I was fortunate enough to peek into the Peko Peko kitchen this last weekend, while they were preparing all 40 boxes of their highly coveted annual osechi bentos. What a crew! Sylvan had about five people working the kitchen -- peeling, dicing, de-shelling 40 Dungeness crabs......
A step-by-step guide on how to make Japanese sake lees pickles, or kasuzuke.
When I was a kid, my mom made ebi-fry, tonkatsu and korokke frequently. Every time she would serve up one of these deep-fried treats, my sister and I who were both picky eaters, would be satisfied. To this day, I love Japanese deep...
By Erin Gleeson via Forest Feast.
I have missed writing this column, so I'm bringing it back! I can not pretend that I have abandoned my lazy ways, or that I've stopped cutting corners when cooking. My kitchen may be much bigger than what I had in Brooklyn, but this only means...
By Erin Gleeson for Forest Feast.
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...
PREFACE Battle ReCPY: NYC Umeboshi Project, Pt. 1 Battle ReCPY: NYC Umeboshi Project, Pt. 2 Finally, I finished pickling my ume. All I had left to do was to dry them under sun for a day or two. Being in NYC, I don't...
On a particularly temperate Los Angeles evening, three Umamimart writers (one a founding member), and an Umamimart photographer, joined three Umamimart supporters and friends for a lovely dinner at Robata Jinya in West Hollywood, CA. Of the diners, two were strict vegetarians, one a...
The silicone steamer craze has been in full force in Japan since 2010. With the economy tanking continuously since 2008, single men and women who have never tried their hand at cooking have taken solace in kitchenware that promise quick and easy recipes. My...
I think it’s safe to say that I have officially become a pizzahead. After moving from San Francisco to Los Angeles and trying a few different wood-fired pizza places out, along with being given some pretty ridiculous suggestions on par with the bowling alley pizza...
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...
Japan is known to take ideas from other countries and adapt them for their own. From castella to ramen to hambagu, the Japanese menu is full of food items that could not exist without outside influences. Many of these foods have deviated so...
PREFACE Battle ReCPY: NYC Umeboshi Project, Pt. 1 After a couple of weeks of pickling plum in salt, it extracts all the water out of the plums, which makes umezu (plum vinegar). Once the liquid rises above the plum, it's time to add...
I've become addicted to miso. You know, that Japanese brown and weird looking paste consisting of fermented rice, soybeans, salt and the fungus kōjikin. Or at least that is the most traditional recipe, but miso can be found across Asia in many...
Avocado sashimi with yuzu kosho is the easiest dish to make. It's great to serve your guests before the main course. It's also an ideal option to serve yourself when you are feeling really lazy but a little fancy. I prepare this...
The other morning I woke up with the worst hangover I've had in two years. I remember drinking shochu the night before like I was drinking water. I clearly ended up mixing up the two halfway through the night because they both...
A step-by-step recipe for Japanese yaki onigiri, or grilled rice balls.
After seeing the Ume Project on the west coast, I was intrigued. I like umeboshi (pickled plums) and every time I go home to Japan, I bring back my mother's homemade ones. After all, I am from Wakayama, where Japan's best umeboshi is made....
This is a personal post about being lost in culinary hell and finding the path home again with a little help from my Japanese friends. In case someone out there might be in the same situation that I was in, I hope this helps and...
