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December 14, 2012
The PDT Project: Black Jack
Over the last decade the cocktail renaissance has spread across the country and helped turn bartending from a mere side-job for college students and aspiring actors into an honorable profession. It has also resurrected previously unknown names like Jerry Thomas and Harry Johnson by turning them into prophet-like figures, and their recipes have become gospel […]
December 12, 2012
Fridgin’ Out: The Ramen Shaman + Roommates
Ah, the joy of roommates. The Ramen Shaman lives with three other dudes in a house in Los Angeles, meaning our fridge is war zone of groceries for four people each cooking for one. But to be honest there’s not a whole lot of cooking going on in this household. I actually enjoy making food, […]
November 21, 2012
Happy Holidays at Umami Mart
The holidays are just around the corner, can you believe it??? I absolutely can not. It’s been a crazy year for us at Umami Mart, and it’s only about to get busier. I can’t even believe it’s Thanksgiving tomorrow, I have no idea what I’m cooking yet! Anyhow, we’ve put together some killer gift sets […]
November 14, 2012
Great UM Noodletown: Teuchi Soba @ Ippuku (BERK)
Since May, our beloved Ippuku of Berkeley has been serving teuchi (handmade) soba. Owner-chef Christian Geidemann recruited Koichi Ishii from Yamagata, a prefecture well-known for soba, to come and cook at Ippuku and start a soba program right here in the East Bay. We are SO LUCKY! I know, I should have reported on this sooner. […]
November 9, 2012
Oorutaichi: Japanese Experimental Pop @ Umami Mart
We are super jazzed to host our first music show! Yup, Umami Mart is turning into a venue for one night on Tuesday 11/20 for Oorutaichi, a free-form, improvisational electropop artist from Osaka. Inspired by The Doors and The Residents, Oorutaichi has been performing in the underground scene to critical acclaim, both solo and with his […]
The PDT Project: Bijou
There was a bit of bad weather last week that stole my focus away from the PDT Project, but now that Sandy’s been replaced by something more manageable for New Yorkers (a blizzard), I can refocus my attention and trudge on to the next recipe in the PDT Cocktail Book, the Bijou. Bijou is French […]
November 5, 2012
The Forest Feast Show @ Umami Mart
We are more than a little excited to announce our first art show with long-time Umami Mart contributor Erin Gleeson. A year ago, Erin started her photo and illustration blog The Forest Feast, after moving to the California woods from NYC, where she spent many years as a food photographer. Since, the website has rapidly […]
October 30, 2012
MOTOism: Moto Sensei, Cooking Class Teacher
If this is posted on 10/30, it means I survived Hurricane Sandy. My friend Chisa told me numerous times that I should start teaching cooking lessons. I was a bit skeptical in the beginning, and didn’t have time to think about it. Now I have time to think, and to do, so I decided to […]
October 29, 2012
Umami Mart Spotlight: Atelier Dion Yunomi (Teacups)
We are extremely excited to present yunomi (teacups) exclusively made for us by our dear friends Jay + Rie of Atelier Dion. They have been running their ceramic studio in West Oakland since 2010, and for years we’ve been in conversation with them to make something just for Umami Mart. Our wish has finally been […]
October 19, 2012
The PDT Project: Betsy Ross
If you grew up in America, then chances are you’re familiar with the story of Elizabeth Griscom Ross, better known as Betsy Ross. If you didn’t, or if you had ADD during elementary school, the story basically goes like this: during the period when America was fighting for independence from the Brits, George Washington came […]