Umami Mart

PREFACE: Ingredients + Recipe Prep + Boil I’m not sugarcoating this. I need you to understand what a truly, utterly, and horrifyingly HUGE PAIN IN THE ASS this entire project is. When browsing the I N T E R N E T for recipes, no one ever tells you that this is such a life-consuming […]

This is one of those projects that I always think I can handle, but it just turns into dread, and ultimately only goes to prove what a huge procrastinator I am. Since I picked up the plums from Christi a week ago, it’s just been this nagging thing that’s been clawing at my brain EVERY […]

Ho Ho Ho, look what I found. Tapatio PACKETS!!!! You Californians might be used to this kind of goodness, but as a longtime expat, this is a HUGE DISCOVERY. Walked over to Lanesplitter the other day for a pizza, and they had a container full of these guys. They are so cute, and wanted me […]

One of the most basic things about Japanese cooking that baffled me before living in Japan was how to make dashi. I knew it was easy and that the ingredients were readily available, but I wanted to make it right. All from scratch. Here is the definitive guide to making dashi. The easiest way to […]

Took a bus tour down to the Izu Peninsula back in November, in the Shizuoka prefecture of Japan, full of small coastal towns, fresh seafood and blissful onsen. We stopped at Joren waterfall, which is known for their fresh wasabi. Supposedly, this wasabi is especially good because of the clean, cold water from the Joren. […]

Here’s something awesome that Matt brought back for me from his jaunt in Paris. Looks like just an ordinary jar of cornichons (aka the Gherkin), right? Think again. When you open it up, there is this awesome stick floating in the middle of the jar. What is it for? To pick up the remaining cornichons […]

Sonja just got back from a summer jaunt in Switzerland (where she spa-ed and dined like a princess, and consumed a lot of yogurt), and she brought me back a little gift: mayonnaise! It’s really scary how well some people know me. The brand is Thomy, a condiment company based in Germany. The packaging for […]

Here’s something my mama sent me recently- three different kinds of salad dressing that come in these really cute, stout, hexagon-shaped glass bottles. No doubt they were on sale at Mitsuwa or something (Hideko is the craziest bargain shopper ever, and she also lives at Mitsuwa). The dressings are from Japan, from a brand called […]

Jorge lives in Portugal, where he is researching for his book on music and migration. He’s back for a month, so I’m trying to get as much quality Jorgetime as possible. Check out this little project that Fumiko and I came home to one night. You know that Magritte painting of a pipe that says […]

Buying bulk is like sex without a condom. There’s nothing between you and the food, no plastic, no obstruction. Grab a little, taste a little, spill a little and push your way to the front. During my lunch break on Monday, I set out to Tsukiji (like I do at least once every two weeks). […]