ladies and gentlemen, i have found the PERFECT sushi rice directions. all the steps are “set it and forget it.” there’s no guess work involved, and the rice has cooked to perfection every time.
Becca Meyer Goes DIY
While Becca was visiting from Florida, Nick and I made her some delicious “anti-hangover” sushi. Anxious to dive in and help, Becca decided to give it a shot on her own…
and they turned out to be AMAZINGGGG! First time making sushi at home? Becca nailed it! And decided to name the rolls after Nick and me. Thanks, Becca! You’ll be making the sushi for us next time around!
follow Becca’s sushi progress on Instagram! @madam_ohio
Ravens Nation, Baby!
in honor of my Ravens making it all the way to the SuperBowl, I decided to get a little purple crazy.
the secret? purple food coloring in the water WHILE the rice is boiling! they turned out much more amazing than i’d expected. crab and old bay seasoning were a Baltimore Roll MUST.
and of course, don’t forget the perfect Ravens playlist while making these rolls:
we did it! we did it! we did it! thank you to everyone that doubted us. it only made us want this huge accomplishment even MORE. congratulations, Ravens. we love you.
Spicy Tuna Roll a la Megan Saber
Teaching Nick and myself to make sushi has led to a few different reactions from friends. The lazy and/or self-doubting will ask me to make sushi for them, a few friends have been inspired to use my blog to attempt to make their own, and then there are friends that have come forward that already make their own and were excited to swap pointers.
Meet my beautiful friend Megan from Chicago. She sent me photos and a recipe for her simple Spicy Tuna Roll. (I am VERY jealous that she is able to get her hands on sushi grade fish locally!)
Megan’s market of choice for this roll was Whole Foods. The recipe for the spicy tuna mix is super simple, and as follows:
- 3 oz. sushi grade tuna, diced
- 1 tablespoon mayo
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha
- green onion (to preference, optional; Megan recommends going light on these)
Mix together and voila! Don’t forget the avocado!
Megan’s questions for me were:
Q: How do I keep my rolls from falling apart?
A: Try keeping the rice on the inside! It’s so much easier to work with! (Megan had gone straight to making the inside out rolls prior to this one.. brave! I have no patience for those yet.) Also, keep the rolls nice and tight while rolling, as this will prevent space between the rice and filling, which may cause the insides to spill out when cutting.
Q: How do you keep the rice from doubling up on the outside?
A: Stop your rice about an inch from the edge of the seaweed. Then use tiny bits of rice to dot along the bare edge. This will provide a nice seal at the end of the roll. Mine always overlap a tiny bit and thats OKAY.. but it’s the rice all the way to the edge that is making the edge too thick.
Other than those two pieces of advice, Megan’s rolls turned out amazing! She topped them off with eel sauce (that she was lucky enough to find in store). I can’t wait to start working at home with raw fish! This roll is definitely at the top of my list!
Are you ready to try this one?
Follow Megan’s sushi & silliness on Instagram: @megansaber
The Rec N Roll (Krab, Mango, Avocado)
Tonight, while watching Parks and Recreation, we discussed possible combinations for my delicious mango. Nick suggested keeping it simple, and that’s just what we did. We tried to think of a clever name for this one, but we have apparently wasted all of our creativity for the evening. So, in honor of the Netflix marathon we are currently having, we dub thee The Rec N Roll!
ps. Chicago thought that perhaps we were making the sushi for her.
Also, on an exciting note, I have discovered my current favorite roll. We tweaked the Dokey Roll and created a sweet potato, avocado, and cream cheese roll. It is a nice option for those that think goat cheese is too strong. I drizzled eel sauce over the roll and fell in love. I’m still working on a better eel sauce recipe, but I’ll post one once it’s perfected :)
Tempura Takes A Back Seat
I found this perfectly ripe mango at the store today. It caught my eye as I was headed to get some hummus ingredients. How could I say no to mango?! Playing with it in some sushi tonight. Very excited! I’ll post again after we devour it!
ps. I absolutely chose to take this picture in front of the refrigerator for a reason. I should create a roll inspired by Ray Lewis.
What’s Up Next For Sushi Amore?
Last night we created a delicious new veggie roll that we’d thought up a few days prior. It was a success! Unfortunately, we also dabbled in tempura for a SECOND time, again with no luck. We managed to make a small amount of crispy tempura flakes (and Nick decided to play with the leftover rice and make tempura rice balls), but everything else was pretty soft and oily.
I have located a recipe for “the perfect tempura batter,” and the 30+ reviews were all wonderful. So, we will be attempting to make some CRUNCHY tempura next week. Stay tuned for this “perfect” recipe, and whether or not we can join the 30 others that found success.
