A Children's Sushi Recipe

We all got a real kick out of this video at our last sushi night. A few shots of sake and a good sushi recipe are all you need to enjoy a crazy Japanese children's show.

I may have found my Halloween costume for this year.

A Sake Primer

Perhaps you’ve conquered or are trying to conquer sushi. Do you know what kind of sake to serve with your sushi recipe? Looking at sake you might feel like you’re starting over in your sushi education.

This is the first in a series of posts that I’m going to make concerning sake. Sake can be just as important in a sushi experience as the sushi itself.

What is sake anyways? I heard it was a rice wine.
Yes and no. Sake is a beverage that is fermented from rice (which is a grain) which would make it similar to beer. Yet sake is not carbonated - and as far as flavor goes it is closer to wine.

Sake generally has contains 14 - 17 percent alcohol. You might have noticed the higher percentage of alcohol after a few shots of sake.

Should it be served hot or cold?
Both. I know people that like it cold, and I know people that like it hot. I prefer it hot myself - and just love a few sake shots during a meal of sushi. I guess that just comes down to what you prefer.

To me sake is like wine - so many opinions and ideas about how or when you should drink it. I like wine - I would call myself a wine expert - but most of my opinions on wine have been developed simply by tasting different wines and trying different combinations with food.

I do the same with sake. You know what you like. It’s nice to have a recommendation - which is what I’ll do as we delve farther into it - but for now, if sake is new to you - experiment. Figure out which sake goes best with which sushi recipe - and which ones you like the best! That’s the easiest way to learn something. You could read all you want - but it’s your taste buds that are ultimately going to decide.

Patrick

Smoked Salmon Sushi and Pinot Noir

I was reading an article the other day in the Vancouver Sun about an interesting addition to a sushi recipe. The article suggested using Pinot Noir as a nice compliment to various sushi recipes - but mainly those that featured smoked salmon.

It makes sense since the northwest region - Oregon, Washington, and Northern California are large producers of both Pinot Noir and smoked salmon.

I have family in both Seattle and Portland - and when I was a kid I always associated smoked salmon with Seattle. Just check out the gift shops at Sea-Tac airport.

Tonight I made a sushi recipe that included smoked salmon. It was a little variation of a philly roll which has smoked salmon and cream cheese. I also had a nice bottle of Pinot Noir that I had brought home from the last time I visited my mother in Portland.

It was fantastic. Usually I have sake with my sushi - but I have to say - the pinot mixed really nicely with the salmon and worked really well to cleanse the palette between bites of sushi.

Next time your out looking for a bottle of wine - pick up a bottle of pinot noir (which is my favorite style of wine anyways) and try it with some smoked salmon sushi. If you’re looking for a good sushi recipe to use with it - here’s one I posted: Smoked Salmon Philly Roll.

And here’s the pinot’s that the article recommended:

CedarCreek Pinot Noir Estate Select 2005,

Okanagan Valley, $27

Classic B.C. pinot with its sweet vanilla, sour cherry, licorice and celery root flavors should be an entertaining palate cleanser between bites of salmon and sesame.

Vina Casas del Bosque Pinot Noir Reserve 2006, Valle de Casablanca, $24

Dry, fresh, round cool, coastal Chilean pinot with plenty of celery salt and gamey, compost, strawberry, carrot top flavors that should oppose the dense, almost sweet, salmon flavors in the sushi recipe.

Patrick

Lunchtime Sushi Recipe with Pita?

Here’s one of my favorite, quick lunchtime sushi recipes. It’s so simple - but so good!


To me it’s like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich - perfect for when you want a quick little sushi pick me up, but don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.


Ingredients:
1 Pita
3 - 4 slices smoked salmon
1/3 cup salad greens
3 slices of avocado (or if you want a sweeter treat - try a few slices of kiwi in place of avocado)
Wasabi paste



Directions:
1. Open up the pita and stuff lightly with the salad greens.
2. Spread out the salmon and avocado or kiwi across the greens.
3. Top with some wasabi paste (or horseradish if you prefer)
4. Enjoy!

