Beginning Sushi Maker

Anyone who knows me knows just how much I love sushi! It's ridiculous how much I love it. I would probably eat it every day if I were wealthy and could afford to. The hardest part about being pregnant has been my inability to eat many of the rolls and such that I crave. Yes, there are many suitable alternates that are cooked and safe to eat, but its just not the same. When I was pregnant with Lucas I dreamed about sushi all the time...it was such a tease. This time around I have been cautious about my choices, but there was just no way you could keep me out of a sushi restaurant for 9 months again. It just wasn't gonna happen! I've already made it a point that I expect delicious raw sushi within the first week of giving birth!

Last night a friend and I left our boys with their dads and went to a beginning sushi making class through Let's Cook Alaska. It was a wonderful class where we learned the basics of creating sushi rice, Japanese ginger-carrot dressing, rolls, and nigiri. And best of all...we got to eat our creations!

Considering this was a basic course, the roll the instructor chose to have us make was a California roll. This was the first roll I ever tried years ago and since becoming a sushi lover, I have not tried one again. Its a very Americanized roll with none of the raw goodies that I love so much, but it was a perfect first choice to learn how to make.

We were taught how to properly cut the avocado, cucumber, and crabsticks for them to fit most effectively. The sticky rice had been prepared for us in advance, but we were told the best rice to buy and how to prepare it in the most flavorful way.

After spreading the sushi rice across the entire sheet of nori, we stuffed it full of our goodies. Some people had a difficult time rolling it up properly, but I was a pro! It can be a little tricky and you really need to use the bamboo rolling mat to help distribute the pressure evenly. And you also need to ensure that you don't accidentally trap the plastic wrap inside...that wouldn't make for good eating. Once rolled you want to wrap it up in the plastic wrap and let it chill in the fridge for a few minutes.

Our next project was to make some nigiri. We were able to chose between tuna or shrimp. Of course I was drooling over the delicious and fresh cut of raw tuna, but had to resist for my baby's sake. The shrimp was placed on a skewer, boiled for 3 minutes, and then immediately dunked into cold water. I peeled off the skin and fanned it out similar to a butterfly. You take a small glob of sushi rice and shape it into an oval mound similar in size to the piece of fish you will be placing on top. You then add a small smear of wasabi which acts as the glue that binds the two together. You press it down and voila...you've made nigiri!

I was very impressed with the final presentation! After we all filled our plates with our creations the entire class (which is very small because this is taught out of a home!) sat together and dined at a large circular table. It was a nice end to the night and everyone loved their dinner!

I think it's hilarious that everyone can get full off of one roll. My friend told me that her and her husband usually share 2 rolls plus an appetizer. I laughed and bragged that Levi and I always get four rolls plus appetizers! I have this amazing ability to put away sushi like no other! Anyone that I've dined with can confirm. I may be tiny but I definitely don't mess around when it comes to sushi!

I can't wait to experiment some more and get really comfortable making my own homemade sushi! Dining out always costs us quite a bit...but I'm always satisfied with my food. I definitely want to take the advanced sushi class and learn some more skills. The class is a total of 2 hours, which includes the meal, so I think it would make for a perfect date night! Mine and Levi's very first date was out to sushi and it is such a large part of our relationship. We've done our best to pass on the love to Lucas. He has his own little chopsticks that he's gotten pretty good at using. His favorite things to eat are rice, flying fish eggs and of course, edamame - Yum!