May 11, 2017
Jennifer Colliau is one of Bay Area’s greatest bartenders. To use words such as “smart,” “talented,” or “creative” seem to undermine her qualities. Rather, she is a force in the industry — ambitious, yet down to earth; knowledgable, yet curious; confident, yet humble. Her mind is a sponge; she lights up when talking about cocktail history […]
March 13, 2017
I found this cocktail inside Ted Haigh’s Vintage Spirits and Forgotten Cocktails book that we carry at Umami Mart. Aptly named the Mother-In-Law cocktail, it is indeed a stiff enough drink to prepare you for a visit with the in-laws. There’s nothing like a boozy, numbing drink to smooth out anxieties and tensions that a family gathering […]
March 3, 2017
Harumi Kurihara is kind of like the Martha Stewart of Japan. A popular food personality, she’s published 128 cookbooks, selling more than 26 million copies! She even has her own home goods brand and restaurant in Tokyo. But over the years, she’s still most famous her recipes – simple, yet elegant Japanese home-style cooking that’s perfect for meals with family and […]
February 21, 2017
Takikomi Gohan (mixed rice) is one of those comfort foods that fills the kitchen with an earthy aroma. I love cooking this in the winter and coming home to the flavors of shiitake mushrooms and hijiki. I also throw in mushrooms that happen to be in season for an extra layer of flavor. Matsutake mushrooms […]
February 8, 2017
When we talked about me creating a cocktail with the theme of love for Valentine’s day, I balked. Love… ha! How trite! But in these tumultuous times, we could all use some love. Now, more than ever, am I right? When I walked with thousands of other people at the Women’s March in January, we chanted in unison, […]
January 19, 2017
Our friend Erin Gleeson of The Forest Feast has a lot going on right now. First of all, she just had a baby! Baby Max arrived earlier this month and is a real bundle of joy. Secondly, Erin has a new book out. The Forest Feast Gatherings is an inspiring and gorgeous vegetarian cookbook. If you like hosting casual dinner […]
January 18, 2017
Recently, Yoko’s sister Cindy gave everyone at Umami Mart a yuzu from her tree. I was excited because I had never used a fresh yuzu before. The yuzu fruit looks like a puckered, squat lemon, but is less brightly acidic than a lemon and tastes more like a tart mandarin orange. But not even exactly that; it […]
December 28, 2016
When the holidays roll around, I reach for Cognac. The Sidecar is my all-time favorite cocktail for these times – a festive mix of Cognac, orange liqueur, and lemon. Nothing says, “Let’s Party!” like a shaken drink; and there is an old-timey, finger-snapping elegance to Cognac that always makes me feel like I’m hanging out with Daisy, Nick, […]
November 25, 2016
If you’re a regular reader of the Umami Mart blog, you’re probably familiar with Japanify, a monthly column written by Yoko featuring Japanese recipes. Upon moving back to the Bay Area after five years of living in Tokyo, Yoko started Japanify as a way of documenting her vibrant food memories from Japan, and reproducing these dishes using locally-found ingredients that […]
October 31, 2016
Gomashio is a Japanese seasoning, traditionally consisting of toasted sesame seeds (goma) and salt (shio). At Umami Mart, we carry Landsea Gomasio, a Pacific Northwestern take on gomashio. Made in Eastsound, Washington by our friend Brooke Budner, Landsea Gomasio uses replaces salt with two ingredients found regionally and abundantly in Orcas Island: bull kelp, a type of seaweed with […]