Japanese snacks are wacky. From matcha-flavored Kit Kats, to dried squid covered in chocolate, to using beans for desserts, the country is filled with surprises in the sweet tooth department. I've seen a DIY sushi-making video, and it was very intriguing. I think the idea...
The afternoon I took this picture in Hell's Kitchen was one of the steamiest days this summer, but that didn't stop New Yorkers from loving HOT 99¢ slices. I have a feeling I might look back at...
Photos by Thomas L. Young One dollar street tacos at a busy intersection in downtown Los Angeles is about as old school as you can get. On the corner of Mateo and 7th street, in front of the Mexican restaurant La Reyna...
A step-by-step recipe for Japanese yaki onigiri, or grilled rice balls.
Let's start this post by trying to pronounce its title. Easy, no? The Danish language is in a league of its own. Imagine a gurgling sound, the deep noise of a drunk blond viking with too much mead in his mouth. While...
You may recall that both Yoko and Yamahomo have shown us how to make umeshu (plum liqueur) on Umamimart (here and here). The season for ume is super short, and people in Japan scramble for them at the supermarkets to make their yearly...
Corn season has arrived. Every Greenmarket vendor is selling them for 50 cents an ear. [Speaking of, why do we count corn in such a way? Don't you think it's a bit odd to think of ears growing on trees? Imagine that.] Anyhow, I like...
I recently attended a wedding that was an early afternoon affair, and they served brunch. What a delicious idea! I'll take bagels and lox and an omelette bar over some dry chicken and rice dish any day! Photo by...
My trip to France was my first international experience ever. As much as I tried to prepare, there really is just no preparing for the unknown. From walking a mile underground in between each subway line to the reality of the hotel rooms, everything seemed...
I visited my mom recently and she served me one of the best breakfasts I have had in a long time--tai chazuke. Chazuke is short for ochazuke, a common method of enjoying rice in Japan. A bowl of rice is topped with condiments and hot...
This time I would like to talk about mugi (barley) shochu in more general terms. Mugi shochu might be easier to understand than any other shochu, because mugi shochu is distilled from barley--like whisky, vodka, and gin. There are two types of...
Italian ice cream, especially from Sicily, has this smooth, creamy texture which you can eat with a spatula. It's gorgeous, sexy and slimy. In the best way. Ice cream in Danish is called "is" as in ice--meaning we call that slippery cold frozen water...
When I was but a spring chicken who had just graduated from university, I went on a backpacking trip to Italy with one of my friends. It was hot, we were young and Italy was a marvelous cacaphony of ancient ruins, art...
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....
Chef Gabriel Kreuther of The Modern prepared this dish for the recent 4th Annual Taste of the Greenmarket benefit in NYC. Update from The Modern (Tues. 7/26, 12:45pm EDT): The dish is Needle Panna Cotta with Nasturtium flowers and...
While it's no Musso & Frank or Mateo's, Umami Burger is quickly becoming a fixture in the LA culinary world. Seriously. Six locations have popped up since the original La Brea location opened in 2009 and the popularity doesn't appear...
Last week on Japanify, I proposed the idea of marrying two of my favorite things in life: Japanese food and Twin Peaks. A few hours after my post went up, Kayoko emailed me this post from Mental Floss, on a series of videos from...
Earlier this year, Yoko and I approached Wormfun (aka Kaoru Kumano) to be our Featured Artist in the Umamimart Shop's second season line. After working with Anders to create the Umamimart mug, Yoko and I thought to commission an artist to design...
Paystyle and Vanessa are in New Orleans this week for the annual cocktail fête of the year, Tales of the Cocktail--hands down the most important event in the world for cocktail heads, bar chefs, liquor companies, alcoholics, et...
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...
