My love affair with food (and other things): Umami

I have been quite delinquent when it comes to my blog. It isn't that I haven't been cooking, or even taking pictures, I have just been busy moving house and also didn't have internet until late last week. I decided to kick off my blog with Tenina's Umami Paste made in the #thermomix. This paste reminds me of my childhood in Japan. The food there was always tasted meaty, full of body and had a depth that I have found very difficult to find in in Western food. This paste adds a punch to just about anything savoury... You can also add it to butter and then freeze the butter in little circles and have it on fish. My godson likes to have it on toast... He puts it up there with Vegemite. Thank you #Tenina, I can now experience this taste every day!

The #thermomix is such an amazing product and I love using it. It has made my life so much easier and has made me a more creative cook as well. My husband was so anti me buying one but now he gets it which is nice.

Anyway, the ingredients are below! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
300g Roma tomatoes (cubed)
90g Parmesan, cubed (I grate mine in advance an put it into a ziplock bag in the freezer)
80g Walnuts (toasted)
5g Dulse Sea Vegetable Flakes
5g Balsamic Vinegar
2-3 anchovy fillets (or use mushrooms if want a vegetarian option)

Do:
Place tomatoes into TM bowl and cook 10 - 14 min/100 degree C/Reverse + 1

2. Press cooled pulp through a fine sieve and separate solids from liquids. Reserve liquids to use in Umami Paste.

Notes: I used a rubber spatula to press the solids through the sieve

If you want, dehydrate the tomato solids in a warm oven on a piece of baking paper until it becomes brittle. Mill and save the flakes to use in chicken stock powder.