CheezyOranges

I felt like sushi this evening. But, I didn’t have the time to get the most conventional of sushi ingredients. I even had a hard time finding imitation crab meat that would work. In the end, I had to deal with chunks of the stuff, which were so tightly packaged that I ended up cutting them into strips that way, instead of dealing with taking the chunks apart and trying to find a way to put them into the sushi rolls tightly. The stuff tastes like gefilte fish, except sweeter. Must be the pollock.
Anyway, I thought I would write a quick note on what I did, and a basic how-to make the yummy sushi Greg and I enjoyed tonight.

From the store, I purchased Sushi Nori (Seaweed sheets specially designed for sushi purposes. Purchase from your local Asian market for about 2-5 bucks), Jasmine Rice (Any sort of rice will do, just make sure that you cool it off before you start to work on it. Don’t use the fridge. You’ll have to let it sit, which means you should prepare your rice first, and let it cool while you chop up all the other stuff. A rice cooker helps, but is not essential), Imitation Crab, Egg Whites,Portabello Mushrooms (Traditionally, one would use Shitake mushrooms. Seeing as I didn’t buy any from the Asian market the last time I was there, I had to settle for these. After using them, they aren’t a bad substitute, if not a bit expensive just for sushi), and Cucumber. You will also need Soy Sauce, sugar, and Rice Vinegar (You don’t have to use rice vinegar. I didn’t have any and I used a bit of normal old white vinegar. The taste was different, but it worked). It helps to have a sushi rolling mat (Again, an item which is easily purchased from your local Asian market. However, if you have a flexible cutting board or any similar sort of thing which will distribute pressure across the whole sushi roll at once, that’s what you’re aiming for), but its not ESSENTIAL…

Here’s some basic instructions on how to get started making your sushi!

Make the Rice
Cook the rice until it is done. Let it cool. The best way to do this is to put it in a bowl and scrape it up the sides so that it is in a thin layer around the bowl. When the rice is close to room temperature, pour about 2 tablespoons per 2 cups of rice worth of vinegar over it. Then add about the same amount of sugar as vinegar. Mix this up until the sugar is dissolved. Taste it. If its sweet and tangy, its perfect. If it still tastes like rice, add a bit more until it tastes like you want it to (which is really up to you and your sushi-rice-preferences).

Cut Up Vegetables
Any veggies that you want in your sushi need to be cut into thin strips. You can save yourself some time by buying pre-shredded carrots, for example. Cucumbers can be sliced lengthwise into strips. Other veggies that aren’t long enough to span the entire sushi roll should be cut into pieces as long as possible, and then can be layered when placed in the roll. Refrigerate these once you are done slicing them.

Cook Mushrooms
Whatever type of mushroom you choose, you’ll need to simmer it in soy sauce and sugar until it is soft. Dilute about 1/4 cup of soy sauce with a cup of water and bring to a boil. Stir in about 3 or 4 tablespoons of sugar. Add your mushrooms and simmer until they are dark and soft. Drain them, and cool them in the fridge.

ROLL!
Ideally, you want everything to be cold before you roll it. If you don’t have the luxury of time, you can roll and then refrigerate the rolls. If you don’t have time for that, just suffer with warmish sushi.

Place a sheet of Nori on your sushi mat and cover with rice. Then lay out your ingredients.
Roll the nori up, being careful not to roll in your sushi mat. Once the roll is completed, roll it around once or twice to ensure a tight roll up.

Slice and Enjoy!
Cutting Tip: Use a non-serrated knife. Dampen the knife with water before cutting to ensure it doesn’t stick to your sticky rice.

Eat, and enjoy!