Sushi for dummies

Counterintuitive maybe, impossible no. Making sushi is not as hard as you think, or at least not as hard as I thought before I tried. I'm trying not to jump into advertisey, "persuasive-essay" crap like telling you about how great it is for bonding with your "special someone," but seriously it is. My fiancee and I have made sushi together several times, and it's always an adventure. Usually one of us picks out fillings while the other is in charge of construction, and then we trade. We make a little bit of a mess, but we celebrate our labors with a delicious snack so it all works out in the end.

Here's what you need to get started:
nori for wrapping
sushi rice
bamboo sushi mat
plastic wrap

Items 2 and 4 should be at every grocery store, but if you have trouble finding the mat and/or nori, an international grocer should have them. Here in St Louis, I go to Jay's. Your bag of sushi rice should have instructions for preparation -- just follow those. I know, I know, I'm a lazy cook who just follows the instructions on the bag, but I can't memorize everything.

The real kicker, for me, is that I'm not confident/knowledgeable enough to make sushi with raw fish, so I have to find alternatives (of which there are many). I've made many a delicious sushi roll at home, and not one has used raw fish.

Suggestions for delicious (and low-budget) fillings:
cream cheese
mayo
goat cheese (don't knock it till you try it)
lemon/lime juice
cucumber
carrot
avocado
bell pepper
crab meat (or k-rab, if you're broke like me)
smoked salmon
salad shrimp
unagi (or eel, for the less sushiphilic -- you can often find it precooked in eel sauce, which is what I go for)

The rule here, really, is that if you like something, try it. As far as preparation goes, practice is the most important thing. I recommend wrapping your bamboo mat in plastic wrap before you start, to keep it clean.

Put the nori down shiny-side down so the fillings go on the rough side. Spread the rice over all but a small strip of the nori at one end, and spread it THINLY. The mistake we made with our first bunch of rolls is to think that you have to have a completely opaque layer of rice across the nori. It's ok if you can see through the layer of rice a bit, and little empty patches are not the end of the world. Too much rice creates a gigantic, rather bland roll. Also, the rice spreads easiest with your fingers, rather than a wooden spoon. Keep your fingers damp but not wet, so the rice doesn't stick to you too much.

Spread your toppings in a line on the end of the nori OPPOSITE the empty strip. These you can be generous with, since that's where the flavor comes from. Roll starting from the toppings end -- I've tried both toward me and away from me, and haven't noticed much of a difference as far as one being easier than the other. Move to a cutting board, and cut with a VERY sharp damp knife. If the knife is too dry or too dull, you'll make a giant mess. Repeat and eat!

Here are some rolls I have made, including one or two I made up:
philly roll, aka JB (or Japanese Bagel) roll -- a classic!
~smoked salmon, cream cheese, avocado
vegetable roll, or salad roll
~cucumber, carrot, avocado, mayo, lemon juice
eel and cucumber roll
~exactly what it sounds like
kitty roll
~k-rab, cream cheese, red bell pepper
tiny roll -- so called because we ran out of rice, but wanted to make one more roll. This has a thin layer of goat cheese instead of rice, and it's super delicious.
~chevre with honey, smoked salmon, avocado
tea sandwich roll
cucumber, cream cheese, dill

Now go! Adventure! And share it with someone! This is not a project to be undertaken alone -- I mean really, where's the fun in that?

Let's give it up for Lent!

You are all free to groan now at my bad pun.

I know Lent actually started three days ago, but even though I missed putting up an Ash Wednesday post, I wanted to talk about Lent, and the abstinence that many of us put ourselves through in honor of it. Christian or not, choosing to eliminate a bad or distracting influence in life in favor of contemplation and prayer can't help but yield positive results.

For example, I am a pescetarian today because last year I gave up meat for Lent. More specifically, I forced myself to destroy the mental barrier I had created between my idea of "meat" and what that meat started out as. I intentionally thought about what meat was and why I wanted to eat it, and came to the conclusion that my soul would rest easier if I didn't participate in that part of my diet anymore. I discovered that I only ate meat due to the pleasure it gave me -- frankly, steak and bacon are delicious. But they come from living things, and I decided that I don't need to take a life and cause suffering just so I can enjoy an animal's flavor. I don't have the dedication on that front that a vegetarian or vegan has, but I'm doing what I'm comfortable with.

This year's choice was less benevolent, more self-serving. I'm giving up sweets. I put on some after-holiday pudge, and I discovered in high school that the easiest way to drop excess weight and feel a whole lot healthier is to quit eating sugar. Back then I dropped about 30 pounds. I don't have nearly that much to lose now, maybe 10 at most, but I'm also trying to convert my cravings into contemplations, which is what Lent is supposed to be about. Pray instead of snacking, plan instead of dessert. It's about furthering myself through abstinence. I really don't think it matters if you're celebrating the resurrection or just trying to make yourself a stronger, better person. Last year's Lent was 40 days that changed my whole outlook, and my life, so there must be something to it.