How easy is that sushi recipe? I love it. It’s so simple - but it’s great for a quick snack or light lunch.

Patrick

Substituting Brown Rice In A Sushi Recipe

If you have a sushi recipe and you’re thinking about substituting brown rice for the usual sushi rice, it’s important to consider whether the brown rice’s natural nutty flavor is going to blend well with the rest of the sushi recipe.

Brown rice is typically a little healthier for you than the standard sushi rice - but it is also not as sticky, which is important when trying to get that piece of sushi from your plate to your mouth using a pair of chopsticks.

There are places that serve sushi rolls with vegetables and brown rice - and Whole Foods even has a sushi recipe for rolls and brown rice, but it isn’t too common to see a standard sushi recipe containing a slice of your favorite fish on top of brown rice.

Patrick

A Non-Threatening Sushi Introduction With My Simple Sushi Recipe

Ok. How many of you have friends that hear the word sushi and immediately make a face? And then they tell you they’ve never had sushi before. Raw fish, what? Ewww. Have you ever converted one of those friends? That’s fun. Here’s a sushi recipe that will start you down that path.

Basically - what you want to do is have the friend over for a meal. Start the meal off without a sushi recipe in site. Seriously - but at some point before the main course of the meal - introduce a plate of rolls (like the one in the previous post!). And when they ask what they are, just explain that they’re some rolls that you made with rice and cucumber and avocado. Show them how you dip them in some soy sauce before you eat them.

After they’ve eaten a few comment about how much you like sushi. When they say what? Just explain the scope and variety of sushi. They have a sushi recipe with crab, some with just vegetables - talk about all the different things and how good they are.

It won’t take long till your heading out to a sushi lunch with this friend - they might not even try any fish - but that’s ok, because they’ll enjoy the experience and most likely will eventually venture into the different types of sushi recipes there are.

And my favorite thing: some point down the road they’re going to say, “Hey, let’s go out for sushi.” To which you can copy they’re old reactions by cringing and saying Ewww! That’s always good for a laugh. Before you know it - you’re friend will be bringing you a sushi recipe for your sushi nights at home.

Patrick

A Simple Vegetarian Sushi Recipe

This sushi recipe is one of the first sushi rolls that I ever tried. I’m sure it’s one of the firsts for a lot of people. Since my first encounter with this cucumber roll (Kapa Maki), I’ve jazzed it up a bit. Now it’s a cucumber and avocado roll which is still basic - but tasty!

Ingredients:
1 cup sushi rice
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 pinch salt
4 sheets nori
1/2 cucumber, sliced thinly - lengthwise
1 avocado - peeled and sliced

Directions:
1. Mix the rice with the vinegar and salt.
2. Place a sheet of seaweed onto your bamboo sushi mat.
3. Use your hands (wet them first) to spread a thin layer of rice across the seaweed. Leave a ½ inch strip with no rice at the bottom.
4. Place the avocado and cucumber strips across the center.
5. Start rolling the seaweed towards the exposed side. If you need to unroll and reroll to tighten the roll. You can also use a little water to help seal the end of the roll.
6. Repeat with the other sheets.
7. Use a sharp and wet knife to slice the roll.
8. Enjoy!

This sushi recipe is so easy! It’s a great roll to start with if you’ve never made sushi before or been curious about trying.

And remember - the great thing about this sushi recipe is that you can easily substitute the cucumber and avocado for anything you like - crab meat, smoked salmon, carrots, a fried egg. Be creative and find something you like.

Patrick

A Good Philadelphia Roll Sushi Recipe Is A Must Have

A sushi recipe must have for your personal collection is a good Philly roll. One of the first rolls I had when I was being introduced to sushi was a Philadelphia Roll. I originally found this recipe at SushiLinks and it's a great sushi recipe for beginners and veterans alike.

