Umami Mart

I understand people are conscious about what they eat. I am not talking about organic food, Erin, which is a completely different matter. I just don’t buy it because I can’t simply afford to pay $2.99 for a cucumber, compared to $0.99 for two. Anyhow, healthy food (fat free, low fat, no saturated fat, etc., […]

My allergies are in full force. It was so nice outside yesterday, but I couldn’t even be outside for more than 20 minutes. It was bad. And it is bad today too. I am wearing a mask, which makes me look like either a shady criminal or I that I have SARS. I want to […]

My awesome colleague Chris Poston always eats his buttered morning toast at his desk. It was finally revealed that he actually bakes the bread each weekend himself! After telling him about my no-knead bread baking adventure, he said, “Kayoko, it actually NEEDS to be kneaded.” He’s been fooling around with different recipes and came up […]

*Preface in 2 Posts- Yamahomo vs. Laduree Macaron Battles Part 1 & 2 The Battle Continues I must master this. I think I came pretty close to what macaron should be on trial 3, but I mixed the batter too much, hence it was too thin. Over the weekend, I made it three times. Here […]

*Title reflects the Papal visit to NYC. Tuesday night, I got home, and baked ginger muffin. From my Fridgin’ Out, you saw ginger in sugar syrup, and I used it to bake muffins. My friend gave me these little cole slaw containers to use for baking. It’s kind of cute. Very country style, not sweet […]

I have been baking like a maniac. I can’t stop. It’s like girls PMSing, and craving chocolate. I am not PMSing, but I have this “need” to bake. As you can see from my battle of macaron, or other various baking business, I am pretty much baking every day recently. Maybe I am too angry […]

I learned my lesson. Mix the batter well till it falls off the spatula, and don’t take it out of the oven too soon. Other than the fact that I am super inpatient, all the necessary ingredients and mind set was there. I couldn’t let go of the defeat of my Sunday failure, so I […]

I don’t know why I do this. The harder the recipe is, the more excited I get. I don’t know how I decided to make macaroons, but somehow I did.. When everyone goes to Paris (I’ve never been there, yet), they go queue up at either Laduree or Pierre Herme (did you know Pierre used […]

When the routine bites hard/ And ambitions are low And the resentment rides high/ But emotions won’t growAnd we’re changing our ways/ Taking different roadsThen love, love will tear us apart again– Joy Division Recently, a few of my closest friends have been going through devastating breakups- couples who have been together for 3 years, […]

Something about bread baking makes me feel very calm. It takes all day, kneading, resting, kneading, resting, which is almost zen kind of experience. Not that I am religious or anything, so I wouldn’t know the real zen relaxation, but I feel good when baking bread. I just saw a recipe on Food Network, and […]