Day: January 9, 2004

A gift from Hyde_grrrl

http://www.muffinfilms.com/
http://www.makingfiends.com

And as always, the classics found here

Things to buy for sushi making

On the menu

Nigri sushi

• ebi
• shime-saba
• hamachi
• sake

Futo-maki

• California (crab)
• Kara-age (grilled chicken)
• New York (spicy tempura shrimp)
• Spider (soft-shelled crap)

I usually find it easiest to buy Japanese mayonnaise, from an Asian market as it comes in a convenient plastic squeeze bottle. Several people have asked about a recipe for this mayonnaise, and I recently found the following one.

3 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1-1/2 oz (50 g) white miso
1 cup salad oil
salt to taste
sprinkle of white pepper
a pinch of grated yuzu, lime, or lemon peel

Beat the egg yolks and lemon juice with a wooden spoon in a bowl. Continue to beat, adding the salad oil a few drops at a time until the mixture begins to emulsify. Keep on adding the rest of the oil, then stir in the miso and the seasonings. Refrigerate in a squeeze bottle.

Hints and Tips on making sushi

The number one hint or tip is this: rolling sushi is a self-correcting process. If your first roll does not turn out quite right, eat it to hide the evidence and roll another, which will be much better. If it has been a while since you made a roll, the first one may leave something to be desired, but it will all come back to you, like riding a bicycle or playing a piano (if you knew how to do those activities in the first place).

Rice doesn't stick to nori, or roll does not stick together when rolled. You most likely did not use enough vinegar in your rice. The rice should be very sticky, annoyingly so.

Roll is too thick, or does not hold together well. You probably used too much rice, or packed it down too tightly. The rice should be spread on the nori to within about 5/8-inch of what will be the outer edge, should not be squished onto the nori, and should not cover the nori completely. You should be able to see nori between the rice kernals, perhaps 1/4 to 1/3 of the space should be open to the nori below the rice.

Cucumber can be cut into larger chunks which are easier to work with. Try quartering the cuke lengthwise, removing the seeds, then cutting the flesh into a few large pieces about 1/4-inch thick by 3/8- inch wide. The length of the pieces should be half the width of the nori.

The thick-skinned black avocadoes are easier to work with. Cut in half and remove the pit. Then cut each half into half again. Using a paring knife, slice the avocado in the peel, then run the knife just under the peel to cut the slices from the peel. It is easier and faster than peeling the avocado and then slicing it.

Place a square of plastic wrap on between the nori and the bamboo mat when making rolls. This will keep the rice and messy ingredients out of the mat and make it last longer. (Washing a bamboo mat is NOT recommended, it warps when it dries.) Peel the plastic wrap back with the mat as you roll. When you are finished, wrap the roll in the plastic wrap and put the roll in the refrigerator. When you are finished making several rolls and are ready to serve them, unwrap them and slice them.

I hate this feeling. I know I'm coming down with something, and I have a feeling it's going to be annoying. I can feel something at the back of my throat, that's forecasting some kind of bug that will make my life miserable for a few days. Just the aftertaste I have right now when I swallow is fun fun fun. Bleh.

It's -40 outside. Normally, I hate talking about the weather, but this is just stupid. When you wake up to hear your radio morning man asking himself if it's colder here or in Kursk, that's NOT a good sign.

This day started out ok, and ended nicely. Had a decent day at the office. Prior to leaving for boys' night out, I had an amusing chat with eniran. She's a very witty and open person, and I think I'm going to enjoy getting to know her. I promise I'll do my best to grow a pair of boobies, just for you.

I had to take a cab to Fat Benewa's place, as the metro was shut down to evacuate smoke somewhere on the line. Just as I'm back on the street, my cell phone rings. It's a friend calling from Australia! This is a chat buddy I recently met online, and she's calling to surprise me and say hello. We chatted all during my cab ride and I had to regretfully say goodbye when I got to the boys' place.

We then spent the night playing new board games that people had obtained for the holidays. The first one was Carcasonne – hunters and gatherers, the other one was Alhambra. They're going to be fun additions to the games we normally play, which are The Settlers of Catan, Vampire, the masquerade, or AD&D. Might sound geeky, but hey, we've been playing games together since CEGEP. That's close to 10 years now :)