November 28, 2011
I was in Miami for Thanksgiving, listening to salsa music while eating turkey, which was great. Last Thanksgiving, I had a steak in Fort Lauderdale, but this year we had a very traditional Thanksgiving meal, with nontraditional music accompaniment. Since Thanksgiving Day’s meal looks the same no matter how fancy, or tasty it may be, I will
Read More →
July 28, 2011
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 tea or dashi
Read More →
July 11, 2011
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 so much better!!! (Although I’ve never been to the Hamptons). Life is good,
Read More →
July 8, 2011
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, and hidden beaches are nestled away in unspoiled coves.
Read More →
June 23, 2011
Frying has always been something I was afraid of. I remember my grandma frying whole fish in a huge wok of oil. It took brawn and a fearless attitude toward unpredictable flying specks of oil traveling at high speeds. I will never be half as tough as my grandma, and I still don’t have the
Read More →
June 20, 2011
Fishcakes, such as the Homo Sausage, chikuwa and kamaboko, are some of my favorite foods. It usually weirds people out in the States because of its “processed” figure; but I really enjoy its chewy, rubbery texture, and its flavor of the sea. I’ve always loved fishcake (as does Kayoko) and it’s
Read More →
June 2, 2011
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 from Japan to the San Francisco delta in 1959 as
Read More →
May 27, 2011
*Dear Martians, please welcome the newest addition to the Umamimart Familia, Jerkey. She is based in LA, and a good friend of Umamimart writer Sarah Nevada and Yoko’s cousin (and loyal reader) Tomo. We first met at the San Pedro Fish Market Umamiventure, back in June last year, and she is
Read More →
May 26, 2011
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 for my two soft-shell crab buddies Rod and Todd. I am a
Read More →
