Spring Salad with Kohlrabi Combine: 6 spears of asparagus (thinly sliced) 1 peeled kohlrabi (cut into matchsticks) 1 cup English peas (raw) 1/2 cup shelled pistachios 1 cucumber (thinly sliced) 1/2 bunch of sliced scallions Dressing: 3...
Aisha Sharpe and Willy Shine, the founders of Contemporary Cocktails, created this refreshing springtime drink. The name is both a reference to the classic Manhattan area code as well as a clever play on proportions. 212 2 oz Partida Reposado Tequila 1...
If you can recall, Umamimart helped organize a special bartender event back in March, with Suntory and Prizefighter bar. Bay Area bartenders came together with a couple of talented bartenders from...
Now, Umamimart has never really been "in" on the "scene". We don't really get invited to hip opening events or get star attention from restaurants when dining. We have never paid too much attention to those kind of things -- we just like to talk...
Remember when Yoko posted that pornlicious article about how to make ikura-don (salmon roe over rice), topped with a raw egg? Well, one night, she invited me over for dinner and she made ikura spaghetti!!! What a gluttonous noodle feast in a bowl. The al...
Soak citron (I used Buddha's hand, aka "fingered citron") in vodka for 3 days. Strain. Make a rosemary simple syrup by simmering one part sugar, one part water and one rosemary sprig for 5 minutes (or when it is...
The #2 drink in the PDT Cocktail Book is the #3 Cup. If you like the Pimm’s Cup, then you cannot pass up this one, which appeared on the PDT menu in the spring of 2009. Created by former PDT bartender Gerry Corcoran, the drink's...
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....
Spring has sprung in the woods! Passover is this week and to kick it off, we hosted a first-night Seder. We spent two days cooking all the traditional Jewish dishes: matzah ball soup, haroset (a paste of dried fruit and nuts), farfel (quiche-like squares), tzimmes (a...
In Japan, everything is made easy for busy housewives who have to raise kids, clean the house, yet also have to cook and make dessert. You throw things in a microwave and five minutes later, you can a serve main course to your hungry kids and...
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." - Lao-tzu And thus begins the first step. The PDT Project officially kicks off with the #8 cocktail, a boozy tequila-based delight. Created in the fall of 2008 by former PDT bartender Daniel...
So this weekend I was having a few people over for a potluck birthday party and I took it upon myself to make the dessert. A long time ago I remembered making a super delicious rye bread layer cake -- crunchy, fresh and sweet with raspberry cream--but...
In a plastic bag combine: 1 cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds) 2 tsp paprika 1/2 tsp chili powder 1 tbsp sugar 1 tsp coarse sea salt 1 tbsp olive oile Shake the bag until the seeds are well coated, then pour into a bowl. A...
Protein is a great thing to carry around. It stays together and packs an energy-filled punch, in comparison to a salad or veggie stir-fry --which can either take up lots of space or taste very bad because of a temperature change. Hunks of hamburg or...
My most recent obsession is making anko (sweet bean paste) from scratch. As I wrote in my strawberry daifuku post a couple of weeks ago, using bean paste as dessert doesn't really exist in the west. But I am trying to find ways to...
There was an egg festival in my bowl of rice the other day. I placed a raw egg yolk on a mound of ikura (salmon roe) on top of my steaming hot bowl of rice. The orange hues are sexy and appetizing, glimmering in my...
Not that I've ever beaten anyone up, but I think macaron-making is somewhat similar to the mentality of a wifebeater's wife. You get so fed up with the multiple failures, from all the physical and mental abuse, and you want to leave him, but when you are...
On paper, nagaimo sounds like a miracle food. Nagaimo is a type of yam with hardly any calories, while simultaneously lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. It's also full of potassium and fiber and ideal for the diet of a diabetic. And that list doesn't even include its...
Confession: I'm kinda tired of Asian food. Maybe because I eat it every day. So when my Mile High Dining Club friend declared he wanted to throw a Moroccan inspired dinner I was totally there. Moroccan, African and Arabian are probably the less trendy...
“Made of Win” Bourbon is one of my favorite spirits to make and drink cocktails. Sadly, it is not used in many pre-Prohibition recipes due to rye whisky’s popularity during the golden age of cocktails. After Repeal, bourbon gained popularity as it became more available...
