Recipe


October 24, 2016

Japanify: Kasuzuke Salmon

by Yoko Kumano

  I’m always stealing ideas from my family. The latest cooking technique I stole was from my Aunt Judy (who also inspired Kayoko’s Happy Hour post last week), who specializes in making drinks and savory foods to along with it. Aunt Judy had read somewhere that a beef restaurant in Japan was trying to find […]

October 19, 2016

Happy Hour: Aunt Judy’s Passion Fruit Cocktail

by Kayoko Akabori

Around this time every year, Yoko’s aunt Judy starts bringing around bags of passion fruit for us. She has a very healthy and giving tree in her backyard, which produces plenty of fruit. Judy has been talking about the cocktail she makes with these passion fruit for some time now. Before we said goodbye last […]

September 26, 2016

Japanify: Soboro Donburi (Crumbly Chicken Bowl)

by Yoko Kumano

During my last visit to Tokyo, my grandma sent me home with some store bought, vacuum-sealed beef soboro. It had been a really long time since I had Soboro Donburi, so I was happy to indulge in some nostalgia when I got back to California. Soboro Donburi is typically made up of three toppings on […]

September 19, 2016

Conbini Creations: Sweet and Spicy Miso-Tobanjan Chicken Wings

by Sarah Han

For this month’s Conbini Creations, I wanted to make a recipe using the Youki Shisen Tobanjan, a spicy Sichuan-style chili paste that we carry at Umami Mart. Made with chili peppers and fermented broad beans, tobanjan is often used in mapo tofu recipes, or simply added into noodle soups to add a healthy, warming spice. A small dab also […]

August 29, 2016

Japanify: Summer Slurp Series: Avocado Walnut Soba Salad

by Yoko Kumano

There are ingredients that I always keep in stock in my kitchen; they are my daikoubutsu (favorite foods). Without them I feel like I have no fall-back option when sipping on sake or wine. Two of these ingredients are avocado and nuts. I regularly incorporate both into sauces, dips, and salads. They are really handy when […]

July 26, 2016

Conbini Creations: Quick-Marinade Bulgogi

by Sarah Han

Going to a restaurant for Korean tabletop BBQ is a culinary experience everyone should have. Not only is Korean BBQ really accessible for most any non-vegetarian/vegan person, but there are all kinds of fun things happening right at your table: cook-it-yourself meat on a scary-hot grill mere inches away from you! The endless banchan (side dishes)! Those orange-handled craft scissors […]

July 18, 2016

Japanify: Shochu Root Beer Float

by Yoko Kumano

I’ve combined all of my loves into one recipe. It’s the Shochu Root Beer Float! I know that whisky is often used to spike root bear floats so I chose a shochu that has qualities of whisky. Kannoko Mugi Shochu is a barley shochu that is aged in oak barrels for three years making it a […]

June 29, 2016

Japanify: Simplified Japanese Curry

by Yoko Kumano

Kayoko and I taught a class on how to make Japanese curry from scratch two years ago and the resulting recipe was epic. It delivered great results, but at the expense of toiling in the kitchen all day and collecting a laundry list of ingredients. Who has time for that? Not me. The following recipe […]

June 22, 2016

MOTOism: Matcha Sesame Tofu Two Ways

by Moto Yamamoto

When I tried to come up with a recipe for the Umami Chef Matcha Challenge*, all the usual recipes were too ordinary (lots of sweets) and I wanted to make something a bit different and creative. I ended up discovering a recipe that can be used for both savory and sweet. Brilliant. When you think […]

June 20, 2016

Conbini Creations: Super Easy Matcha Ice Cream

by Sarah Han

Matcha ice cream brings back memories of eating sushi with my family. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley (Northridge, represent!), but my dad drove us all around Los Angeles in search of the best restaurants he could find before the internet existed. Japanese food, especially sushi, was one of his – and my […]