Dokey Roll (Sweet Potato, Roasted Asparagus, Goat Cheese)
While brainstorming combinations for vegetarian sushi rolls, my boyfriend Nick and I were inspired by our good friend/roommate Dave Bermosk (whose nickname from years ago was apparently “Dokey”). We decided to dedicate our sweet potato roll to him, since he’s ALWAYS eating them, and usually with goat cheese. The oven roasted asparagus adds the perfect crunch/flavor to this unique combination.
Eager to try our newest idea, we planned a sushi night for this evening. We both give the Dokey Roll two thumbs up! Here’s our journey:
Ingredients:
- Nori (seaweed wrapper.. we used hand roll size tonight)
- Sticky Rice (you can pick up sushi rice if you’re nervous, but I am able to make sticky rice with regular long-grain white rice)
- Sweet potato, asparagus, goat cheese
You will also need (recommended):
- Wax paper, tall cup of water, sharp cutting knives, paper towel
Prepare sticky rice. You can google recipes, follow along on the box/bag of sushi rice, or follow my simple instructions for using regular white rice:
Take 1.5 cups of long-grain white rice (NOT INSTANT), and rinse well under cold water. Strain. Add 3 cups of water to pot of rice. Bring to a boil, and continue to boil until most water is absorbed. When the water line disappears, add one more cup of water and turn down heat to medium low. Cover pot, and continue to cook on medium low until remaining water is absorbed (may take 15-20 minutes). Test the rice to make sure it feels sticky. Remove pot from burner and allow to cool uncovered (the rice will get even stickier as it cools.) Voila! We are able to buy an 8 cup bag of rice for $1.50, so this is a much cheaper option than sushi rice!
Cook the sweet potato for 10 minutes in the microwave (5 mins, flip, 5 mins). After cooling, slice it in half lengthwise and each half into 1-1.5in strips (remove the skin).
To prepare the asparagus, lightly grease a nonstick pan with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350. Lay asparagus strips on pan, lightly drizzle with olive oil, and season (we used garlic!). Bake for 10 minutes.
Lay a piece of wax paper on the counter. Place a piece of nori (shiny side down) on the wax paper. Use a spoon to place a thin layer of sticky rice on the nori, starting from the side you’ll begin rolling from. Leave about 1-1.5in bare at the opposite end of the sheet of nori. The edge will be used to seal the roll shut. Water will allow the edge to stick, but I like to use a few pieces of sticky rice.
Once the rice is placed, lay your ingredients (up and down) about 2 inches away from the edge of the side you’ll begin rolling from (see photo below). Make sure the ingredients are placed tightly together, to avoid gaps that will cause your rolls to fall apart.
Starting from the side you’ve chosen to begin, grab the wax paper with the edge of the nori. Begin to slowly fold over. While rolling forward, guide the nori over the inside ingredients, and gently tuck them inside as you continue to roll over. Once the starting edge reaches the rice, pull the wax paper away from the roll and continue gently rolling the nori until it reaches the opposite edge. Set aside until ready to cut. This is a great time to make the next roll.
When you’re ready to begin slicing, fill a tall cup with water and keep some paper towels handy (keep your cutting knife clean and wet with each individual cut).
Hold around the roll with your fingers to help maintain its shape as you cut. Smaller pieces of nori I cut into 6 pieces. The larger nori can make 8-10. (Tip: slice rolls on a cutting board, and make sure to cut all the way through the bottom).
Arrange your sushi pieces on a plate, grab the wasabi, soy sauce, and pickled ginger, and you’re ready to go! Don’t forget the Sriracha! ;)
Happy To Prove You Wrong.
I stumbled across this ridiculous quote today from an executive in New York City:
“I think the Heartland is a nice place to raise children. People are nice, but they’re dumb, overweight, and gullible. They wear tacky clothing and jewelry. They’re racist, unworldly, and dumb.”
First of all, he/she used the word “dumb” twice. I don’t think I need to even go into the reasons why this individual is ignorant. The people he/she described are found all over the world. I do not encounter an above average amount here in the Midwest; it’s all pretty much the same as everywhere else I’ve lived.
I’ll leave you with a picture of how unworldly, tacky, overweight, and classless we are here in Lima, Ohio.
Just one of our favorite hangouts in town. I recommend checking it out if you ever breeze through (although, Lima isn’t exactly “on the way” to anything). They offer a wide array of wines available for purchase, wine by the glass, and craft beers on tap (don’t expect to order a “Bud” or “Coors” here!) I haven’t been in during lunch or dinner, but I have heard great things about the food as well.
Proof that you should NEVER classify an entire group based upon a stereotype created from a small selection.
