Umami Mart

Ok, this might technically not belong on a food blog because it is a drink and it is not for human consumption. But I just had to make an exception for a product I saw at the local grocery store: Pet Sweat. The Japanese seem to condone the use of the word “sweat” for a […]

Picked up a bottle, er, a BOX of Bandit Pinot Grigio last weekend at LeNell’s in Red Hook. This stuff rocks!!! It was $10 and totally decent wine… in a Tetra Pak! Hailing from St. Helena, CA, Bandit is made by Three Thieves, a winery who puts out various other wines in status quo glass […]

Tmonkey is very grumpy in the morning. He depends on his morning coffee to wake up!Recently he purchased a new coffee making device called the Aeropress Coffee/Espresso Maker. The old espresso machine was pooping out, and this Aeropress was inexpensive and REQUIRED NO ELECTRICITY (except to heat up the water and grind the coffee). Also […]

Shiso, as you might know, comes with your sashimi dish at any Japanese restaurant. It is usually green, and looks as if they are recycled since no one eats them. I like them wrapped in a piece of sashimi since it absorbs fishy-ness from fish. People call it “Japanese basil” or perilla. There is also […]

Zipped into Red Hook last weekend with Matt, Sepi and Amira for a little Fairway getaway. We stopped into a chic new bar, Botanica, which opened just a month or so ago. The day has finally arrived when you can get a fancy cocktail in Red Hook- there’s no turning back now! (Red Hook is […]

A few weeks ago, Amy and I were eating pizza and discussing how exactly to best brew coffee from a French press. I’ve been using a French press for a few years now (initially cause I don’t have counter space for my drip machine), but have never been tutored on how to properly make coffee […]

Here’s a Bloody Mary that’ll not only help your hangover but kick your ass in the process. I made a Bloody Mary as you normally would except I replaced the standard vodka with the Chile Pepper Infused Vodka I wrote about in an earlier post, and added a chile and chopped cilantro for garnish.

What good is tasty food if you don’t have an equally tasty beverage (preferably alcoholic) to wash it down with? With that spirit in mind, I’ve decided to take a cue from Kayoko and start a column called Happy Hour, dedicated to all things alcoholic that make us, well, happy–we’ll leave the sad part to […]

Hard to believe that in my little hometown of Cupertino, CA, there is a world renowned winery tucked deep into the hillside. Cupertino is a part of the Silicon Valley- it’s where you can find 1 Infinite Loop aka Apple HQ; and all sorts of other hi-tech companies within a 15 mile radius (turn right […]

This week I went to a champagne reception at Adour Alain Ducasse, the 6 month old restaurant inside the St. Regis Hotel in NYC. I was there taking pictures of a reception for supporters of the James Beard Foundation, and in walks Mel Brooks. Everyone of course wanted me to take their picture with him. […]