After four years in Tokyo, Yoko relocated to the Bay Area. She loves dips, dashi, and deals.
Japanify
August 26, 2010
Japanify: Gyu No Tataki (Meat Watch Edition)
Lake Tahoe is a bit of a nightmare during the height of the summer. The lake is a dream but South Lake Tahoe is swarming with slot machine hungry tourists from both sides of the border (California and Nevada). We stayed at the Marriot and I had no complaints, especially because we stayed in a […]
August 19, 2010
Japanify Ingredients: Know Your Seaweed
The eskimos have many words for snow, just like the Japanese have many words for seaweed. For those of us on the other side of the pacific, the lack of words for seaweed is problematic. It is very confusing when reading the translated English ingredients for nori, iwanori, wakame and kombu since they all say […]
August 12, 2010
Japanify: Simmered Mackerel in Miso
For those who are curious to eat more responsibly in the seafood arena, mackerel is an ideal option. For the rest of us who don’t care about being responsible, mackerel is also an ideal option because of its salty-savoriness that’s addictive and a great complement to a glass of shochu. Succeeding last week’s Japanify for […]
August 5, 2010
Japanify: How to Clean a Sardine
I love sardines – canned or fresh. My addiction started as a child when my mother would serve sardines from a can with a dab of kewpie mayonnaise. Packed with protein and fun to eat, they are also better for big blue because they are low on the food chain. When you can get your […]
July 29, 2010
Japanify: Shrimp Avocado Salad with Kewpie-Wasabi Dressing (Octopus FAIL)
This was originally supposed to read “Octopus, Shrimp Avocado Salad with Kewpie-Wasabi Dressing,” but the octopus part did not happen. After reading a recent string of octopus posts on Umamimart including Tokyo JUNKtion: Corpse Candy, ¡Viva España!, Umamiventure #26: San Pedro Fish Market (LA), ReCPY: Best Octopus(sy) in NYC and Raw Octopus from Tsukiji Market […]
July 22, 2010
Japanify Ingredients: Tamari vs. Shoyu
I was always baffled by tamari. I had never used it until one of my friends and faithful readers of UM suggested that I should write about tamari vs. shoyu (soy sauce) on Japanify. So this week, I purchased San-J brand’s Tamari (I chose that brand because I happened to have San-J brand’s Organic Shoyu […]
July 15, 2010
Japanify: The Japanese Canned Fish-Off
When the heat rolls in, laziness comes in the form of “I don’t want to cook.” Maybe it’s also an instinctual thing where I am unconsciously preparing for a fire or earthquake which is more likely to happen in the hot summer months by hoarding a bunch of canned booty. Whatever the reason, I am […]
July 8, 2010
Japanify: Shiso Shout-Out
Quite possibly the only herb in the mint family that the Japanese will not associate with toothpaste is shiso. Shiso, or sometimes referred to as perilla, Japanese basil or beefsteak plant is often found as a garnish in Japanese cuisine. I noticed that Yamahomo and I seem to have somewhat of an obsession with shiso […]
July 1, 2010
Japanify: Ice Cold Somen
The first time my husband found a bag of Capellini at a grocery store in America he said “It’s like sÅmen.” Indeed, sÅmen is about the same thinness as capellini and takes about the same time to boil – 3 minutes. But unlike capellini, sÅmen is always eaten cold in the summer in tsuyu broth […]
June 24, 2010
Japanify: Instant Ramen for Drunks
Piggybacking on Yamahomo’s drunk cooking post, this week’s Japanify introduces techniques for making instant ramen that will please drunks. After a long, explosive night of dancing, my husband prepared Sapporo Ichiban instant ramen. An avid eater of Sapporo Ichiban instant ramen in his native Japan, my husband was ecstatic that Sapporo Ichiban was also available […]