Gift Guide 2020: For Uni Addicts

December 15, 2020

Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am complete and total uni addict. I even have a sea urchin cutter, imported from Japan, just in case I should be lucky enough to find a source for fresh urchins.

Sea urchins come in many flavors. Some favor the prized Hokkaido sea urchins from Japan. Some prefer the Atlantic urchins found off the coast of Maine. But for my money, you can’t beat the rich, sweet, buttery Santa Barbara sea urchin.


If you live in southern California, your best source is the wonderful  Stephanie Mutz, who plies her trade in Santa Barbara. These days Stephanie is selling up and down the California coast, but sadly she doesn’t ship. So I’ve been fueling my extremely expensive urchin addiction with occasional splurges at Regalis.


Beware: Regalis is an absolute encyclopedia of luxury foods, and therefore rather dangerous. They sell everything from truffles to high end meats like Iberico ham and exotic produce like fresh wasabi. If you’re in the market for a live 7 or 8 pound red crab from Norway, they will oblige.


And if you’re eager to cut your own sashimi, their  crown toro hamachi  is the easiest – and least expensive – option I’ve found.

If you have a friend who’s feeling deprived of the luxury foods found in restaurants, they’d be extremely pleased to get a gift from Regalis. And even if you don’t, on dreary afternoons I can think of few more pleasant ways to pass a few minutes than daydreaming at the Regalis Foods website.

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1 Comment

  • Martha Olson says:

    Sorry, Ruth, this is not a comment but this is the only way I know of contacting you. We need your advice!
    My husband and I are researching traditional Bolognese sauce. About 30 years ago you published a recipe in “Gourmet” magazine that used only 2T of tomato paste. Now all recipes we can find, including the one in your huge Gourmet cookbook, include around 28 ounces of tomatoes or purée. Seems a major change in the basic recipe!
    Which is right?

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