From Novice to Natural

Last Saturday I was invited to a dinner party that was not only entertaining but also educational and interactive.  The host taught the guests to make sushi and as he fluttered around socializing, sushi virgins created what we would later eat for dinner.  Since I have made lots of sushi (and I am a doer and slight control freak) you would have thought I would have been more of a help but instead I sat on the sidelines (of the bar) and watched my new friend Adam go from timid to (Sushi) tyrant.  In one hour he created our meal, developed a new skill and provided lots of entertainment.

Sushi Making in Through the Eyes of a Novice

As a sushi novice, making my first roll was quite intimidating. This might be rooted in the fact that the only people I have ever seen making sushi were Japanese chefs; usually wearing an official-looking happi robe or apron with a matching Samurai-inspired headband. Looking so authentic and focused, I always felt that I should have to apprentice with one for years, learning important “wax on, wax off” techniques, before I should be allowed to pick up a bottle of rice vinegar.

Encouraged by my friends, sans apron or headband, I took to the bamboo rolling mat and added the sticky rice to the seaweed sushi wrap. Being a perfectionist, applying an even, thin layer of rice to the wrap proved to be the most difficult part of the process. But after a few tries, the technique came to me as if Japanese ancestors were guiding my rice paddle; well, wooden spoon to be exact.

Once the rice was down, it was as simple as adding my ingredients of choice and rolling the sushi. My favorite combination was a more standard salmon, avocado and red pepper mix, but I was introduced to a tasty avocado, apple and pear combo that was a hit with my vegetarian friends.

I noticed that regardless what the roll looked like to start, once it was cut it into pieces; they all looked as if a sushi master had been making them to order. Honestly, I was so impressed with myself that I appointed myself “Sushi-Sous Chef” and rolled the night away!

In one evening, I went from someone who just recently started to love sushi to someone who can make it on my own with relative confidence. Now all I need is a headband and a set of Ginsu knives and I will be unstoppable!

Thanks Adam for your amazing rolls, entertainment and a re-count of the evening!  KN- Thanks for being a delightful host and engaging us in such a fun evening. 

(See below as Adam takes us through the rice,
the rolling and cutting the right way.)