The New Intimacy

#EdenCooks - SUSHI! - Monday Apr 15 at 8pm EST

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Contributor: GONE! GONE!
Quote:
Originally posted by geliebt
Eek! OMG I never thought about the whole gills thing, haha! Eeeeew! XD Ok, ok, gotta think about yummy delicious things instead!
The gills are what creep me out too, haha. I still eat them though. Occasionally.
04/15/2013
Contributor: Jordan B Jordan B
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova

I was so worried they would be awful I really like wood ear mushrooms (Chinese I think?) but I hate button mushrooms. I though I just wouldn't liek shiitake, but it turns out with a little mirin I'm a complete convert.

Don't ... more
I haven't experimented with mushrooms very much. We buy the whole white mushrooms from the grocery store. Not sure what they are called. I've also tried Portabello mushrooms. That's pretty much it.
04/15/2013
Contributor: Wicked Wahine Wicked Wahine
I love most mushrooms & grow my own
04/15/2013
Contributor: surreptitious surreptitious
(Review Program Mentor)
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova

I'll throw the wasabi making procedure here too, because it's pretty simple. I had dried wasabi powder, and made wasabi simply by adding equal parts water and powder. The powder is not the best quality of wasabi, and it usually contains ... more
Oh my gosh - spicy tuna rolls are one of my favorites (and so simple!). I have a whole big bottle of Sriracha that I'm never going to get through because the only thing that I use it for is making spicy mayo. xD
04/15/2013
Contributor: Wicked Wahine Wicked Wahine
Quote:
Originally posted by surreptitious
Oh my gosh - spicy tuna rolls are one of my favorites (and so simple!). I have a whole big bottle of Sriracha that I'm never going to get through because the only thing that I use it for is making spicy mayo. xD
doesn't go bad, so that helps
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by surreptitious
I generally make this with low-sodium soy sauce (well, I make everything with low-sodium alternatives if possible) and I've never had any problems with it. I find that that way, I can be a bit more liberal with it when I'm dipping my sushi. =)

That's one of the best parts about cooking for yourself---it is easy to tailor to fit your dietary needs.
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by Wicked Wahine
doesn't go bad, so that helps

Hehe! If it makes you happy in your mayo and nowhere else, just keep on doin' what makes you happy!
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova

Okay, that does it for advance preparations. Now for the most important part---the rice!


First let's talk about buying the right type. For nigiri sushi (the fish directly on a baby mountain of rice) you want a short grained rice, which might be labeled Japonica. (Indica rices are all too long.) Maki (the rolls), short or medium grained rice will do.

Rice suitable for sushi is only grown in Japan or in California, not Texas or India.

Sushi rice needs to be just right---not too sticky, not too dry---and so it is best to avoid "New Harvest" aka "Shin Mai" rice unless you really know what you're doing, as the quality of the "New Harvest" rice varies through the different months.



I chose the only short-grained rice that was not labeled 'new harvest' at my Japanese market (even though those symbols look sort of Korean to me? Someone who recognizes Asian scripts better can teach me) but it worked very well. I was glad there was a "window" in my bag---I could see that the grains of rice were shiny white, smooth, and unbroken.
04/15/2013
Contributor: Lildrummrgurl7 Lildrummrgurl7
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova

That's one of the best parts about cooking for yourself---it is easy to tailor to fit your dietary needs.
I agree! I love cooking for myself for that reason.
04/15/2013
Contributor: Melan!e Melan!e
Quote:
Originally posted by surreptitious
Oh my gosh - spicy tuna rolls are one of my favorites (and so simple!). I have a whole big bottle of Sriracha that I'm never going to get through because the only thing that I use it for is making spicy mayo. xD
We go through sriracha like it's ketchup. I put it in or on pretty much everything.
04/15/2013
Contributor: Wicked Wahine Wicked Wahine
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova

Okay, that does it for advance preparations. Now for the most important part---the rice!


First let's talk about buying the right type. For nigiri sushi (the fish directly on a baby mountain of rice) you want a short grained rice, ... more
Looks Korean to me, too
04/15/2013
Contributor: Lildrummrgurl7 Lildrummrgurl7
Those are definitely Korean.
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by Lildrummrgurl7
Those are definitely Korean.

Ok, good to know Korean rice works well too! (And good to know my very very entry level knowledge of Asian language checks out...)
04/15/2013
Contributor: surreptitious surreptitious
(Review Program Mentor)
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova

Okay, that does it for advance preparations. Now for the most important part---the rice!


First let's talk about buying the right type. For nigiri sushi (the fish directly on a baby mountain of rice) you want a short grained rice, ... more
Rhee Chun actually is Korean - "chun" means "one thousand" and "rhee" comes from the makers (Rheebros)
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova

Once you've chosen the rice, how do you cook it? This is the most important part of sushi, so if you want to practice before you invite friends over, that would be a good idea. (Luckily it is tasty in lots of forms, you can even eat it under stir fry if you want to make a test batch and then eat it up.)

To make 6 cups of rice (this fed 8 people at my sushi party, which had a couple other snacks available. One cup of rice per diner, or maybe a little more, should be planned if sushi is the only food.) use

2 1/4 cups rice
2 1/4 cups water
lots more water for rinsing.

Rice has lots of extra starch, much of which can be rinsed off before cooking to make the texture perfect for sushi.

