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MOTOism

MOTOism: My Vegetable Garden

As you've seen from my previous posts, my current apartment has a nice-sized balcony, which gets wonderful sunlight. I make the most out of this luxury by hosting barbeque dinners, and make my own dried mushrooms and umeboshi. When you have...

MOTOism

MOTOism: Farewell to Summer: Shiso Beautiful

This is my second write-up in a series about summer vegetables. Instead of enjoying them now, I am packing them for the upcoming seasons. I love shiso. You often find them sadly sitting underneath your sashimi at Japanese restaurants. These green herbs are similar to...

MOTOism

MOTOism: MOTOburger (Rice Buns)

If you have been to Japan, you've been to MOS burger, the best burger chain. Apparently it is coming to the U.S., which will be great.  Their burgers -- from the regular MOS burger with bolognese sauce, to tonkatsu burger with cabbage, to real-deal teriyaki...

Japanify

Japanify: Maguro Zukedon

My partner Washi recently got a job as a salaryman. This may not seem that odd until you consider the fact that he is living in Berkeley, California and to qualify as a salaryman, you are usually employed by a Japanese corporation....

The Ume Project: Umeboshi Finale

PREFACE The Ume Project: Foraging The Ume Project: Pickling for Umeboshi The Ume Project: Umeshu (Plum Liqueur) The Ume Project: The Aka-Shiso Edition Since July, Yoko and I have been working on umeboshi (pickled plums) with Sylvan of Peko Peko, a Japanese...

The Ume Project: The Aka-Shiso Edition

This post is rather late, for which I apologize. Er, about a month late. SORRY! Where has all the time gone? How is it already mid-September? I look outside and the leaves are turning color. The light gives off a deeper glow. It is dark...

Japanify

Japanify: The Japanese Canned Fish-Off

When the heat rolls in, laziness comes in the form of "I don't want to cook." Maybe it's also an instinctual thing where I am unconsciously preparing for a fire or earthquake which is more likely to happen in the hot summer months...

Japanify

Japanify: Shiso Shout-Out

Quite possibly the only herb in the mint family that the Japanese will not associate with toothpaste is shiso. Shiso, or sometimes referred to as perilla, Japanese basil or beefsteak plant is often found as a garnish in Japanese cuisine....

Japanify

Japanify: Instant Ramen for Drunks

Piggybacking on Yamahomo's drunk cooking post, this week's Japanify introduces techniques for making instant ramen that will please drunks. After a long, explosive night of dancing, my husband prepared Sapporo Ichiban instant ramen. An avid eater of Sapporo Ichiban instant...