Sushi Party!

I love dinner with friends, the more the better!  Summer and I have been trying to plan a get-together and we decided that tonight was the night.  Her daughter, Isabelle, loves sushi and had been asking when they could come over and make some.

Piyush and I learned to make sushi from a couple of my friends from the gym, Leah and Sheila.  They told me that they’d teach us but we had to pay it forward and teach someone else.  We’ve had sushi “parties” a couple times now and let me tell you…they are fun!  Making sushi is really easy and everyone can customize their rolls to include whatever they like.  Its also quite economical after you purchase the initial supplies.  The first time you make sushi it may seem a little expensive.  That’s because you have to buy the mats, rice, nori, chopsticks, rice wine vinegar, sake…and the list goes on and on.  My advice:  take a trip to your nearest Asian store.  Things will be way more affordable!  At our local Asian store I can find 10 sheets of nori for $2.99.  At the grocery store it sells for $6.99.  I also like to purchase veggies from the Asian market, as they are usually cheaper there too.

As for the fish, I like tuna.  We’ve used salmon before too, and it was good.  Make sure that when you purchase the fish it is sold as “sushi grade”.  I usually get it from our grocery store and we’ve never had any issues.  Just slice it up right before your guests arrive and put it back in the fridge until you need it.   We also usually grab some of those imitation crab meat stick things.  I find most people like them…and Isabelle LOVES them!  I try and have a pretty varied veggie spread too, but sometimes what I want in my sushi just can’t be found.  Like sprouts! Where in the world can a person buy sprouts in Rochester?!  We went to 3 different stores, including the Asian market, and left empty handed.  I slice everything and lay it on a cutting board so its easy for everyone to pick what they want.

I whip up some “Spicy Tuna Sauce” because who doesn’t love a nice spicy tuna roll?  It’s really easy.  Just take 4 parts Hellman’s Mayo to 1 part sriracha hot sauce.  Add a tiny squirt of sesame oil.  Whisk everything together and put it in the fridge.  The flavors need to mingle awhile before you should use it.

I also cook up the rice an hour or so before everyone arrives.  When it’s finished, keep it covered with some plastic wrap and it should stay warm enough.  To make the rice I throw 4 c. sushi rice along with 4 c. water into my rice cooker.  I forget about it.  On the stove top I mix together 1/2 c. sugar, 1 c. rice wine vinegar, and 1/4 c. sake.  Let it be until the sugar dissolves.  When the rice is done cooking I dump it all out on a cookie sheet.  I use the little paddle to separate the rice before I dump the vinegar mixture on top of it.  I keep going at it with the paddle until the rice is evenly flavored.  Now, it’s ready!

Then get to rollin’!

It helps if you cover your mat with plastic wrap before you start…I use press-and-seal.  I also set a couple bowls of water out too.  It comes in handy when your fingers are so full of sticky rice that they seem like they are practically glued together.  This will happen.  I promise.

Summer made some awesome Egg Drop soup, I don’t have the recipe but it looked really easy.  We also had some chicken fried rice and sesame chicken on the table.

Summer also fried up some green tomatoes—which really didn’t go with the sushi, but were super amazing!

We were all so stuffed after dinner that Summer and I didn’t even break out the wine!  Unbelievable!  It was a fun night and I can’t wait to do it again!