I used to be amused by the number of Kewpie mayonnaise tubes my 85 year-old grandma had stashed in her packed fridge in Tokyo. I would visit her house every few months to clean out her fridge. She would forget that she...
My wife and I are dressed to kill. The guards are looking us up and down. My hands are sweating. I enter awkwardly remembering last minute to bow, even though I'm not sure who these people are greeting us at the...
Before the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, Sendai was a city that made my favorite miso. One tablespoon of Sendai miso goes into my dashi every morning for a breakfast consisting of miso-shiru, rice and umeboshi. In recent weeks, Sendai...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9wFSoMiiBQ My colleague Kristen who produces videos for Japan Society’s Youtube channel, asked me if I knew of any onigiri (rice balls) shops since they wanted to showcase them in an upcoming video. I thought, “How about I teach how to make onigiri in the video?” That’s how this...
For a few days after the quake hit in Sendai, public television networks in Japan refrained from running advertising due to the instability of the whole situation. I remember a similar commercial-less time period immediately after 9/11. To...
"Where the hell are we? Did we miss it?" I ask as we drive further and further away from the city center. Geary Boulevard is still bustling, but we're way past Japantown now, and the storefront signs are getting harder to read. Besides, why would...
Step-by-step instructions on how to make the Japanese shoyu marinade for ikura (salmon roe).
My MO-obsession (baking with rice flour) has returned, and this time, it's the MOcaron. Now that I know exactly what to do when it comes to macaron-making, substituting almond flour with other ingredients is not that hard. Having said that, I had no idea...
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...
The last glimpse of mikan for this season. Photo by Yoko Kumano.
Mottainai is said in Japan when something perfectly usable is abandoned or sent to the trashcan. In the past ten years, Japan has seen a trend in awareness regarding waste and reusing whenever possible. It's ironic that this has become a trend because...
Living in Tokyo meant that I had very little access to cereals, orange juice with lots of pulp, fig bars and other high fiber food stuffs that are so ubiquitous in the U.S. I always considered myself to have a very...
The kawaii (= cute) world of Japan is a very positive dimension of happiness, beauty, bunnies, rainbows and ribbons. And not just something that contains characters, but also an aesthetic approach that appeals to your heart, with a rather feminine touch and usually a soft...
I am excited to continue with Part Two of my sake series this week on Japanify. In my first post titled Futsushu vs. Tokutei Meishoshu, I described the difference between ordinary and premium sakes. We are now ready to define the...
My pal Washi just got back from Japan and brought me an entire BAG full of fun omiyage (gifts)! Little booties from Muji, a pack of Nagoya-style miso udon, and a can of... kan kohi (canned coffee)? I read it aloud, "ゴールド すっぽん...
I had many opportunities during my first six months living in Japan to get really unpleasant hangovers from sake. This was mainly because I was living off a wage that made me think "Did I miss my stop and end...
Sylvan Mishima Brackett is the mastermind behind Peko Peko, a Japanese catering service in the Bay Area. After working as Alice Waters' assistant for SIX YEARS (dude must have the patience of a Zen master. Just kidding, love you Alice!), he apprenticed in...
Love Japanese mayo? Want to put it on everything? Get the recipe on making your own Kewpie mayonnaise at home.
I am from a town so rural, you wouldn't believe it. Although Japan is portrayed as a metropolitan, clean, and simple city to Westerners, that's not how real Japan is all about. Whenever I say I am from Japan, first thing people usually ask is,...
While my husband is away in Tokyo this week, I dig myself deeper everyday into a dark hole of despair and yearning. With emails from him like "I am going to Bar Tender in the day then Sasagin and
