Lazyass Cookin’

June 1, 2015

Lazyass Cookin’: Cold Sanuki Udon with Nameko Mushrooms

by Kayoko Akabori

Many of you are well aware of my noodle addiction. I like all noodles: soba, udon, ramen, linguine, naengmyun, pho, any and all of it. Fried, boiled, in broth. Cold soba is probably the only food that I crave all of the time — and it is always the first thing I eat after being […]

May 7, 2014

Lazyass Cookin’: How to Boil a Dumpling

by Kayoko Akabori

Have I seriously never posted anything about frozen dumplings? That’s crazy! Frozen dumplings have been my #1 go-to lazyass meal for years now. I used to buy the bags in the frozen food aisle at Chinese super markets, with their bright color-coded bags for bitter melon or chive and shrimp varieties (usually made in Thailand). […]

October 16, 2013

Lazyass Cookin’: Goya Champuru

by Kayoko Akabori

I don’t know what’s going on in your neck of the woods, but what is going on with the weather in the Bay Area?!?!? We are experiencing really schizophrenic weather patterns — it will go from warm to cold in an instant. Take today, Tuesday 10/15. It was quite chilly in the morning, then we […]

August 14, 2013

Lazyass Cookin’: Steam-Baked Salmon

by Kayoko Akabori

Last night Johnny and I had plans to watch the season-premiere-of-the-same-season of Breaking Bad. It was a few nights delayed but I had been looking forward to it nonetheless. For this, I wanted to make a nice-ish dinner without slaving over it. I’ve been too busy lately to spend serious quality time with my kitchen. […]

June 10, 2013

Lazyass Cookin’: Dashinomoto (MSG Soba Tsuyu)

by Kayoko Akabori

In seven years of Umami Mart, there has not been a single post about dashinomoto! As the editor and founder of this international food blog, I am… ashamed. Dashinomoto (aka fake dashi aka MSG) is the backbone of LAZY Japanese home cooking. Yoko and Harumi Kurihara would not approve. But COME ON, sometimes, I don’t […]

April 23, 2013

Lazyass Cookin’: Tuna-can Pasta

by Kayoko Akabori

I love canned fish. When I was little, I would eat canned sardines in miso sauce by the spoonful. Like ice cream! Haha. During my year living in Italy, I learned how to make this dish: pasta with canned tuna, onions and tomatos. So easy! In Italy I also discovered the increased quality and flavor […]

December 11, 2012

Lazyass Cookin’: Mapo Tofu

by Kayoko Akabori

Life is busy these days. With the shop in full holiday swing, it’s hard to find time to cook. But Yoko and I are good about taking turns bringing bentos — it’s nice to take the time to plan out what to make next. The key is to make a big vat of something so […]

June 20, 2012

Lazyass Cookin’: Egg + Rice

by Kayoko Akabori

Two out of three of my closest friends do not like eggs. How could this be? If I had to choose one thing on this planet that I love the most and could eat everyday, it would be the egg. They are sacred! So versatile! They can be served scrambled, boiled, poached, fried… and RAW. […]

February 10, 2012

Lazyass Cookin’: Curry Udon

by Kayoko Akabori

As we continue to celebrate the almighty noodle here, I give you one of my most delicious, yet absurdly lazyass recipes in my repertoire: curry udon. I love making Japanese-style curry in the winter, it is so soul-warming, with all the carrots, onions, meat and potatoes. But living alone means getting bored of having the same […]

January 10, 2012

Lazyass Cookin’: Nabeyaki Udon

by Kayoko Akabori

I’ve been obsessed with making this dish for a few months now — it is really satisfying when you are craving noodles, and so ridiculously easy to make. You can usually find nabeyaki udon on the menus at Japanese restaurants, for $12+. This is so easy to make at home, and cheap! INGREDIENTS 1 pack […]