Italian


February 19, 2013

MOTOism: Ghetto Gourmet: Ramen della Carbonara

by Moto Yamamoto

Ramen culture has finally reached America. In New York, when it rains, it rains cats and dogs. There are so many new places opening up and I already lost count. Tonkotsu, shoyu, miso, there is so much variety. Plus, American-owned ramen places serve innovative dishes that are more like soupy pasta than ramen. Thanks to […]

February 23, 2012

Great UM Noodletown: Karasumi Pasta

by Yoko Kumano

Karasumi (or bottarga) is salted and dried mullet roe. It comes in two sacks and are hard, like a candy bar. Its deep, oceany, salty flavor is reminiscent of caviar. But the texture is not like caviar, because it’s a dense mass of eggs dried in the sun, it is chewy and sticks to the molars […]

February 3, 2012

Great UM Noodletown: Pizzeria Matsuhisa (Tokyo)

by Kayoko Akabori

Spaghetti with asari (clams), shirauo (little white fish) and arugula at Pizzeria Matsuhisa in Denenchofu, Tokyo. Someday, I will open a wafu (Japanese-style) pasta shop in Oakland.

October 14, 2011

Confessions of a Pizzahead: Mother Dough (LA)

by Sarah Fatemi

Remember when I said I started making my own pizza because I hadn’t found any in Los Angeles that really fit the bill? Well I am happy to report that this is no longer the case. Not only does it seem like the urban food movement is making its way through a wood-fired revival, but […]

February 21, 2011

ReCPY: Kabocha Gnocchi

by Moto Yamamoto

I’ve tried making gnocchi in the past, but the whole thing dissolved while boiling, so it was a complete failure. Since then, I haven’t even thought about making it again. A few weeks ago, I pondered what I would make for a small gathering. I really wanted to eat beef stroganoff. I looked around for […]

October 7, 2010

The Big Feed: The Tasting Kitchen (LA)

by Sarah Nevada

Ahhhh the life of a food journalist. The repeat and multiple visits to restaurants of all shapes and sizes, booze and food paid for by expense accounts, all in the name of research. I remember reading a review by Frank Bruni about Per Se, Thomas Keller’s New York sibling to French Laundry. I was so […]

October 5, 2010

Just Kill Me Now: La Fantasia di Fragola @ Locanda Verde (NYC)

by Kayoko Akabori

Just got back from a long weekend in NYC. The trip killed me. I ran around all day, tried to see everyone, ate and drank myself into a tizzy, and literally collapsed in exhaustion. It made me feel old. That said, it really is an incredible city for eating. Like anywhere, there are some major […]

September 8, 2010

Skankynavia: Goat’s Tits Surprise

by Anders Arhoj

I was never a big fan of tits. Maybe when I was a wee infant, but these days I have absolutely no interest. Women’s tits, elephant tits, it’s all a blur. Even if the coolest dinosaurs had tits, I’d still prefer a frozen daiquri and the newest episode of Project Runway. Except, sometimes the stuff […]

January 4, 2010

NYE 2009: Flour + Water (SF)

by Kayoko Akabori

Rang in the new year (well, almost) at the mucho-hyped, impossible-to-get-a-reservation, must-wait-over-an-hour-for-a-table Italian spot/pizzeria Flour + Water, in the Mission district, SF. Four-course prix-fixe menu, A Night in Emilia-Romagna, dedicated to THE SUPREME food region in Italy. Bologna, holler! Above: Tortellini en brodo with parmesan truffle & house cured meats, amuse bouche style. A shot […]

September 27, 2009

Babble about Babbo (NYC)

by Kayoko Akabori

Babbo lives on Waverly Place, nestled unassuminly in the West Village, tasteful in terms of blending in with the rest of the street. It’s funny how I work in the area, yet had no idea the famed place was within such close proximity. A colleague of mine visited New York City with a “bucket list” […]