Sweet


December 29, 2011

Japanify: Kuri no Kanroni (Chestnuts Simmered in Syrup)

by yoko

DSC_0396

Chestnuts signify the presence of winter in many cultures. Although I’ve never actually tried chestnuts roasted by an open fire, I have tried the Japanese version of chestnuts simmered in simple syrup, or kuri no kanroni. However, I had never taken the initiative to prepare a chestnut dish because the task of peeling always seemed so
Read More →

December 28, 2011

Forest Feast: Sufganiyot (Jelly Donuts)

by Erin Gleeson

tumblr_lww1arYcYB1r4p2epo1_1280

tumblr_lww1arYcYB1r4p2epo2_1280

In honor of this last day of Hanukkah, I made sufganiyot (jelly donuts). Believe it or not, this is a Hanukkah tradition, right along with latkes (potato pancakes). This was the first time I’d made them so I used Martha Stewart’s recipe. They came out great!

*This post first appeared on Erin
Read More →

December 25, 2011

Merry Xmas Wagashi (Sweets)

by Umamimart Guest

_D7S3856

By Kenji Miura

I celebrated Christmas in Japan by making wagashi, or traditional Japanese sweets.

Santa is shaped out of shiro-an (white bean paste).

The holly is made out of ogura tsubu-an (red beans boiled with sugar, skin-on).

The tree is comprised of shiro-an and kanten (agar agar). The kinton (mashed substance, in this case the shiro-an and kanten) was then pressed through
Read More →

December 14, 2011

Skankynavia XXXmas Special: Messy Confections Delish

by Anders

31

There’s a big financial crisis pillaging through the poor, run down viking villages of Denmark. It’s the revisiting ghost from 2008.

Even though we’re still doing better than many of the South European countries, a lot of people are being laid off work and therefore no one’s shopping. At all.

All my self-employed friends who own stores are
Read More →

November 23, 2011

Skankynavia: Bitchin’ Brownies

by Anders

20

Brownies come many a kind — I like these particular ones because they’re very light and discrete in flavour which means you can eat the whole cake and not feel overstuffed (even though you most certainly will be).

To me, brownies should be heavy, soggy, small bricks of chocolate. This is a recipe I’ve been playing around
Read More →

October 19, 2011

Skankynavia: Icelandic Nammi

by Anders

19

As I’ve written in a post some years ago, Iceland is a nation of candy addicts. Especially if the candy is chocolate mixed with liquorice. It’s crazy how much candy the Icelandic people eat – but since there’s no fresh ice cream tradition like in Italy or warm, salty pretzels like in Germany – I
Read More →

October 17, 2011

ReCPY: Broken Leg Cake for a Gay Footballer

by Yamahomo

DSCN2403

Before I start this week’s post, let’s congratulate Kayoko and the crew for revamping the Umamimart site to a whole new level. Orange is my favorite color, so this is cool, and soon enough, we will be FAMOUS bloggers!! Hooray.

As you’ve seen from my past posts, I’ve made cakes for basically all of my friends birthdays
Read More →

October 3, 2011

Culinography: Top Chef Just Desserts with Pichet Ong

by Erin Gleeson

erin_gleeson_pichet_ong_foiegrastaco

Last week, NYC pastry chef extraordinaire Pichet Ong was a guest judge on Top Chef Just Desserts (aired September 22).  As he was introduced, some of my photos of his desserts were shown on the episode: Foie Gras Taco and Warm Date Cake (see below). I shot the desserts in his restaurants
Read More →

August 25, 2011

Japanify: Kuzu Matcha Kanten with Mizu Yokan

by yoko

Kuzu Matcha Kanten and Mizu Yokan

Although we don’t see many kudzu vines taking over large patches of land in the west, it is often referred to as the “mile-a-minute-vine” in the South. It all started in 1876 when someone thought it would be a good idea to introduce the kudzu plant from Japan
Read More →

August 8, 2011

ReCPY: DIY Gummy Snacks

by Yamahomo

DSCN2117

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 is very educational, scientific, and simply fun. Apparently though, the sushi-making
Read More →