September 4, 2013
I’ve been really lazy about cooking these past few weeks. I don’t know if it’s because we are (finally) experiencing summer here in Oakland, or if I’m feeling unmotivated in the kitchen. It’s probably a little bit of both. But eating out or buying pre-made food gets really old, fast. And the effects of eating […]
August 15, 2013
One of my favorite things to find at the fish counter is sujiko (fish roe). Its appearance is fleeting so I end up getting pounds of it to take advantage of the situation. I swear I could never get bored of ikura. It might possibly be one of my favorite foods, ever! For every half pound […]
July 18, 2013
The Japanese dish hambagu derives from the Hamburg steak. Hamburg steak is the patty of a hamburger. Hamburg Steak were usually served with a side of potatoes in Germany. The Americans put the Hamburg steak in bread — hence the hamburger. The Japanese appropriated the Hamburg by serving it with rice, of course. Eventually the Japanese […]
June 10, 2013
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 […]
May 23, 2013
Duck has always been a bird I’ve been meaning to explore. Its rich, luscious fat always makes me feel like I’m indulging in something reserved for a special occasion. I always dream about the duck fat potato chips that Hopscotch in Oakland fries up to perfection. Those definitely make me feel special, and happy to […]
May 22, 2013
Greetings! My name is furochan, and I’m super stoked to be writing for Umami Mart. Welcome to my larder! For the last eight months or so, my home has been a dormitory located in an improbably posh part of Tokyo. Rent is surprisingly cheap for this city (part of being a university student) and not […]
March 8, 2013
By Johnny Lopes Khaosan Road, Bangkok; Backpacker Mecca. The street gets stupid busy at night between fellow travelers and merchant hustlers. You can buy everything from new suits to a ride to a local ping-pong show. As an amateur photo-journalist project, I went out in the early morning to seek out the silent streets — I […]
February 20, 2013
GyÅ«-don w/ tokyo negi, chive points, tofu and shichimi RECIPE Serves 2 1/2 lb thinly sliced beef 1/2 block tofu (cut into 9 pieces) 1 stick of tokyo negi (you can use regular green onion or yellow onion) 3/4 cup of beef stock or dashi 2 tbl sake 2 tbl mirin sweet cooking sake 3 […]
February 13, 2013
Awabi (abalone) is a luxurious clam. When it is eaten raw, it tastes faintly like the sea, but its crispy texture is what stands out the most. It is delicious, but almost impossible to find on sushi menus as they are so hard to obtain due to strict California laws. On the Northern California coast, […]
February 5, 2013
When life gives you sour oranges, make ponzu sauce. Ponzu is such a versatile condiment and its acidity adds a lot more dimension than regular soy sauce. It’s also extremely easy to make your own ponzu at home. Especially when you find sour oranges (called dai-dai in Japan, and sometimes called “bitter orange” here in the […]