Umami Mart

Photo by Erin Gleeson.

Photo by Erin Gleeson.

Photo by Erin Gleeson.

A butsudan is a shrine memorializing dead relatives in homes of Japanese Buddhists. Although I am not Buddhist, this butsudan set up that I received from my Buddhist grandma is hands-down one of the best things someone has given me. It gives me a place to say hello to my dad every morning and vent […]

When my mother visits anywhere, we need a tub of yogurt and fresh pineapples. No matter where she goes, she MUST eat these two things every day, for her health. BM, mainly.. I bought an expensive large tub of Fage ($10!!), and she hated it. It was too thick for her. When sons try to […]

Summer seems to be coming to an end. In my imaginary backyard, we have a blueberry tree (do they grow on trees, or on the ground?) and it is harvest season right now. What do you do when you have a bunch of blueberries? Make a pie or tart. I just found the easiest recipe […]

Husk cherries came in our CSA box this week. These sweet little packages are somewhere between a tomatillo, a cherry and a yellow tomato. Delicious!

Although this month is designated for sloth, I don’t work Thursdays or Fridays this month so I have too much free time on my hands. I can’t think of anything else to do but stay in the kitchen. People think I’m a social butterfly, but in reality, I am a loser who stays in the […]

Cactus fruit growing in Israel.

Do you remember my pickle pear liqueur, which turned out to really be called sickle pear liqueur?  Making fruit liquor is pretty easy. In Japan, when green plums (unripened plum) are available in June, many people make their own umeshu (plum wine). I know Mitsuwa market in New Jersey has the whole kit (plum, liquor, […]