Sushi -- Make it yourself? Opinions? Likes/dislikes?

[SparklingBBW]

One of the things I'd like to teach myself/learn this year is how to make my own sushi at home. Anybody try this themselves? Have any suggestions on books/equipment to buy or any other advice? BTW, I don't like nori and have my sushi rolls made with soy paper, so I figure this might make things a bit more difficult. Also, here's a pic of a sushi set I'm thinking about buying. Isn't it adorable!!???

p.s. Also any hints on finding a Sake to my liking? I tend to like sweet, less dry beverages.

[Ernest Nagel]

A good sushi knife is a must, IMO. They are sharpened on only one side to keep the ingredients from smearing or blurring together.

Awamori is a lightly distilled spirit (unlike sake, which is only fermented) from Okinawa that is much smoother and lighter in taste than sake. It can be used in cocktails like vodka and is wonderful with just a few drops of fresh squeezed OJ.

[Miss Vickie]

I've never heard of using soy paper. Interesting. I use the nori, but then I like nori, so I'll probably stick with that. I took a class to get help with getting the hang of it and now I make sushi every few months. The really difficult part for me is getting the rice right. If it's too dry nothing sticks together. If it's too wet, it's too sticky. It seems like I do the same thing each time but it turns out slightly differently. Very frustrating.

I bought some really good pickled mango (sounds weird but tastes really good) that I slice thinly and place in my rolls. It's tasty!

[katorade]

Originally Posted by Miss Vickie

I've never heard of using soy paper. Interesting. I use the nori, but then I like nori, so I'll probably stick with that. I took a class to get help with getting the hang of it and now I make sushi every few months. The really difficult part for me is getting the rice right. If it's too dry nothing sticks together. If it's too wet, it's too sticky. It seems like I do the same thing each time but it turns out slightly differently. Very frustrating.

I bought some really good pickled mango (sounds weird but tastes really good) that I slice thinly and place in my rolls. It's tasty!

Do you have a rice cooker? If you don't, look into one. It will change your life!

[SparklingBBW]

I'm also thinking about getting a rice cooker, but in the mean time, I will follow the advice of a Food Network chef (can't remember which one) and will just buy some sushi rice from a restaurant to bring home and use. Then I can experiment and take more time with what I want to put inside the sushi roll.

p.s. Yes, I realize "sushi rice" is a redundant word coupling but I love it's tangy, sticky goodness

[vardon_grip]

I love sushi and I love making it too. I've been enjoying since I was a kid. Finding sushi grade fish is very easy in Los Angeles. (Little Tokyo is only 15 minutes away from where I live) A good sharp knife, sushi mat and rice cooker are key materials. Cooking rice on the stovetop is fairly easy, but requires a little more diligence. In addition, using good short grain rice (washed) is important as is cooling it before assembling. Its very hard to find real wasabi, and when you do it isn't cheap (but oh so good!) Most of what you see in the stores is regular horseradish and mustard that is dyed green. A nice cold Kirin beer or chilled Otokoyama sake (must be chilled) are also essential to the sushi experience. (You might also look into shochu and the chuhai cocktail-refreshing!) Kanpai!

Some sushi that I have made-Ebi (shrimp) Tamago (sweet egg) and Sake (salmon)