Put your dry rice in a strainer, and fill a bowl with cool water. Put the colander in the bowl, swish a bit, and watch the water turn instantly milky from the starch rinsing out.


(I obviously didn't read the instructions and skipped the strainer the first time.)

Dump out the milky water and fill the bowl with clear water again.

Continue to rinse, eventually gently moving the rice with your fingers to get it thoroughly rinsed, three or four times, until the water is not immediately milky.





Let the rice sit in the colander for a few minutes.



Then add it to the thick bottomed pot---this close-up is just to show how the rice looks after rinsing.



Cover with the water.




04/15/2013
Contributor: Lildrummrgurl7 Lildrummrgurl7
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova

Ok, good to know Korean rice works well too! (And good to know my very very entry level knowledge of Asian language checks out...)
Haha I couldn't tell you what they say but I can recognize the nature of Korean and Japanese letters/symbols
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova

Any questions on rice so far? This is one of the most important parts.
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova

Rice Continued

If you have time, let it sit 20 minutes. If not, just turn on medium heat and cook the rice uncovered until most of the water has been absorbed by the rice. (About 10 minutes.) Remember never to stir rice, you will break it.



Reduce the heat to low, and add the cover. Keep cooking at very low heat until the rice is cooked through---it should be translucent and plump. It took about 10 minutes on my stove/with my rice/with my water amount.

After the 20 total minutes of cooking, look at the rice. (I love my glass-lidded pan, because I can spy on my rice without letting any steam out. If any grains are still white, quickly sprinkle some warm water over them and continue to cook over very low heat.

Once all the rice is cooked through, turn off the heat and let the rice sit in its steam bath for 5-10 more minutes.



04/15/2013
Contributor: Wicked Wahine Wicked Wahine
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova

Any questions on rice so far? This is one of the most important parts.
you explain really well & with the pix, it's clear what to do, so no ?s
04/15/2013
Contributor: surreptitious surreptitious
(Review Program Mentor)
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova

Any questions on rice so far? This is one of the most important parts.
None here! I think that you've been very clear. =)
04/15/2013
Contributor: Pixel Pixel
Quote:
Originally posted by surreptitious
Oh my gosh - spicy tuna rolls are one of my favorites (and so simple!). I have a whole big bottle of Sriracha that I'm never going to get through because the only thing that I use it for is making spicy mayo. xD
lol. I have the opposite problem in my house. We go through Sriracha so quickly! I put it in everything from stir fry to tacos to mac'n'cheese!
04/15/2013
Contributor: Lildrummrgurl7 Lildrummrgurl7
Quote:
Originally posted by Pixel
lol. I have the opposite problem in my house. We go through Sriracha so quickly! I put it in everything from stir fry to tacos to mac'n'cheese!
Oooooh mac and cheese! I usually use ketchup and crushed red peppers...I need to start using sriracha.
04/15/2013
Contributor: SneakersAndPearls SneakersAndPearls
Thanks for the tips and pics on the rice! That's the part I can see myself screwing up.
04/15/2013
Contributor: surreptitious surreptitious
(Review Program Mentor)
Quote:
Originally posted by Pixel
lol. I have the opposite problem in my house. We go through Sriracha so quickly! I put it in everything from stir fry to tacos to mac'n'cheese!
I do like Sriracha a lot better than Tabasco or other commercial hot sauces, so if I were a spice fiend, I'd probably go through it like crazy as well!
04/15/2013
Contributor: XxFallenAngelxX XxFallenAngelxX
Had to work late! I rushed home!
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by Wicked Wahine
you explain really well & with the pix, it's clear what to do, so no ?s

Woohoo!
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by XxFallenAngelxX
Had to work late! I rushed home!

Welcome! Let me know if you have any questions as you're catchign up, we can answer things in any order
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova

Rice Continued.

Perfect---your rice is cooked. Now you should add vinegar so it will truly be 'sushi rice.' You will need, in addition to the six cups of rice,

5 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar

Combine the three ingredients and stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved.



If you have a cool Japanese rice tub, soak, then drain, then pat dry so the wood doesn't absorb every bit of moisture from your rice.

If you have to use a glass bowl (I did), use a wooden spoon so some moisture can be absorbed. Otherwise might get a little sticky.



Put your cooked rice into your rice tub (bowl), pour the vinegar evenly over it, then flip your rice around, and "slash" the vinegar through the rice with your paddle (wooden spoon).





Fan it to cool.

While you prepare sushi, keep the unused rice covered with a damp kitchen towel. Just like with bread baking, you don't want it to develop an unpleasant skin.




The final important thing to know about rice, is when you're dealing with it, your hands will get sticky. UNLESS! You have a bowl filled with water and a splash of rice vinegar to dip your hands in whenever you begin to feel it stick. (The vinegar is just for flavor, of course.) This is an important key to getting your nigiri rice balls to form well.
04/15/2013
Contributor: Pixel Pixel
Quote:
Originally posted by surreptitious
None here! I think that you've been very clear. =)
Seconding or thirding this! The pics are great, and you're being really clear in your instructions.
04/15/2013
Contributor: XxFallenAngelxX XxFallenAngelxX
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova

Welcome! Let me know if you have any questions as you're catchign up, we can answer things in any order
Ok, reading now.
04/15/2013