Anybody make sushi at home?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sushi snobs with your rice cookers! PP was just chiming in about being able to cook rice in the microwave.

you are denigrating a cultural art form by calling the dishes you cook "sushi". it isn't about being a snob, it is about respect for an art form that has been cultured over thousands of users. call your microwave-rice ladled fish what it is - a dish of raw fish. please don't call it sushi. it's comical and offensive.

do a little research and show some respect if you want to claim you make sushi.

Do you get this worked up over Taco Bell?

[Anonymous]

NP here. DH is Asian, I lived in Japan, and we buy rice in 20 pound sacks. There, have I established my credentials enough for this thread?

1. DO NO MICROWAVE YOUR RICE. Just...yuck. That's gross. Sounds like someone from the school of thought of "why cook pasta, just open up a can of Chef Boyardee!" Let me reiterate: YUCK. If you don't want a rice cooker (I have a fancy one, but the cheap push-button ones work well too), you can cook it in a pot on the stove. Sushi is all about the rice, it pays to make sure it's cooked very nicely.

2. Use good quality rice. I like koshihikari, but you can use any short-grain Japanese rice. Arborio (short-grain Italian rice) works in a pinch, as it's a cultivar of Japanese short-grain rice.

3. Use good vinegar and cool the rice a little before adding your ingredients. A paper fan or newspaper is good for this. In Japan they have special bamboo "bowls" for cooling the rice evenly, but you don't need one.

4. Most Japanese people DO NOT MAKE SUSHI AT HOME Little known fact, because it's so trendy here that everyone assumes it's like Japanese home-cooking or something, but sushi is a party food in Japan, not a staple. People order it in there (infrequently, I may add) just like here (of course, it's way better quality in general there!). Most people make temaki at home (they look like ice cream cones stuffed with rice and other ingredients) or onigiri (rice balls). I HIGHLY recommend trying out some rice balls as they are way easier to make and you don't need raw fish for them: http://justbento.com/handbook/bento-basics/onigiri-on-parade-guide-onigiri-omusubi-rice-ball-shapes-types-and-fun. You also don't need a roller mat and nori (seaweed), and you don't need to season your rice with anything but salt (you can season it, though, if you like -- say, with furikake, etc).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:NP here. DH is Asian, I lived in Japan, and we buy rice in 20 pound sacks. There, have I established my credentials enough for this thread?

1. DO NO MICROWAVE YOUR RICE. Just...yuck. That's gross. Sounds like someone from the school of thought of "why cook pasta, just open up a can of Chef Boyardee!" Let me reiterate: YUCK. If you don't want a rice cooker (I have a fancy one, but the cheap push-button ones work well too), you can cook it in a pot on the stove. Sushi is all about the rice, it pays to make sure it's cooked very nicely.

2. Use good quality rice. I like koshihikari, but you can use any short-grain Japanese rice. Arborio (short-grain Italian rice) works in a pinch, as it's a cultivar of Japanese short-grain rice.

3. Use good vinegar and cool the rice a little before adding your ingredients. A paper fan or newspaper is good for this. In Japan they have special bamboo "bowls" for cooling the rice evenly, but you don't need one.

4. Most Japanese people DO NOT MAKE SUSHI AT HOME Little known fact, because it's so trendy here that everyone assumes it's like Japanese home-cooking or something, but sushi is a party food in Japan, not a staple. People order it in there (infrequently, I may add) just like here (of course, it's way better quality in general there!). Most people make temaki at home (they look like ice cream cones stuffed with rice and other ingredients) or onigriri (rice balls). I HIGHLY recommend trying out some rice balls as they are way easier to make and you don't need raw fish for them: http://justbento.com/handbook/bento-basics/onigiri-on-parade-guide-onigiri-omusubi-rice-ball-shapes-types-and-fun. You also don't need a roller mat and nori (seaweed), and you don't need to season your rice with anything but salt (you can season it, though, if you like - say, with furikake, etc).

a voice of reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here. DH is Asian, I lived in Japan, and we buy rice in 20 pound sacks. There, have I established my credentials enough for this thread?