There’s something about the cream cheese and salmon that you just can’t resist. It’s also a popular roll to serve at sushi night because so many people are comfortable with it making it a good starter.

This is one of my favorite Philadelphia Roll recipes:

Recipe For Two Large Philly Rolls

Ingredients:
2 8" lengths of 1/4" square cream cheese
3 ounces smoked salmon
2 8" lengths of 1/4" square English cucumber
2 toasted Nori (sushi grade seaweed) sheets
1 cup Sushi rice

Directions:
1. Place one full sheet of sushi nori on your bamboo mat, shiny side down.

2. Lightly cover the nori sheet with your prepared sushi rice.

3. Place your toppings lengthwise at center of your rice.

4. Fold your mat over. With even pressure, tighten your roll by pressing and pulling on your mat.

5. Finish your rolling by rolling your tightened roll over the last flap of nori. Repeat the tightening process if necessary.

6. Slice your Philadelphia Roll into eight pieces. And that's it! Enjoy!

Make sure to try this sushi recipe next time you are in the mood for sushi at home!

Patrick

What To Look For When Purchasing Fish For Your Sushi Recipe

Are you getting ready to try a sushi recipe at home for the first time? Do you know what to look for? Is this all that's stopping you from trying it yourself?

Don't worry, it's all really just common sense.

First, you should buy your fish from a reputable fish seller. It’s as easy as this: if the person you are buying from doesn’t know what you are talking about when you ask for ‘sushi grade’ fish, then you’re in the wrong place to buy fish for your sushi recipes.

Second - and just as important when shopping for fish - any fish you buy shouldn’t smell ‘fishy.’ The fish for your sushi recipe should be fresh and have a vibrant color. How hard is that?

If you follow these simple tips you shouldn’t have any problems when trying your sushi recipe at home for sushi night.

Patrick

One of my favorite kinds of sushi - the handroll!

The Keys To A Good Sushi Recipe: Fresh Fish, Good Rice, and A Good Mind

Endo Kazutoshi is one of London’s premier sushi chefs and he thinks that the most important things for a good sushi recipe and cook to have are fresh fish, good rice, and a good mind. I just came across this article on Bloomberg.com.

He says that in order to make good sushi it’s important to understand the person eating his sushi recipe as it is to understand the fish. A simple example of this is illustrated by the fact you wouldn’t want to slice a piece of sushi for a petite woman the same as you would for a large man. It just doesn’t make sense.

When asked how long he thinks it will take him to perfect his craft of sushi (a craft in which he is already considered a master), he simply said he wouldn’t be done studying until he died. The mind is just as important in your sushi recipe as the mayonnaise or the rice.

Patrick

A Favorite Sushi Recipe: My Easy California Roll

Here’s a sushi recipe that I am quite fond of and that is a staple when I make sushi at home. It’s a good beginner’s sushi roll, and is really flavorful. I originally found this sushi recipe at CDKitchen.com. That's the great thing about the internet - a great sushi recipe is always just a click away!

My Easy California Roll - A Favorite Sushi Recipe

Ingredients:
1 Sheet Japanese Nori
1 cup Sticky Japanese Sushi Rice
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon Sugar
1/2 an Avocado
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 sticks imitation crab sticks
1 tablespoon Mayonnaise
Wasabi Paste

Directions:
1. Mix the vinegar and sugar together until sugar is dissolved.
2. Pour the vinegar mix over sticky rice and mix gently.
3. Next, spread (about 1/4 inch thick) the rice thinly and evenly onto the nori sheet.
4. Shred the crab sticks and mix it with the mayonnaise, and cut the avocado into thin slices.
5. Place pieces of crab sticks and avocado slices onto the rice and roll carefully. A good bamboo sheet is a must have for rolling.
6. Dip sushi into soy sauce mixed with wasabi for taste.

This sushi recipe for My Easy California Roll Sushi serves/makes 2.

This is a great starter roll/sushi recipe. I hope you enjoy it as it is one of my favorite sushi recipes and I make it every time I host a sushi night.

Patrick