Umami Mart

Hi everyone, Kayoko here, filling in for Yoko’s column today. Yoko has set the bar quite high for tips, techniques and recipes on Japanese cooking, so I really thought hard about what I would be writing about. I browsed through all my Japanese cookbooks and magazines for ideas, and even consulted with some folks about […]

Ankimo, or monkfish liver, when steamed, is considered a delicacy in Japan. The creamy texture is not unlike a fine pate. Ankimo is to be eaten in tiny bites and is an excellent accompaniment to sake or shochu. The first time I saw a picture of a monkfish, I was in denial. How could it […]

I had a dinner party and had pulled pork sandwich (of course I don’t have pictures, totally didn’t even think about it), but gays apparently don’t eat buns. What the hell is wrong with us? No carb/ fat/ sweets, but a gallon of booze is always accompanied with everything. Once we have an inch of […]

By Yoko Kumano Originally posted on November 10, 2009 I bought a sac of shirako at my local supermarket for 90 yen (85 cents). I never knew that shirako was so cheap since I had never had the balls to prepare it until now. Shirako is the seminal fluid of fish who shoot their sperm […]

By Yoko Kumano Originally posted on February 16, 2009 I had qualms about blogging the Homo Sausage. Was I really a near 30 year-old woman with the humor of a 7 year-old boy? Yes. Was Umami Mart too sophisticated for a juvenile post such as this? Yes. But then again, maybe not. I met Homo […]

By Ayagwa and Tmonkey Originally posted on July 13, 2007 WARNING: This post is not for the squeamish, overly sensitive, or the faint of heart. Skip this post if discussion of bodily functions offends you deeply. I’m serious!!! I’ve mulled over in my mind, for almost a month, whether to blog about this or not. […]

By Yamahomo Originally posted on July 12, 2007 Lobster is hard. I am not talking about their hard shells. It’s such a bitch to cook, yet there’s never enough meat in each lobster. Think about it: you buy one for $12.99 a pound so each lobster is about $20, but you can only eat less […]

I love Dead Poets Society. When I first saw the movie in Japan, I bought a duffle coat just like them, and begged my mama to change the liner to red satin. No wonder she said no, since that sounds so fucking gay. I live a couple of blocks from Ethan Hawke, and see him […]

On a recent trip to Honduras, some early risers in our bunch went fishing and brought back a huge barracuda. By the time I woke up, someone had turned it into the most delicious (and certainly the freshest) ceviche I have ever had.  The bits of crunchy mango and red onion added the perfect kick.

One of my favorite spots since moving back to the San Francisco Bay Area is the Tomales Bay Oyster Company. I read about the TBOC on Umamimart while I was still living in Tokyo. It was a long wait until I was finally able to make the beautiful drive along Point Reyes National Seashore to […]