THE GOCHISO GOURMET: Boosting breakfast

Because workday mornings aren’t paced at leisure, especially when awakening just south of 4 a.m., my workday breakfasts are primarily created to get me to lunch without that mid-morning stomach rumbling or grumbling. Thus, I have the same old breakfast, Coach’s oatmeal from Costco, mixed with Bran Buds and dried cranberries microwaved for two minutes, […]

Celebrating the soy bean: 2017 Northern California Soy and Tofu Festival

The Northern California Soy and Tofu Festival returned to The Event Center at Saint Mary’s Cathedral June 17 in San Francisco to celebrate the many applications of the soy bean. Paired with music, games and its annual Soy and Tofu Dessert Competition, the seventh annual fundraiser for the Nichi Bei Foundation, publishers of the Nichi […]

Company distributes fresh handmade natto in the U.S.

Megumi Natto, established in 2006 in Northern California’s Sonoma County, became the first company to produce and distribute fresh natto in the U.S., according to Alan Maeda, the company’s CEO. Natto, fermented soybeans, is a nutritious traditional Japanese food. “My big mission is to deliver the real Japanese food and the profound wisdom,” said Minami […]

THE GOCHISO GOURMET: Natto dinner at Koko Head Café

Because June signals the arrival of the annual Northern California Soy and Tofu Festival — held this year Saturday, June 17 from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Event Center at Saint Mary’s Cathedral at 1111 Gough St. (at Geary Blvd.) near San Francisco’s Japantown — get ready for your fill of all things […]

THE GOCHISO GOURMET: Bizarre Japanese foods

I used to be glued to the tube when the Food Network first debuted, since it was a channel devoted exclusively to the art of the kitchen, from Emeril’s “bam,” to Mario Batali’s rustic Italian dishes, to the informative and entertaining Alton Brown, who combined theatrics along with actual technique. But like any media — […]

THE GOCHISO GOURMET: Support your community

It’s that time once again, when most of us focus on changes we’ll make for the rest of the year: Spend less, weigh less, work harder, study more, be a better person and so on and so forth. Sometimes we’re successful and continue on throughout the year. Sometimes we’re not as successful and falter somewhere […]

THE GOCHISO GOURMET: That looks … delicious?

OK, the following food subject will either elicit disgust (probably the majority of readers) or set off that Pavlovian response (probably the minority of readers) since I’m sure everyone knows what natto is. Yes, those beans with the pungent odor and slimy texture that leave “threads” from your mouth to the plate. That’s if you […]

GOCHISO GOURMET: The joy of soy

The humble soybean is so versatile; a multitude of food applications can be employed to satisfy any soy craving. From slightly sweetened okara served simply “as is” or formed into fried croquettes to slightly sweetened soy milk as a morning vegetarian milk substitute to that ubiquitous curdled soy milk product, tofu, to the refined textured […]

The many uses and benefits of soy

From a fresh edamame to even an aged, fermented bean, soybeans in every form have been lauded as a health superfood for centuries. Packed with proteins and antioxidants, it comes as no surprise that it’s often considered a near-perfect food, nutritionally. It’s the only non-meat food known to have all nine amino acids needed for […]

Soy to the world: Small businesses explore varied tastes, textures

Megumi Natto   It’s sticky, stringy and it’s stinky (but in a good way). Like the ripest of natto will shock people initially, but reward those that don’t shy away from it with its depth of flavor and multiple health benefits. Often found on a Japanese sushi maki menu, if you haven’t heard of it […]