Kayoko here, filling in for Yoko. From here on out, just call me (Ka)Yoko. By now, I'm sure you know what ponzu is. I don't even have to explain it to you. In fact, it's such a part of our colloquialism that I don't even...
Smelt. Fried, they are a great accompaniment to a pint of beer. Grilled and served with a bowl of white rice, they complete a Japanese breakfast. They also win the Cheap Bastards' Choice Award, since they average $3.50/lb. The "Wakasagi" variety of smelt were introduced...
I admire killers. I admire butchers, mongers, soldiers and... Dexter. I admire them for the balls and boobies they possess to kill with confidence--without squealing or being a hesitant little sissy. They don't do things like "name" their kill--like I did...
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...
Hey hey, Kayoko here, filling in for Yoko this week. Seems that summer has arrived in the Bay Area (a balmy 77˚F in Oakland, holla!), which means I will only cook meals that take me a few minutes to prepare....
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...
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...
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...
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...
Step-by-step instructions on how to make Oolong Hai, or shochu iced tea.
Step-by-step instructions on how to make the Japanese shoyu marinade for ikura (salmon roe).
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...
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...
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...
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...
Love Japanese mayo? Want to put it on everything? Get the recipe on making your own Kewpie mayonnaise at home.
When I crave comfort food, this is my go-to dish. It's quick, easy and cheap. The key to a successful miso-eggplant dish is fresh eggplants. The vibrant purple...
Matsutake are to Japan as truffles are to France. They are hard-to-find, fragrant, expensive and coveted. "Matsu" means pine and "take" means mushroom. Matsutake are harvested in the fall, the earliest occurring in September from pine forests in diverse locations around the world...
A trip to Brattleboro, Vermont was just what I needed this winter... it provided a little R&R and an idea that was perfect for Japanify. Brattleboro put on quite a show for this Californian. It snowed just enough make the...
