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

Contributor: Antipova Antipova

Oh sweet, who else is excited that this meeting is on double points day!
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova

Ten minutes to go, so I'll get you a picture to get you excited:



And ask if you're listening to anything right now. I'm so excited for this meeting, I'm listening to an album by the Waybacks that a customer at work lent me.
04/15/2013
Contributor: geliebt geliebt
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova

Oh sweet, who else is excited that this meeting is on double points day!
Me!!!
04/15/2013
Contributor: ZZ ZZ
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova

Ten minutes to go, so I'll get you a picture to get you excited:



And ask if you're listening to anything right now. I'm so excited for this meeting, I'm listening to an album by the Waybacks that a customer at work ... more
Oh yum! looks delicious
04/15/2013
Contributor: GONE! GONE!
That picture makes me so hungry!
04/15/2013
Contributor: surreptitious surreptitious
I am currently not listening to anything right now (except for the rumbling of my stomach now that I've seen photographic evidence that there is, in fact, sushi in the world) but I am "watching" Swagbucks videos on mute, haha.
04/15/2013
Contributor: FieryRed FieryRed
I was already hungry, and just came across this thread at just the right time! If only I could eat the pictures you're going to post...
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by FieryRed
I was already hungry, and just came across this thread at just the right time! If only I could eat the pictures you're going to post...
Hehe, I got to!

Sounds great, everyone!


Welcome to the April meeting of Eden Cooks---and you probably know by now, we're working with Sushi! I will admit I knew that I loved sushi from experience at restaurants, but I didn't know how to make it before this meeting was suggested. Luckily I have a friend who has a really awesome book, "The Sushi Experience" by Hiroko SHimbo. So if you want to learn more, I absolutely recommend the book---she's a great storyteller, and her recipes and fish tips are easy to follow.

But also, you'll get to see that you can make professional-looking sushi even on your first try!

How many of you have made sushi at home before?
04/15/2013
Contributor: Melan!e Melan!e
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova

I actually sharpened mine just before I took on this project I used a medium-sized Wusthof, but honestly even just a $15 knife you can get at a restaurant supply store will work fine. Just make sure it's sharpened, like Pixel said!
... more
Thanks for the tip and thanks Pixel too (I forgot to say that earlier). I'll go get myself a sharp knife before I attempt a sushi night again.
04/15/2013
Contributor: surreptitious surreptitious
Quote:
Originally posted by Pixel
link This is the eel sauce recipe I use! It takes forever to reduce (2-3 hours, or less if you cheat and use cornstarch to thicken), but it's delicious and totally worth the time it takes to make it. ... more
Thank you!
04/15/2013
Contributor: FieryRed FieryRed
Oh, and I much prefer the Japanese words, as long as I know what they mean, but I understand that it'll be easier for others if mostly English is used. Hamachi is my favorite sushi/sashimi/nigiri fish! So light and buttery when it's fresh.
04/15/2013
Contributor: Wicked Wahine Wicked Wahine
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
Hehe, I got to!

Sounds great, everyone!


Welcome to the April meeting of Eden Cooks---and you probably know by now, we're working with Sushi! I will admit I knew that I loved sushi from experience at restaurants, but I ... more
never
04/15/2013
Contributor: surreptitious surreptitious
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
Hehe, I got to!

Sounds great, everyone!


Welcome to the April meeting of Eden Cooks---and you probably know by now, we're working with Sushi! I will admit I knew that I loved sushi from experience at restaurants, but I ... more
I've made sushi a few times in the past, and hosted a couple of sushi-making dinner parties for friends who had never done it before. I'm by no means an expert, though.
04/15/2013
Contributor: SneakersAndPearls SneakersAndPearls
Here!
04/15/2013
Contributor: FieryRed FieryRed
I have made sushi at home a few times, both with raw fish and with other cooked ingredients. I've been lucky to have had several partners who knew how to make it!
04/15/2013
Contributor: Lildrummrgurl7 Lildrummrgurl7
Hey guys!

I've never made sushi before.
04/15/2013
Contributor: SneakersAndPearls SneakersAndPearls
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova
Hehe, I got to!

Sounds great, everyone!


Welcome to the April meeting of Eden Cooks---and you probably know by now, we're working with Sushi! I will admit I knew that I loved sushi from experience at restaurants, but I ... more
Never have, but I'd like to!
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova

Welcome SNP, FieryRed, and Lildrummergirl!

I hope those of you with experience will chime in with extra tips when you have them, because I'm little better than a novice myself right now.

(I hope that makes me a good teacher because I can talk about pitfalls I ran into? But extra words of wisdom always help!)
04/15/2013
Contributor: Melan!e Melan!e
I just made it that one time. It was so much fun to make though and I can't wait to get myself a nice sharp knife and do it again!
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by Melan!e
I just made it that one time. It was so much fun to make though and I can't wait to get myself a nice sharp knife and do it again!

