Umami Life is the Savory Art of Life
Elevate Your Healthy Wine & Dine at Home
Welcome to Umami.Life, where we celebrate the fifth taste and all the delicious possibilities it brings to our palates. Our passion is to offer resources, recipes, and wine pairings that help people explore the world of umami and create flavorful, healthy meals.
At Umami.Life, we believe that the key to unlocking the full potential of flavorful dishes lies in the use of umami-rich ingredients in cooking. Tomatoes, mushrooms, and fermented sauces such as soy or fish sauce are just a few examples of the many ingredients that can add an umami kick to your dishes. We offer recipes for classic dishes from around the world, as well as our own inspired creations that will tantalize your taste buds.
Along with flavorful food, we want to help you discover the world on a budget and without a passport! So we provide wine pairing suggestions with each recipe.
Enjoying a bottle of wine is like traveling the world with all its beauty, unique food cultures and terroir. You only need your passion to discover and learn. We like to say that there’s a taste of time, place and passion in all the best bottles of wine. Drink the world and discover its riches!
Beef with NO Antibiotics! NO Hormones! NO mRNA Vaccines!
Never had them. Never will! Never ever!
We own our ranch and guarantee our beef to be USDA Prime or High Choice and raised without being treated with hormones and without antibiotics.
We own and operate our 210,000-sq-ft processing facility located right on the ranch. It is one of the most state-of-the-art processing facilities in the U.S., including a 780,000-cu-ft aging cooler.
We guarantee that you’ve never experienced anything quite like our Black Label Beef.
Featured Article
Selecting the Best Bottle of Wine for Your Budget
How do you select the best wine for your budget? This question drives people to hunt for reviews and scores from experts, download apps for crowdsourced ratings, or seek recommendations from wine professionals.
Here’s the inside scoop: you don’t need a wine score or a sommelier to guide you in selecting best bottle of wine for your budget. No matter if you’re in the retail aisles or perusing the restaurant wine list, you can find a great bottle at any price range. If you know the three magic words: “Location, Location, Location”, you’ll be celebrating like Rocky Balboa every time. The Golden Rule of real estate applies to selecting the best bottle of wine for your budget and can make you feel as though you’re Indiana Jones unearthing a treasure.
Fresh from the Kitchen
Savory Dutch Baby with Deli Meat & Cheese
Need a way to use the odds and ends of charcuterie and cheeses in your fridge? A Savory Dutch Baby with Deli Meat and Cheese looks enticing and tastes delicious! Serve for brunch, lunch, dinner or late night after-event snacking. Whisk the batter together at least 2...
Dutch Baby with Seasonal Fresh Fruit
Wow your friends and family with quick and flavorful Dutch Baby with Seasonal Fresh Fruit. Great for breakfast, brunch or dessert, the beautiful presentation will elicit "oohhs and aahhs" from you dining companions. Ingredients 4 large Eggs 1/2 cup whole Milk 2...
Savory Mushroom & Cheese Dutch Baby
This is the dish to make with the choice edible mushrooms found in farmers' markets or upscale grocers' produce departments! It's impressive as either an appetizer or light meal. This savory batter with polenta adds a nice texture. You will need two skillets for this...
Amped-Up Brownies
Can brownies from a prepackaged mix be wine & dine dinner party worthy? Yes! You can bake gourmet quality brownies from a mix without adding any extra time to the preparation when you follow these tips for our Amped-Up Brownies. We found an organic brownie mix...
Seafood with Creamy Tuscan Sauce
Quick and easy Seafood with Creamy Tuscan Sauce delivers flavor that tastes like you’re channeling the cooking prowess August Escoffier, the king of chefs. Make it a quick weeknight meal or a dinner party-worthy dish with Argentinian Red shrimp and serve over pasta....
Quick Fresh Kimchi Slaw
Great as a topping for pulled pork sandwiches, Polish sausage on a bun or fish tacos Dale created this Quick Fresh Kimchi Slaw after eating a similar tasty cabbage slaw from the late Chef Thomas Benninger of Gladys at The Strand in San Antonio many years ago. As a...
Hearty Tuscan Soup
Loaded with flavor and seasonal-survival immunity boosting ingredients Hearty Tuscan Soup made with bone broth and fresh veggies is the best way to strengthen your immunity and fight off winter colds and flu. We usually start our chicken bone broth with a leftovers...
Thai Curry & Coconut Chicken Soup
Delicious immunity boosting meal Thai Curry & Coconut Chicken Soup includes bone broth that offers gut healthy benefits while coconut cream or coconut milk boosts brain health. The spicy curry opens up the cardiovascular system for fast delivery of the delicious...
Croissant Crust Quiche
Breakfast, Brunch or Dinner Hearty Croissant Crust Quiche pairs well with wine for a satisfying meal. We start with day-old pastries. This is our most searched and revisited recipe around the world. Prep time:30 minutesCook time:35 minutesServings:8 - 10 Ingredients 6...
Black Bean Hummus with Chipotle
Silky texture and satisfyingly rich taste If you love the taste of a 7 Layer Dip, then Black Bean Hummus with Chipotle is a big, healthy home-run hit for you. An everyday snacking option as well as a great party appetizer, this black bean hummus is a protein-packed...
Triple B Balsamic Reduction
That's not chocolate sauce in this photo, it's the deep, dark Triple B Balsamic Reduction! This reduction can be infused with basil or have black garlic incorporated. Both versions make a gourmet topping for decadent dark chocolate desserts, rich vanilla bean ice...
