Sushi Adventure

The weather has been ridiculously hot for the past few days, which really limited any outdoor activity. To curb my boredom in this AC-blowing-little-apartment of mine, I made sushi. I wanted to make something easy and didn't involve raw fish (I don't trust myself handling raw fish for later consumption), so I decide to make California (American-style) sushi which includes avocado, imitation crab, and cucumber. Next to Nagasaki Inn on Redding Road, there is a Japanese grocery store. I picked up a bag of sushi-grade rice, a bamboo mat, nori (seaweed mats), and wasabi that came in a tube.

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Sushi making is surprisingly easy.

Here is how to make sushi:
A sheet of nori is placed on the bamboo mat (with plastic wrap in between), then sushi rice (seasoned
with rice vinegar, sugar, and salts) is spread out evenly on top.

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Carefully flip the nori over and arrange ingredients.

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Roll, press, roll, press and roll.

This was when YouTube videos really came in handy.

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Ta Da!! 

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I love sushi. The fresher the fish, the better. I went to Japan my senior year in high school, I did a week-long hike along an ancient trading route with the school. I stayed in the equivalent of bed and breakfast here in rural country side. Every meal I had was composed of at least 5 or more little dishes. A main bowl for rice, paired with little side dishes of pickled vegetables, fish, and soup. I didn't have sushi until the last day when I was in the city. Oddly, the best and the most affordable sushi I have ever had was in Vancouver, Canada.

Lexington has several Japanese restaurants, I always wonder if that was because of the Toyota plant in Georgetown. I have been to many of them, including the well-recommended Sugano on the east side. However, my favorite Japanese restaurant is Tokyo Sushi over at Richmond Road and Man O' War Boulevard.


To pair with the California roll, I made miso soup with seaweed and a side salad.
(Please excuse my poor lighting pictures, the lights above my dining table is not made for taking pictures.)

It was quite an adventure making sushi and I feel culinary-ly accomplished. I already have more ideas for next sushi adventure, such as smoked salmon with avocado.

What's your latest culinary adventure?