Umami Mart

Last February, I went to Jicca in Tokyo and had this seemingly unassuming dish. I’ve mainly had raw nagaimo (Chinese yam) julienned or grated in all its gooey glory. But at Jicca, it was seasoned with some serious magic. Lightly grilling this nagaimo brought out a toasty, yammy aroma while retaining its natural saku-saku crunch factor. The magical taste […]

It’s been hot in Berkeley lately and crunchy cucumbers have been a go-to for cooling down and feeling refreshed in my kitchen. Luckily, Japanese cucumbers are easy enough to get your hands on in these parts, but if you can’t find them where you live, you can use Persian cucumbers as a substitute. Persian cucumbers […]

One of the things we wanted to do when we were in Hong Kong was to try some vegetarian temple food. So my friend S took us to a modern vegetarian restaurant in the Chin Lin Nunnery and Nan Liang Gardens on Diamond Hill in Kowloon. The restaurant is situated in the temple gardens and […]

Warning: DO eat this at home before taking it out into the world! Weigh the social risks! You may momentarily lose some friends while eating this salad because the smell will clear the room. Trust me, I’ve tried it. Daikon is affordable and cooling when fresh and raw. The satisfying crunch coupled with the spicy […]

I am incredibly lucky to be able to eat whatever I want when I want — I don’t have any known food allergies, I can find pretty much any ingredient within biking radius of my home and I live in the Bay Area, home to a wealth of stellar, international dining opportunities. However, sometimes my […]

Konnyaku has been used in Japan as a medicinal food for 1500 years and was very popular during the Edo period. It is likewise a staple in Chinese medicine, said to aid in detoxification as well as a host of other benefits. Konnyaku is also a very popular ingredient for weight loss because it is […]

My parents hosted a shinnenkai (New Year’s party) last night and it was a fantastic feast! As usual, Hideko and Kuni battled it out in the kitchen for cooking space, laughing and making fun of each other along the way. Who will make the best dish of the evening? This competitiveness has harshened lately, as Kuni has […]

Last Friday, Kayoko hosted a girl’s night at her house. While our other halves sulked around the house or went away for the weekend into the mountains, us girls gorged ourselves on beef, pork and chicken balls. It was also my birthday, so my sister surprised me with my first Baked Alaska. Cocktails, beef, ice […]

The markets are exploding with pumpkins and other squash — which means, autumn is here! I always look forward to this time of year because I like bundling up, wearing my hair down and cozying up on the couch with all kinds of tea. My favorite squash to work with is kabocha. Its sweet flesh […]

By Haan Riddell I LOVE CHEESE. This dish is the ultimate cheese dish, perfect when you need to comfort yourself on a rainy day or when you have a bad hangover. This dish is not quite for those on a diet, but what the heck, you only live once! I tried this fabulous dish for […]