Umami Mart

I love canned fish. When I was little, I would eat canned sardines in miso sauce by the spoonful. Like ice cream! Haha. During my year living in Italy, I learned how to make this dish: pasta with canned tuna, onions and tomatos. So easy! In Italy I also discovered the increased quality and flavor […]

Even though it’s starting to become spring, it’s still cold in some parts!  We were recently in NYC and since Jonathan’s family has a house in Vermont, we took a group of friends there for the weekend. We cooked big meals together, played snow football and spent evenings by the fire. (It’s kind of like […]

Spring is here and my local market is starting show signs of different colors of the rainbow after a winter abundance of orange and brown fruits and vegetables. I’ve been most excited about the appearance of more greens — broccoli, asparagus, green onions, etc. The bulk greens sections has also been exploding and the appearance […]

Lightly sautéed green salad with upland cress, sweet english peas, pea tendrils, ginger, purple artichokes, green scallions, baby bell peppers, blood orange and artichoke chips. Perfect for spring! INGREDIENTS Serves 2  1 small bunch upland cress (watercress is a nice alternative) 10 pea tendrils (keep a few raw pea tendrils and raw upland cress for […]

Forgive me, I am going to cheat a little here… like that “100 Episodes of Seinfeld” episode. I think Umami Mart has been around long enough for something like that. So this is a re-post/interpretation of another post I wrote in Tokyo 4 years ago. The other day I got a tray of mentaiko (spicy cod […]

Happy Passover, everyone! Matzo Brei is a traditional Jewish dish that is made during Passover, which runs through next Tuesday, April 2nd. The recipe calls for eggs and matzo cracker. It’s often sweetened with cinnamon and sugar, but I made a savory version with scallions. I also added some green garlic that came in the CSA box […]

For those of you planning your menu for Passover, or for anyone looking for a quick appetizer idea, here’s a fun and colorful twist on haroset, a traditional Jewish dish. Haroset is usually a blend of fruit and nuts made during Passover (which starts a week from today). At times chunky, sometimes smooth, it’s often served […]

In honor of Umami Mart’s sixth anniversary/ lease-signing and the Japan Week celebration in NYC, this month we spotlight the Japanese Cocktail for Happy Hour. We will review the cocktail’s origins, its ingredients, and offer an improved adaptation that pays homage to Japan. Cocktail historian David Wondrich gives a through history of the libation in […]

INGREDIENTS 1.5 pounds large shrimp, head and shell left on, rinsed well (I used Ridgeback shrimps from Santa Barbara) 3 (12-ounce) bottles of Japanese lager beer (I used Sapporo) 1 cup water 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 teaspoon coriander 1 teaspoon black peppercorns 1 lemon, halved 2 coins of galangal […]

When we were little we used to watch my oba-chan (grandmother) make this seasonal treat from Kagoshima prefecture in southern Japan. We were too little to enjoy it at first, but as we grew older the dish became more and more delicious. Oba-chan’s preparation differed from the original recipe in that she substituted shochu for […]