Sushi

This is one of my favorite new things. I was introduced to it recently by my beautiful sister-in-law (who, by the way is a very talented photographer - you should check out her website). The best part is that it looks and sounds so complicated and sophisticated, but it's so simple! So, without further ado...

What you'll need:
*bamboo sushi mat
*sushi rice
*seaweed wraps
*whatever else you like in your sushi (my current favorites are avocado, carrots, and crab, but I have had it with shrimp, and plan to experiment with other things in the near future...)
*a bowl of water
*knife

Here are the steps, along with photos taken during my first sushi excursion:

1. Prep: cook the rice, cut up the veggies and meat.

2. Lay the seaweed down on the mat with the rougher side facing up. Use a basting brush (or whatever you have) to lightly wet the seaweed.

(before you touch the rice, you MUST get your fingers wet - use the bowl of water - otherwise the rice will stick to your fingers, not the seaweed)

3. Put rice on the seaweed wrap. You only want to put it on about 2/3 of the seaweed. Wet your fingers as often as needed to keep the rice from sticking (to you). You can spread with a fork/utensil or with your fingers. You can put a thin layer or a thicker layer of rice, depending on your preferences.

4. Add the meat and veggies.

5. With the rice-edge of the seaweed at the edge of the bamboo mat, carefully begin to wrap/roll.

6. Once you have wrapped up the middle portion of the roll, stop and squeeze the roll. This is what should come out at that point.

7. As you can see in the picture, she pulled the roll back to the edge of the mat. Next you'll finish rolling and squeeze just a little more. This is what you'll get (and you'll feel so proud!)

8. Transfer to the cutting board for cutting. (IMPORTANT) Wet the knife (you can just dip it in the bowl of water you already have, and then just let the water drip down the blade so that the whole blade is wet. Then start cutting. You can make the pieces as thin or thick as you'd like. Re-wet the knife with each cut, just to ensure that your knife isn't sticking to the seaweed or the rice. This part takes a little practice. But once you get a feel for it, you'll feel much better. Don't be too hard on yourself if your first roll is a little bit... awkward and frustrating.

And when you're finished, this is what you get! The amount of pieces you get from the roll will depend on how thick/thin you cut your pieces.

And there you have it. Let me know if you have questions, but know that I am by no means a sushi expert (considering I've made it... less than 5 times). I hope you branch out and try it. It's so fun and tasty! Happy Sushi-Making!