Japanify

After four years in Tokyo, Yoko relocated to the Bay Area. She loves dips, dashi, and deals.

April 11, 2016

Japanify: How to Make Matcha

by Yoko Kumano

The first time I learned how to make matcha was from my grandmother, Baba-chan, in Tokyo. I was in second grade when she first showed me how to make matcha. I quickly forgot about it when I moved back to California in fourth grade. Oddly enough, while I was listening to industrial music in my […]

March 3, 2016

Japanify: Yuzu Kosho Avocado Toast

by Yoko Kumano

Here’s a simple twist on the very popular dish, Avocado Toast. It’s all the rage. Since I knew that yuzu kosho and avocado go so well together, I decided to incorporate yuzu kosho into my new breakfast routine. This is what I came up with: yuzu kosho avocado toast! This only takes five minutes to make […]

November 23, 2015

Japanify: Yuzu Kanten

by Yoko Kumano

It’s yuzu season! When my sister starts giving me yuzu, I know it’s official: the holidays are here and yuzu is in abundance to help me cope. Berkeley is the queen of Meyer lemons, but I’m beginning to think it’s also one of the best places for someone to grow yuzu as friends and family are […]

March 30, 2015

Japanify: Tuna Toast

by Yoko Kumano

It’s no secret that I don’t like any breakfast/lunch egg dishes. So whenever I go out for brunch, I have to scour the menu for non-egg items. I usually have to order a hodge-podge of side dishes: two breakfast sausages, toast and hash browns. It’s the same in Japan – omelettes and egg-dishes dominate coffee shop […]

March 19, 2015

Japanify: Shisomaki

by Yoko Kumano

Every time I go to Japan, I am exposed to new foods, new regions and new friends. Even though I lived there for five years and visit every year, there is still so much to discover. Sometimes I think about how I want to travel to other countries and discover new cultures and lands, but […]

February 5, 2015

Japanify: Celery Asazuke (Quick Pickles)

by Yoko Kumano

In my kitchen, celery is something that shows up when I make chicken soup. Other than that, I don’t really think to buy celery. The problem (until now) was that I’d use a few stalks for soup and then be stumped as to how to use the rest of it, especially since I am not […]

November 17, 2014

Japanify: Yuzu Marmalade

by Yoko Kumano

It seems like there are two types of people in this world: people with too many yuzu in their lives and people who are always in search of yuzu. Unlucky for me, I am in the latter category. But hold your tears! I met someone who has too much yuzu in her life and she […]

October 13, 2014

Japanify: Grilled Shio-Koji Nagaimo

by Yoko Kumano

Last February, I went to Jicca in Tokyo and had this seemingly unassuming dish. I’ve mainly had raw nagaimo (Chinese yam) julienned or grated in all its gooey glory. But at Jicca, it was seasoned with some serious magic. Lightly grilling this nagaimo brought out a toasty, yammy aroma while retaining its natural saku-saku crunch factor. The magical taste […]

June 18, 2014

Japanify: How to Make Japanese Curry from SCRATCH

by Yoko Kumano

(Don’t have time to make Japanese curry from scratch? Check out Yoko’s Easy Japanese Curry recipe.) For two months, Kayoko and I at curry for dinner almost every night. As our “How to Make Japanese” curry event in San Francisco’s 18 Reasons approached, we stewed our way to a curry that was rich and full […]

May 5, 2014

Japanify: Cucumber Ume Quick Pickles

by Yoko Kumano

It’s been hot in Berkeley lately and crunchy cucumbers have been a go-to for cooling down and feeling refreshed in my kitchen. Luckily, Japanese cucumbers are easy enough to get your hands on in these parts, but if you can’t find them where you live, you can use Persian cucumbers as a substitute. Persian cucumbers […]