Seafood Avocado Toast for Two
Creamy avocado, fresh seafood and toasted crusty bread combine perfectly In Seafood Avocado Toast for warm weather munching. You'll create an elevated snacking experience when you pair these delicious bites with a light wine. We like to offer a selection of toppings...
Seafood Quiche with Croissant Crust
Delicious and quick to assemble, this gourmet quiche is perfect for any brunch, lunch or dinner. Servings:8Prep time:20 minutesCook time:40-45 minutes Ingredients 1 Leek, whites and soft greens, sliced across the grain 3 tablespoons Butter or Extra Virgin Olive Oil...
Vietnamese Beef Pho
Travel the world at your dining table! Vietnamese Beef Pho is an aromatic bone broth with a selection of meats and fresh veggies. Like many other street foods, pho was born of capitalism marinated with cultural identity. The benefits of collagen-rich bone broth,...
Southwest Chili con Carne
Don’t get left out in the cold When temperatures in Texas start to dip below 50 degrees F, most of the state’s native and longtime residents think about a warm bowl of chili. The grocery store shelves empty quickly of the mixes and jarred bases, but our Southwest...
Chipotle Goat Cheese Spread
A game-winning MVP every time we serve it Creamy rich and savory, this Chipotle Goat Cheese Spread with an irresistible smoky glow is delicioso when served cold and muy delicioso served up warm. A great appetizer for any game-watching party as it will pair with a...
Watercress Salad with Jicama & Mango
Eye-catching colors with bright citrus notes and tropical fruit Watercress Salad with Jicama & Mango pairs beautifully with chicken or seafood. It's a fresh blend of Southwestern flavors for dining light and healthy. Prep time:20 minutesCook time:10 - 20...
Blended Beef & Mushroom Tacos
Our Blended Beef & Mushroom Tacos offer true Tex-Mex flavor without the guilt With over 90 years of combined living in San Antonio, we know a few things about authentic Southwest flavors. We also know that a healthy lifestyle means making a few changes....
Chicken & Portabella Mushroom Tacos
You'll be dining in with a meal that tastes better than dining out! Our rich and savory Chicken & Portabella Mushroom Tacos have traditional Tex-Mex flavors with a healthy attitude. Prep time:25 minutesCook time:20 minutesServings:4 Ingredients For the filling 2...
Goat Cheese Mousse Romanoff
Ripe, juicy fresh summer fruit topped with Goat Cheese Mousse Romanoff is a dessert that's stunningly simple, yet elegant. Visit your local farmer's market to find the freshest goat cheese such as the one we use from Goatilicious of New Braunfels, TX. The flavor of...
Goat Cheese Spread with Herb-Infused Olive Oil
Fresh, funky tasting goat cheese brings a unique flavor to a fruit and cheese board Soft chèvre-style cheese combined with Herb-Infused Olive Oil and a bit of the castaway herbs (leftover pulpy mash from making the infused oil) creates a cheese spread that even those...
Moroccan Meatloaf Bites
Warm, exotic Middle Eastern spices inspired these savory Moroccan Meatloaf Bites. The symphony of flavors will make a big hit as small bite appetizers at your wine & dine event. Prep time:30 minutesCook time:12 - 15 minutesServings:about 18 - 20 Ingredients 1...
Tomato & Watermelon Gazpacho
Hot summer days call out for cooling relief from the heat Garden fresh flavors of vine ripe heirloom tomatoes and sweet watermelon come together with fresh mint and basil in Tomato & Watermelon Gazpacho. The smoky and balsamic-like notes of roasted or black garlic...
Brisket & Kimchi Fried Rice
Smokin' hot with tropical sweetness This Brisket & Kimchi Fried Rice covers the flavor bases. San Antonio's military population has created a cultural crossroads that makes the city a melting pot of flavors and the inspiration for this smoky Texas brisket, paired...
Top Shelf Ceviche & Gazpacho
Keto-friendly appetizer Top Shelf Ceviche & Gazpacho takes advantage of the bright fresh flavors and heat in Madge’s Foods Spicy Fermented Bloody Mary Mix. You won’t need to roast and peel peppers because Madge’s has already done the work for you! This savory...
Crispy Fish Tacos
The textural combination of Crispy Fish Tacos, spicy sauce and fresh mango pico de gallo will elevate your fish fry to a world traveller experience. Serve with creamy Coastal Coleslaw. Ingredients Toppings Mango Pico de Gallo Avocados, sliced Spicy Crema 1 cup Mexican...
Lentil Soup with Sausage & ‘Nduja
Bring a taste of the Italian region of Calabria to your kitchen with 'Nduja, a spicy chili and sausage paste. Besides it's satisfying savoriness, Lentil Soup with Sausage & 'Nduja is filling and low glycemic. Prep time:25-30Cook time:45-50 minutesServings:8...
Tater Tot Waffle Snacks
Perfect combination of crispy crunch and savory, cheesy twang Everyone likes to watch the magician perform. With gourmet Tater Tot Waffle Snacks, anyone can be the star of the show. These hot appetizers hit the jackpot of deliciousness with enticing smells will...
Cocoa Coconut Torte
A not-so-guilty pleasure The result of our search for a chocolate cake that we can embrace is Cocoa Coconut Torte. We started with a recipe for a flourless, no-sugar-added cake that we found on the Sun-Maid Growers of California website, but we upped the “yum!” factor...
Moroccan Roasted Eggplant & Peppers
Rich and savory Moroccan Roasted Eggplant & Peppers adds an international accent to charcuterie and cheese boards. Prep time:15 minutesCook time:30 minutes + restingServings:6 - 8 Ingredients Marinade ¾ cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil4 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar5...
