Umami Mart Registry
Japanify

Japanify: Grilled Shio-Koji Nagaimo

Last February, I went to Jicca in Tokyo and had this seemingly unassuming dish. I've mainly had raw nagaimo (Chinese yam) julienned or grated in all its gooey glory. But at Jicca, it was seasoned with some serious magic. Lightly grilling this nagaimo brought out a...

Tokyo JUNKtion

Tokyo JUNKtion: Jicca

Whenever I visit Tokyo, I look forward to meeting newborns... especially when I've followed the progression of their parents. No, I'm not talking about newborn babies. I'm talking about new places to eat. On our first full night in Tokyo, Kayoko and I visited Jicca,...

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Japanify: Steamed Kabocha Krunch

The markets are exploding with pumpkins and other squash -- which means, autumn is here! I always look forward to this time of year because I like bundling up, wearing my hair down and cozying up on the couch with all kinds of tea. My...

Carrot Shochu Pickles

By Steven Sharafian I spend a fair amount of time making tsukemono (pickles). I focus mostly on quick-pickles that only take a couple of minutes to prep and have a short curing period. This seemed to flow into the idea of pairing carrots with...

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...

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Japanify: Lotus Root Kinpira

I am a huge fan of spice, and finding a dish that I can make that delivers the spice is always a welcome affair. This renkon (lotus root) kinpira is a recipe I made out of an awesome book that Kayoko got...

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Japanify: Mizuna Crunch Salad

Spring is here and my local market is starting show signs of different colors of the rainbow after a winter abundance of orange and brown fruits and vegetables. I've been most excited about the appearance of more greens -- broccoli, asparagus, green onions, etc....

MOTOism

MOTOism: Homemade Dried Shiitake

Dried mushrooms are fashionable. They are packed with umami, and don't contain any artificial crap. By drying them, mushrooms are concentrated with nutrients and all the good stuff. Mark Bittman wrote about the greatness of dried mushrooms. Pre-packed dried shiitake are found easily...

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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: 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...

MOTOism

MOTOism: Farewell to Summer: Corn 2 Ways

Summer is over, but I like the beginning of the autumn. I can finally wear layers, and the chill in the morning and evening is comforting. And knitting season starts just about now! Although the food supply has lost seasonality in many ways and we...