July 13, 2011
Last week I attended a birthday party at a friend’s house. He rarely cooks but when he does, he is highly experimental and innovative. I had a drink and was busy chatting with fabulous guests, discussing the recent catastrophic Christian Dior Fall 2011 couture collection. All while inspecting the food table and scooping up various […]
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 16, 2011
Microwave cooking is big in Japan. Just like buying panties from vending machines. People do it all the time and there is no need to be ashamed when doing it. One of the most genius ideas I acquired while living in Japan was microwaving a potato. Japan has these cute little jagaimo (potatoes) that make […]
May 23, 2011
I don’t know what got into me this weekend. I am a proud carnivore. I cannot live without meat, and I don’t even care if it’s “organic” or not. Food Nation didn’t scare me enough to eat only grass-fed beef or cage-free chicken. I will pretty much eat whatever meat parts are served in front […]
May 12, 2011
I am home in Berkeley after taking a week-long road trip through the American southwest with fellow Umamimart writer Anders, bookended by a five-day trip in NYC. I am so excited to be back in my own kitchen that I’ve stocked up on everything from soft shell crab to chicken thighs for curry. But those […]
May 5, 2011
Hey hey, Kayoko here, filling in for Yoko this week. Seems that summer has arrived in the Bay Area (a balmy 77ËšF in Oakland, holla!), which means I will only cook meals that take me a few minutes to prepare. Hooray for HOT + LAZY! A favorite summertime dish on a day like today is […]
April 25, 2011
When you see ramps at the Greenmarket, it is a sign that spring is here. These delicacies are only available for short period of time. I discovered this awesome plant last year, and its flavor of onion, garlic, scallion, mixed all into one is very nice. When you go to upscale restaurants around this time […]
April 21, 2011
It’s no secret to anyone who knows me that I don’t like eggs. But it’s not as debilitating as many people think. I can always get a waffle or bagel with a side for breakfast and choose to ask for no egg with my ramen. Luckily I am okay with foodstuffs with eggs as an […]
April 14, 2011
I’m going through Yoko withdrawl. We were literally joined at the hip for the last month, gearing up for our GIFT OF FOOD benefit: chatting, Skyping, meeting with each other, organizing, coordinating, planning with our other awesome collaborators. It was definitely a huge team effort to put on THE GIFT OF FOOD, and without Yoko, […]
February 24, 2011
Kayoko let me borrow Japanese homecooking maven Elizabeth Andoh’s new book “Kansha: Celebrating Japanese Vegan and Vegetarian Traditions” and for that, I am brimming with kansha (thanks). I had always wanted to try my hand at making shira-ae (sesame tofu dressing) after playing the goma-ae (sesame dressing) card one too many times. So while I […]