March 22, 2012
Protein is a great thing to carry around. It stays together and packs an energy-filled punch, in comparison to a salad or veggie stir-fry –which can either take up lots of space or taste very bad because of a temperature change. Hunks of hamburg or chicken tenders, on the other hand, can be easily saran […]
September 30, 2011
On a particularly temperate Los Angeles evening, three Umamimart writers (one a founding member), and an Umamimart photographer, joined three Umamimart supporters and friends for a lovely dinner at Robata Jinya in West Hollywood, CA. Of the diners, two were strict vegetarians, one a somewhat new carnivore and the rest more of the “don’t knock […]
February 24, 2011
Kayoko let me borrow Japanese homecooking maven Elizabeth Andoh’s new book “Kansha: Celebrating Japanese Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions” and for that, I am brimming with kansha (thanks). I had always wanted to try my hand at making shira-ae (sesame tofu dressing) after playing the goma-ae (sesame dressing) card one too many times. So while I […]
June 17, 2010
I discovered okara during my first year in Tokyo, thanks to my neighborhood tofu shop who sold me 400 grams (0.88 lbs) of okara every week for Â¥150 (about $1.70). Okara is translated as “tofu lees” or “soy pulp” and is a byproduct of the tofu-making process. Maybe it’s just me, but “soy pulp” sounds […]
May 20, 2010
The idea of a salad at many Japanese restaurants in America is some iceberg lettuce, julliened carrots and a cherry tomato (if your lucky) – topped with a creamy, sesame dressing. I can say that I am sometimes a fan of this combination, but it’s really not the kind of salad you will ever see […]
May 13, 2010
Last month, I took a relaxing trip to Pt. Reyes with one of the best books I have read this year, the Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was another one of my favorites this year). Although I felt like I kind of knew what Pollan’s deal was from hearsay, […]
April 15, 2010
Spare me the formalities and let me present to you: The Cold Tofu Salad. – Cold tofu, the kind you get in the square plastic container in the refrigerated section of the store. Your best bet is to get the House brand, which is at many markets now (I personally like the medium firmness, although […]
June 12, 2009
I just nosed around the Akabori fridge (yes, I am still cohabiting with my parents, ok??!?!?), where I found three kinds of tofu. WTF? Left: San Jose Tofu, a local favorite- a little shop in downtown SJ where they’ve been making tofu for decades. They take a piece of tofu out of these huge vats, […]
July 28, 2008
*If you don’t know what Kyotofu is, you won’t understand the title… I haven’t cooked a while since I was away. Now my culinary endeavors have to go an extra mile for something that takes long. So I went to Sunrise Mart to search for something that takes long to make. Recently, I’ve been seeing […]
May 22, 2008
amira: what to do for lunch… amira: oh, i’ve recently started with tofu noodles amira: AMAZING amira: no carbs, all solulable fiber amira: amazing in soup kayoko: nice! kayoko: where do you get them? kayoko: i’ve never heard of that amira: i bought them from the little Japanese market on 23rd st kayoko: JAS Mart! […]