Just sharpen the one you've got!
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova

I'm glad to see that we have a whole mix of people---those who haven't made sushi before please ask every question you think of. Those who have, feel free to answer, or throw out ideas that I might have missed, or contribute your own recipes.


For those of you who haven't been to an Eden Cooks meeting before, welcome! The meeting runs like a normal forum thread, but much faster! Press F5 (or ctrl+r) to reload the page to see new posts, and make yours. As the meeting goes along, there will be both comments and thoughts from all the attendees, and Sushi Instructions With Pictures from me.


So let's get started!
04/15/2013
Contributor: ZZ ZZ
I haven't made it yet either, but I've always wanted to
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova


Sushi features many ingredients, and since I made the components of mine across several days I don't have one big picture that includes everything this month. But here are the components I made, and their ingredients. If you have questions for any ingredient, just let me know!

Complete Shopping List (Japanese names in parentheses, in case the bottle isn't in english)

Rice (details to come!)
Rice Vinegar (Komezu)
Salt
Sugar

Nori (choose a 10-pack, not a 100-pack, it goes stale after opening)

Dried shiitake mushrooms
soy sauce (shoyu)
mirin (this is a cooking wine, made from sake. Do not get one if the first ingredient is corn syrup, it is not the real thing)

Dried gourd (kanpyo)

bonito flakes (Small ones are fine) (katsuobushi)

ginger


wasabi (powder or in a tube, if you cannot get fresh in your town)
homemade mayo
sriracha sauce or chili garlic paste

sesame seeds

Fish, your choice
I used:
fresh salmon
fresh escolar
frozen roe
tinned mackerel

other good ideas:
crab meat
imitation krab meat
egg cooked the Japanese way
fresh tuna
smoked salmon
simmered tofu

Vegetables, your choice
I used:
cucumbers (Japanese ones)
avocado
shiitake mushrooms
gourd (kanpyo)

other good ideas:
asparagus
carrot
scallions (go well with tuna)
fermented soy beans
sprouts



And the equipment you'll need:

a bamboo rolling mat (mine was less than $2 at an Asian grocery store)
a pan with a thick bottom for cooking rice
a large bowl for mixing rice (or a bamboo mixing platter if you have one)
a wooden spoon for mixing rice

saucepan for simmering vegetables

at least one good sharp knife (I sharpened mine before starting this project)

many small bowls for holding various ingredients

04/15/2013
Contributor: Melan!e Melan!e
Quote:
Originally posted by Antipova

Just sharpen the one you've got!
Either I need a new sharpener or I've neglected my knives beyond repair
04/15/2013
Contributor: geliebt geliebt
So excited! I've made sushi at home (poorly) a couple times, but I'd love to get better!
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova

Welcome Zasha, Melanie, and Geliebt!

Some parts of sushi you can make days in advance, and others must be made just before serving. Obviously the fish should be prepared immediately before it is eaten---the rice should be made fresh, and fresh vegetables can be chopped while the rice cooks and cools. If you're making eggs (I didn't because I couldn't find dashi or kelp), they should be made while the rice cooks as well. Wasabi, if you have fresh wasabi, should be grated just before serving as well.

Many things can be made in advance, though, to save preparation stress when you are assembling the sushi. The dipping sauce and the pickled ginger will keep for almost a month in your refridgerator. The simmered gourd, simmered mushrooms, and simmered tofu can all be made up to a couple of days in advance.

So let's take a look at the 'working ahead' bits, and then we'll get to the all-important rice, talk about how to cut veggies. Then we'll finish with cutting fish for nigiri-sushi and rolling up our rolls!
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova

Pickled Ginger

One large ginger club
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2/3 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar

lots of water

I bought one very large piece of ginger, with all the growth in the "palm" and none in the "fingers," so it would be easy to slice. Peel the ginger (I used a paring knife)



Then slice it paper-thin. (I used a large knife.)





Since my ginger is a mature ginger it is a little bit fibrous, so it will have to be blanched a little bit longer than baby ginger---but I take what I can get at a grocery store.

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

Pickled Ginger

One large ginger club
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2/3 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar

lots of water

I bought one very large piece of ginger, with all the growth in the "palm" and none in the ... more
I've never thought about pickling my own ginger. That's really neat!
04/15/2013
Contributor: geliebt geliebt
Quote:
Originally posted by surreptitious
I've never thought about pickling my own ginger. That's really neat!
Me either! Very interesting... I usually just buy a jar of pickled ginger. This is neat!
04/15/2013
Contributor: Antipova Antipova
Quote:
Originally posted by surreptitious
I've never thought about pickling my own ginger. That's really neat!

Unf, and it was so delicious. I ate all the leftovers as a midmorning snack the day after my party
04/15/2013