Fridgin Out

Reaching into the far netherworld of people’s refrigerators. The mold the merrier!

What’s hiding out in the back of your fridge? To feature your coldbox on Fridgin’ Out, email info@umamimart.com.

December 9, 2013

Fridgin’ Out: A Tale of Four Refrigerators

by Audrey Luk

My husband, Chris, has an unusual vice: buying refrigerators. “You’re so patient with me,” he says as he slices open another big box. The zip-zip-BRAP sound of cardboard flaps separating is one I’ve come to associate with the rearrangement of our living quarters. Perhaps it would be normal to have four refrigerators in a sprawling […]

May 22, 2013

Fridgin’ Out: Furochan Eats (Tokyo)

by Florentyna Leow

Greetings! My name is furochan, and I’m super stoked to be writing for Umami Mart. Welcome to my larder!  For the last eight months or so, my home has been a dormitory located in an improbably posh part of Tokyo. Rent is surprisingly cheap for this city (part of being a university student) and not […]

December 12, 2012

Fridgin’ Out: The Ramen Shaman + Roommates

by Will VanderWyden

Ah, the joy of roommates. The Ramen Shaman lives with three other dudes in a house in Los Angeles, meaning our fridge is war zone of groceries for four people each cooking for one. But to be honest there’s not a whole lot of cooking going on in this household. I actually enjoy making food, […]

September 10, 2010

Fridgin’ Out: In Search of Kimchi (São Paulo)

by Bryan Sanders

My wife and I moved to São Paulo a few months ago. Now that we’re here, I realize what it takes to get situated: mountains of documents, waking up at 4am to stand in line, passport translation, a whole lot of bureaucracy, and patience. After the document pile-up game, we’ve finally found our own apartment. […]

July 23, 2010

Fridgin’ Out: International HOT Sauce Party

by Kayoko Akabori

My very first apartment in NYC was in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, in 2002. Although the exact area has been redubbed today by developers as “South Park Slope”, it was pretty grimy back before the hipsters swarmed in. The famous Greenwood Cemetary is up the street (where Basquiat, among other important Americanos, are buried), sex shops […]

May 14, 2010

Fridgin’ Out: Well, This Is Embarrassing (LA)

by Chiara

Hi Umamimarters! My name is Chiara and it’s a pleasure and honor to be contributing to this here blog. Two months ago I purchased a townhouse in Los Angeles and to make up for this seemingly adult transaction, I’ve been drinking like I’m 23 again. Thus, the contents of my fridge completely reflect this delicate […]

April 30, 2010

Fridgin’ Out: Archway, London

by Sakura Gooneratne

My first post for Umamimart and it’s going to look like a confession of an ultra lazy cook. My mother did not bring me up to subsist on ready-meals and instant ramen. I used to do a lot more adventurous cooking as a student, and I’m of the rare breed that actually likes cooking for […]

February 26, 2010

Fridgin’ Out: Yamahomo’s Mama (JPN)

by Moto Yamamoto

Why do all mothers pack their fridge so much? You might remember Kayoko’s mother’s fridge that took her three posts to dig up, and my mom’s fridge was just as packed. Is it the war they experienced that makes them keep everything, even the tiniest bit?  In Japan, the “mottainai” (“it’s a shame to throw […]

June 26, 2009

Fridgin’ Out: Capitan Rum from Russia

by Kayoko Akabori

I’m trying to take a new approach to Fridgin’ Out- thought that it would be more interesting if just the more unique, peculiar items were featured. So I went through my best friend Khoi’s fridge the other week and found some great stuff (fire-engine absinthe from Spain!). Khoi and his wife Sarah live in San […]

June 12, 2009

Fridgin’ Out: Tofu Family

by Kayoko Akabori

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, […]