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February 5, 2009

Mom’s Simple Salmon Pate

by Yoko Kumano

Moms have the best recipes. This one for salmon pate has been a hit (gone in under an hour) at both parties I’ve brought them to. I have only made it twice but it’s so simple and reliable that it’ll become a regular in my limited recipe repertoire. Ingredients: A)2 green onions chopped1/2 cup of […]

February 3, 2009

An Umami Mart First: HOSPITAL FOOD

by Kayoko Akabori

As my introductory post, I would like to tread upon virgin Umami Mart territory… DUN DUN DUN… *HOSPITAL FOOD*! Perhaps it doesn’t have the allure of airplane foodstuffs, but hospital food is interesting in a way that one day you might have to visit your grammy there or maybe you end up there after partying […]

Japan Loves Beer!

by Yoko Kumano

It’s trash day in my neighborhood and I snapped some photos with my cell phone on my way to work – reminded that Japan loves beer. And what’s funny is that for every household’s aluminum can bin, there’s usually only one or two brands in it. Beer brand loyalty is huge in Japan. Like the […]

The Umami Reader, vol. 041

by Kayoko Akabori

– Gary Aschatz to make an Alinea movie??? (Menupages Chicago) – Obama’s chef laments on the state of school lunches (NYT Health; via Tmonkey) – World’s most sadistic dishes include: Tofu Hell and wind-dried chicken. Awesome names, though (Cracked; via Moet) – The Ultimate 100 Must Eats in SF (7×7; via CJ) – A comprehensive […]

January 31, 2009

Ukon no Chikara

by Yoko Kumano

The marketing concept of drinking an ukon extract drink like Ukon no Chikara (rough translation: Tumeric’s Power) is to get over a wild night with fellow salarymen. The tagline on the bottle says “Let’s drink to everyday vitality!” (very ironic). I had one sitting on my desk at work for about 6 months, as a […]

January 29, 2009

Homemade Yogurt: My Bulgarian Babe

by Yoko Kumano

I start every weekday with a serving of homemade yogurt over seasonal fruit. Ever since my boss gave me some cultures in a little plastic baggy over two years ago, I have been hooked. I have kept the cultures alive and well. It’s funny, I’ve found that the cultures have become a part of me. […]

January 28, 2009

w(h)ine-o: Deep Purple Wine

by Kayoko Akabori

I don’t pretend to know anything about wine, but I do drink lots of it. When choosing a bottle, I honestly just peruse the aisles with a puzzled look until I see a label that catches my eye. Next, I continue with the pricetag, grape(s), and country of origin. It may be superficial, but aesthetics […]

January 27, 2009

The Umami Reader, vol. 040

by Kayoko Akabori

– Cookin’ with Google is here! Use CWG for recipe hunting- type in a few ingredients and see what Google comes up with for you! (Researchbuzz.org; via Tmonkey) – Patrons of Obama’s fave Chi-town diner get together for the inauguration (Chicago Studies; via Alanna) – Nifty Food Network iPhone app (Food Network; via Bay Area […]

January 20, 2009

The Umami Reader, vol. 039: Sea Kittens and Gwenyth Picks

by Kayoko Akabori

– PETA hopes to change the word “seafood” to “sea kittens”:“A lot of people don’t realize that fish are capable of feeling fear and pain, that they develop relationships with each other, and even show affection by gently rubbing against one another.“Ummmmm good luck with that. (via Tmonkey; canada.com) – The Umami Mart theory that […]

January 14, 2009

California Love: Modesto Squab

by Yoko Kumano

My first dinner of 2009 will go down in the books. On the menu was roasted squab (one squab for every member), wild rice with soaked dried cherries, herb stuffing, homemade cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy, and an avocado and grapefruit salad. Everything was purchased at the my favorite grocery store in the world, the […]