Umami Mart

Happy New Year. 2013 has started with a perfect sunrise in Japan. Hopefully it signifies that the rest of the year to be bright and shiny. 2012 was filled with happenings: from Taylor Swift changing boyfriends 18 times, to Gangnam Style to Sandy craziness to starting my own business. Let’s hope 2013 will be a […]

In 2013, I am so excited to be devoting myself to the creation of my first cookbook, which seemed like a pipe dream last year at this time. I am so grateful to everyone who has inspired and supported me creatively up to this point, and the gals at Umami Mart have played such a […]

Wishing you a happy, healthy and peaceful holiday season. Cheers! Erin

Taking half an hour out of my schedule to slow down and warm up has been possible these past few weeks thanks to this simple soup. The arrival of matsutake mushrooms is here and I couldn’t be more excited. This year at my local market, they have sorted the mushrooms by #1s and #6s. If […]

Trends in Japan changes as often as Taylor Swift changes boyfriends. It’s like, wasn’t she dating the Kennedy kid and even bought a house across from his in order to be close to him? Next minute, she is shacking up with one of the bad boys from One Direction. And she publicly stated, “I don’t […]

Raw brussels sprouts have never tasted so good! If you want to make a lot of this, the slice blade on the Cuisinart or mandoline works really well too. This can easily be made ahead and you can really toss in any dressing you like. An easy holiday side dish! All photos and illustration by […]

Over the last decade the cocktail renaissance has spread across the country and helped turn bartending from a mere side-job for college students and aspiring actors into an honorable profession. It has also resurrected previously unknown names like Jerry Thomas and Harry Johnson by turning them into prophet-like figures, and their recipes have become gospel […]

Life is busy these days. With the shop in full holiday swing, it’s hard to find time to cook. But Yoko and I are good about taking turns bringing bentos — it’s nice to take the time to plan out what to make next. The key is to make a big vat of something so […]

Categorically speaking, a flip is a cocktail in which a whole egg is deployed, the reason being to impart a richness, body, and a silky texture to a drink. Because of how rich these drinks are, they are considered more appropriate during the chillier months (unless you’re like a certain photographer for The PDT Project, […]

For some, winter may mean honey-baked hams and Santa Claus. But at my house, it means nimono. Nimono simply means “simmered things” in Japanese. You can pretty much simmer anything, but the simmering liquid is usually a combination of dashi, mirin and soy sauce. I was happy to find some very wintry root vegetables at […]