Umami Mart

If you like kale chips, you’ll LOVE sage chips! These little flavor packed crispy bites will disappear in seconds. AND they only take a few seconds to make! Simply drop the (clean, dry) sage leaves into hot olive oil and fry them up for a minute or two. Make sure to watch them to ensure […]

In the universe of consumer products, the spirits category is perhaps the most beset with mysticism, misinformation, and consumer ignorance. And there is no spirit more shrowded in mystery and mysticism than absinthe. Much of the modern misinformation involving spirits is perpetuated by the PR folks pushing their clients’ wares, and often helps boost sales–“ultra-premium” […]

  As far as Summers go, this was one of the best in recent memory. My first trip to Tales of the Cocktail, a new puppy, and all around nice, scorching hot weather made this season a tough act for Fall to follow. But alas, we have arrived at Summer’s twilight here in New York: […]

I am not a gardener. I have no interest in physical labour, no patience for watching stuff grow and I’m always too busy for watering. But after spending one year looking at a pack of Japanese Shiso leaf seeds I got from Yoko (a pure shisoholic) I had to cave in and try it out […]

Quite possibly the only herb in the mint family that the Japanese will not associate with toothpaste is shiso. Shiso, or sometimes referred to as perilla, Japanese basil or beefsteak plant is often found as a garnish in Japanese cuisine. I noticed that Yamahomo and I seem to have somewhat of an obsession with shiso […]

While rummaging through my fridge the other day (fine, fine, my parent’s fridge) I was delighted to find a hefty package of myoga. SCORE! It’s so difficult to describe, this myoga. Vegetable? Herb? Spice?? They grow in the ground, so maybe it’s just simply a bulb?? Colors: A gorgeous spectrum that moves from bone-white to […]

Back atcha this week to talk about an ingredient that is essential for so many cocktails, yet is usually given a mere cursory glance: simple syrup. I suppose the reason for this is, well, as the name indicates, it’s a simple ingredient; so simple to prepare and it so exponentially simplifies the preparation of many […]

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 […]