Harley Farms Goat Dairy
We ventured out to Pescadero a few weeks back, which is about an hour south of San Francisco, to visit Harley Farms Goat Dairy. It was such a special Umamiventure- Yoko was here from Tokyo, and Jenny and Mitch from NYC! It was the first time on a goat farm for many of us, and […]
June 16, 2009
The Umami Reader, vol. 060
– Pepsi Natural, the taste test/ color test/ smell test. It’s $12.50 per gallon, but come on, that’s a steal when you consider the REAL Kola nut extract you get in each sip. (Keacher.com; via Mel) – Get your Berkshire pig on: John Boy’s Farm in Westchester County, NY is the only farm in the […]