1. DO NO MICROWAVE YOUR RICE. Just...yuck. That's gross. Sounds like someone from the school of thought of "why cook pasta, just open up a can of Chef Boyardee!" Let me reiterate: YUCK. If you don't want a rice cooker (I have a fancy one, but the cheap push-button ones work well too), you can cook it in a pot on the stove. Sushi is all about the rice, it pays to make sure it's cooked very nicely.

2. Use good quality rice. I like koshihikari, but you can use any short-grain Japanese rice. Arborio (short-grain Italian rice) works in a pinch, as it's a cultivar of Japanese short-grain rice.

3. Use good vinegar and cool the rice a little before adding your ingredients. A paper fan or newspaper is good for this. In Japan they have special bamboo "bowls" for cooling the rice evenly, but you don't need one.

4. Most Japanese people DO NOT MAKE SUSHI AT HOME Little known fact, because it's so trendy here that everyone assumes it's like Japanese home-cooking or something, but sushi is a party food in Japan, not a staple. People order it in there (infrequently, I may add) just like here (of course, it's way better quality in general there!). Most people make temaki at home (they look like ice cream cones stuffed with rice and other ingredients) or onigriri (rice balls). I HIGHLY recommend trying out some rice balls as they are way easier to make and you don't need raw fish for them: http://justbento.com/handbook/bento-basics/onigiri-on-parade-guide-onigiri-omusubi-rice-ball-shapes-types-and-fun. You also don't need a roller mat and nori (seaweed), and you don't need to season your rice with anything but salt (you can season it, though, if you like - say, with furikake, etc).

a voice of reason.

I agree! And wash that rice until the water is clear or my Japanese mama will NOT be happy!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here. DH is Asian, I lived in Japan, and we buy rice in 20 pound sacks. There, have I established my credentials enough for this thread?

1. DO NO MICROWAVE YOUR RICE. Just...yuck. That's gross. Sounds like someone from the school of thought of "why cook pasta, just open up a can of Chef Boyardee!" Let me reiterate: YUCK. If you don't want a rice cooker (I have a fancy one, but the cheap push-button ones work well too), you can cook it in a pot on the stove. Sushi is all about the rice, it pays to make sure it's cooked very nicely.

2. Use good quality rice. I like koshihikari, but you can use any short-grain Japanese rice. Arborio (short-grain Italian rice) works in a pinch, as it's a cultivar of Japanese short-grain rice.

3. Use good vinegar and cool the rice a little before adding your ingredients. A paper fan or newspaper is good for this. In Japan they have special bamboo "bowls" for cooling the rice evenly, but you don't need one.

4. Most Japanese people DO NOT MAKE SUSHI AT HOME Little known fact, because it's so trendy here that everyone assumes it's like Japanese home-cooking or something, but sushi is a party food in Japan, not a staple. People order it in there (infrequently, I may add) just like here (of course, it's way better quality in general there!). Most people make temaki at home (they look like ice cream cones stuffed with rice and other ingredients) or onigriri (rice balls). I HIGHLY recommend trying out some rice balls as they are way easier to make and you don't need raw fish for them: http://justbento.com/handbook/bento-basics/onigiri-on-parade-guide-onigiri-omusubi-rice-ball-shapes-types-and-fun. You also don't need a roller mat and nori (seaweed), and you don't need to season your rice with anything but salt (you can season it, though, if you like - say, with furikake, etc).

a voice of reason.

I agree! And wash that rice until the water is clear or my Japanese mama will NOT be happy!

And soak it after you wash so it cooks super evenly. I love people who care about their rice!

[Anonymous]

We are a typical WASP-y family, but everyone in my house could happily eat sushi for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Is there anywhere in NoVa that I could take a class and learn how to do basic sushi?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:NP here. DH is Asian, I lived in Japan, and we buy rice in 20 pound sacks. There, have I established my credentials enough for this thread?

1. DO NO MICROWAVE YOUR RICE. Just...yuck. That's gross. Sounds like someone from the school of thought of "why cook pasta, just open up a can of Chef Boyardee!" Let me reiterate: YUCK. If you don't want a rice cooker (I have a fancy one, but the cheap push-button ones work well too), you can cook it in a pot on the stove. Sushi is all about the rice, it pays to make sure it's cooked very nicely.

2. Use good quality rice. I like koshihikari, but you can use any short-grain Japanese rice. Arborio (short-grain Italian rice) works in a pinch, as it's a cultivar of Japanese short-grain rice.

