July 7, 2011
PREFACE Summer Slurp Series, Pt. 1: Nikumiso Udon The one (and only) thing that I miss about the disgustingly humid temperatures in Tokyo is the arrival of cold noodle dishes on menus everywhere. During the hot months of June through September, I would convince myself that I deserved a daily reward of a big bowl […]
July 6, 2011
Yoko and I tagged along with Sylvan of Peko Peko last week to forage for ume (Japanese plums aka Prunus mume). We had been planning this for weeks, going back and forth and patiently waiting for the perfect moment to pick the ume, from a tree in the backyard of Sylvan’s friend’s home. Yes, we […]
June 23, 2011
Frying has always been something I was afraid of. I remember my grandma frying whole fish in a huge wok of oil. It took brawn and a fearless attitude toward unpredictable flying specks of oil traveling at high speeds. I will never be half as tough as my grandma, and I still don’t have the […]
June 20, 2011
Fishcakes, such as the Homo Sausage, chikuwa and kamaboko, are some of my favorite foods. It usually weirds people out in the States because of its “processed” figure; but I really enjoy its chewy, rubbery texture, and its flavor of the sea. I’ve always loved fishcake (as does Kayoko) and it’s very disappointing that there […]
June 13, 2011
After seeing so many people starting a second career by opening gluten-free bakeries around the U.S., I thought, “Martha, you totally missed your chance to capitalize on my MO-dessert line!” Unfortunately, whenever I read recipes for gluten-free items online, it’s always so complicated. Xantham gum? What the hell is that? To substitute wheat flour people […]
June 9, 2011
Kayoko here, filling in for Yoko. From here on out, just call me (Ka)Yoko. By now, I’m sure you know what ponzu is. I don’t even have to explain it to you. In fact, it’s such a part of our colloquialism that I don’t even need to italicize it! Oh you know, it’s that tangy, […]
June 7, 2011
I’ve been pretty sickly lately. Two weeks ago I caught some awful stomach flu (or food poisoning? whatever) and as I laid in my bed for 72 hours in a sweat pool of misery, starving but unable to keep anything down (nay liquids, tmi), all I truly desired was a bite of… katsu curry. This […]
The Japanese Grill: A Whole New Level of Summer Favorites Thursday, June 16 @ 6:30 pm Japan Society, NYC You may think grilling is a signature American summertime sport, but it has been used in Japanese cuisine for a very long time as well. Unlike babyback ribs, burgers, or dogs, Japanese grilling has much more […]
June 2, 2011
Smelt. Fried, they are a great accompaniment to a pint of beer. Grilled and served with a bowl of white rice, they complete a Japanese breakfast. They also win the Cheap Bastards’ Choice Award, since they average $3.50/lb. The “Wakasagi” variety of smelt were introduced from Japan to the San Francisco delta in 1959 as […]
June 1, 2011
Oh great, here we go again. Another blog post about Japanese food packaging design. But you know what? The reality is that the Japanese kick our butts many times over when it comes to intelligent, fun and groundbreaking ways to wrap something edible. Ok, so there actually are American designers at work behind the scenes […]