Umami Mart Registry
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Japanify: Matsutake Soup

Taking half an hour out of my schedule to slow down and warm up has been possible these past few weeks thanks to this simple soup. The arrival of matsutake mushrooms is here and I couldn't be more excited. This year...

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Japanify: Winter Root Nimono

For some, winter may mean honey-baked hams and Santa Claus. But at my house, it means nimono. Nimono simply means "simmered things" in Japanese. You can pretty much simmer anything, but the simmering liquid is usually a combination of dashi,...

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Japanify: Kale Ohitashi

Although I have embraced the fact that I have now crossed-over into 30-somethingdom, my diet has not caught up. With age, my body is clearly not as forgiving when I've had a few too many glasses of wine. The idea of...

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Japanify: Grilled Sanma

When the persimmons and matsutake start populating the markets in Japan, so do the sanma (Pacific Saury). They are so abundant, they are practically giving them out for free. For less than 100yen per fish, it's the most economical choice to...

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Japanify: Negitoro Don

I am posting a recipe for negitoro donburi for the pure fact that this is the most delicious thing to make in under 5 minutes if you have cooked rice on hand. If your fish monger sells toro pieces for...

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Japanify: Matsutake Farro

The other day, Washi and I went to Uniqlo thinking we could just casually stroll in two days after its opening. First reality check: there was a line winding two blocks down the building. So we went to some other shops. Second...

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Japanify: Steak Sauce

Whenever I go see my 92 year-old grandma and have a conversation over tea, she drops all kinds of wisdom bombs on me. And she does it so casually, I never really notice the impact her words have on me until I...

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Japanify: Pork + Myoga Madness

Myoga madness continues as I experiment with the harvest from my sister's myoga plant. Last week, I topped raw myoga on tofu. This week, I make a stir fry with myoga and slices of pork shoulder. I am very inexperienced with...

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Japanify: Hiyayakko with Myoga

My sister has a giant myoga plant that is thriving in a shady spot by her chicken coup coop. Powerful myoga buds started busting through the styrofoam container walls a few weeks ago. The plant was inherited from someone who could...

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Japanify: Warm Shiitake and Corn Salad

After a whole summer of non-stop sunshine, fruit smoothies and ice-cold Franzia boxed wine (that was actually only for a day, sadly...), I'm really looking forward to the comforting food of autumn. I am not complaining though. I am a huge fan...

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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....

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Japanify: Tofu To-Go

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...

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Japanify: Nagaimo

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...

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Great UM Noodletown: Karasumi Pasta

Karasumi (or bottarga) is salted and dried mullet roe. It comes in two sacks and are hard, like a candy bar. Its deep, oceany, salty flavor is reminiscent of caviar. But the texture is not like caviar, because it's a dense mass of eggs dried...