After our Berkeley backyard ume foraging adventure, Yoko, Sylvan (of Peko Peko) and I met up six days later to start pickling our umeboshi (pickled plum). Hooray! Umeboshi is the rice accompaniment of choice in Japan--the image of the sour little...
On a hot day in summer, when you don't feel like cooking or baking, yet feel the need to create something yummy isn't an easy task. That's when I rely on agar agar to make cold dessert. I've made mizu yokan before...
A summer harvest table arrangement at the recent Taste of Greenmarket benefit in NYC. Photo by Erin Gleeson.
I've traveled around most Central American countries over the past few years on surf trips and have tried pretty much all the local beers in each country I've visited. Right now I am in Panama and the...
PREFACE Summer Slurp Series, Pt. 1: Nikumiso Udon Summer Slurp Series, Pt. 2: Hiyashi Chuka (Cold Ramen) The one (and only) thing that I miss about the disgustingly humid temperatures in Tokyo is the arrival of cold noodle...
I'm ashamed to say that I had not tried kome (short rice) shochu so often in Japan because I didn't have many occasions to try it. Truthfully, I did not care for it much anyway, since I was most into
Last week I attended a birthday party at a friend's house. He rarely cooks but when he does, he is highly experimental and innovative. I had a drink and was busy chatting with fabulous guests, discussing the recent catastrophic Christian...
“Are we really doing this?” I asked, uncertainly nibbling on a grilled shiitake mushroom. Eriko paused before answering. “I know I was talking some pretty ambitious stuff the other night, but I think we should try it,” she replied. “We could end up pulling...
We've been very lucky. Since last summer, we've had a bona fide udon-ya (shop) right here in London. Serving sanuki udon (a type of udon from the Kagawa region of Japan) that is prepared in-house, Koya boasts chefs that...
Photos by Derek Dercep. I am currently writing this post from Lake Muskoka in Canada. My friend OWNS a freaking island here. Apparently, this lake is ranked No. 1 in the U.S. for summer vacation destinations. Screw the Hamptons, this island is...
I made this edible bouquet for a friends birthday using radishes, carrots, scallions and rosemary. I also added a kebab skewer of strawberries, jalapeños and tomatillos. Photos by Erin Gleeson.
When I say Liguria, I’m talking about the Ligurian coast in the Italian Riviera. Topographically different from the rest of Italy, the coastline is scattered with mountainous cliffs that drop straight down into the ocean,...
PREFACE Summer Slurp Series, Pt. 1: Nikumiso Udon The one (and only) thing that I miss about the disgustingly humid temperatures in Tokyo is the arrival of cold noodle dishes on menus everywhere. During the hot months of June through September,...
The one and only Paystyle rolled into town a couple of weeks ago. Although he would be fully booked with personal engagements, I knew exactly how to get him to pencil me in. A few days before he was scheduled to land at...
Yoko and I tagged along with Sylvan of Peko Peko last week to forage for ume (Japanese plums aka Prunus mume). We had been planning this for weeks, going back and forth and patiently waiting for the perfect moment to pick the ume,...
Downtown Los Angeles is a special place--a part of town that still feels authentically gritty and big city-like. Even amongst the gentrification going strong in a few, piecemeal pockets, downtown LA is still pretty much what it was in Beverly Hills Cop 2. Sure, the...
Photo by Erin Gleeson.
It’s getting colder here in Brazil and dry season is approaching. In the North, the crops have been harvested. Festa Junina (June Festival) was carried over from the Portuguese to celebrate and thank God for the rain by eating wonderful foods--and like any good Brazilian...
The one (and only) thing that I miss about the disgustingly humid temperatures in Tokyo is the arrival of cold noodle dishes on menus everywhere. During the hot months of June through September, I would convince myself that I deserved a daily reward of...
Today, I'll introduce you to Satsuma Shiranami which used to be my go-to shochu in Japan. I would get home late from work, turn on the TV and settle down into my couch and have this shochu on the rocks. It relaxed...