3. Use good vinegar and cool the rice a little before adding your ingredients. A paper fan or newspaper is good for this. In Japan they have special bamboo "bowls" for cooling the rice evenly, but you don't need one.

4. Most Japanese people DO NOT MAKE SUSHI AT HOME Little known fact, because it's so trendy here that everyone assumes it's like Japanese home-cooking or something, but sushi is a party food in Japan, not a staple. People order it in there (infrequently, I may add) just like here (of course, it's way better quality in general there!). Most people make temaki at home (they look like ice cream cones stuffed with rice and other ingredients) or onigriri (rice balls). I HIGHLY recommend trying out some rice balls as they are way easier to make and you don't need raw fish for them: http://justbento.com/handbook/bento-basics/onigiri-on-parade-guide-onigiri-omusubi-rice-ball-shapes-types-and-fun. You also don't need a roller mat and nori (seaweed), and you don't need to season your rice with anything but salt (you can season it, though, if you like - say, with furikake, etc).

a voice of reason.

I agree! And wash that rice until the water is clear or my Japanese mama will NOT be happy!

YES! 7 times was my mom's required number of rinses. Thanks to her words of wisdom right before she passed away, I am her only child who is able to make perfect rice on the stove.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sushi snobs with your rice cookers! PP was just chiming in about being able to cook rice in the microwave.

you are denigrating a cultural art form by calling the dishes you cook "sushi". it isn't about being a snob, it is about respect for an art form that has been cultured over thousands of users. call your microwave-rice ladled fish what it is - a dish of raw fish. please don't call it sushi. it's comical and offensive.

do a little research and show some respect if you want to claim you make sushi.

Excuse me while you genuflect

While I prefer using the rice cooker, but I would disagree that it is "denigrating a cultural art form" to use a microwave. What about American sushi like, California or Avocado Roll? Heresy, right?

[Anonymous]

Westcoast Canadian here- Everyone in vancouver is pretty much Asian and everyone I know has a rice cooker. Food in thr microwave??? No thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Sushi snobs with your rice cookers! PP was just chiming in about being able to cook rice in the microwave.

you are denigrating a cultural art form by calling the dishes you cook "sushi". it isn't about being a snob, it is about respect for an art form that has been cultured over thousands of users. call your microwave-rice ladled fish what it is - a dish of raw fish. please don't call it sushi. it's comical and offensive.

do a little research and show some respect if you want to claim you make sushi.

Excuse me while you genuflect

While I prefer using the rice cooker, but I would disagree that it is "denigrating a cultural art form" to use a microwave. What about American sushi like, California or Avocado Roll? Heresy, right?

you said it - *American* sushi. i think that sums it up!

[Anonymous]

My wife and I made some sushi at home the other day, and since I make YouTube videos, I figured that I should make one! It came out pretty funny, so I thought that you guys might like it! Let me know what you think!

- LaneVid & TheFunnyrats

[Anonymous]

Used to make sushi per-kids and not in this area, so cannot help with where to get the sushi grade fish. But for essentials: good knife, and sushi roll mat. I cover it with plastic cling film before rolling the sushi, this way, the cleaning is very easy, just throw away the cling film and lightly wash the mat. The rice is very easy to make in a pot, so really, it's not an essential.

[Anonymous]

Still looking for recs on places to get sushi-grade fish. I called WF in SS and they said they dont sell any sushi grade fish. I will try H-Mart for the salmon, but I'd love tuna or yellowtail also

[Anonymous]

Someone mentioned Japanese markets. Does anyone have a Japanese market recommendation?

[Anonymous]

I make sushi often, but I would not make it with raw fish. I don't know how to cut the fish and hate getting the disgusting pieces of tough connective tissue.

Also, the irony of "sushi" grade fish at many markets is that it is not really that good. There is no standard for sushi grade and a lot of what you are used to seeing is chemically treatment to improve its color/smell. I would recommend getting the cut pieces of sashimi at the sushi bar, but that may end up costing you more than going to a restaurant.

If you are going to make sushi, definitely make sushi rice (recipes abound) and it's really easy (basically mixing some salt/vinegar/sugar (mirin) mixture into your rice. I would make the Nigiri sushi (the little balls of rice with some type of topping - way easy. Just don't squeeze the rice too much.