All Sushi Stuff

My First Sushi

2009-02-07T18:37:00.002-05:00

I know, I know. I start a sushi site, yet I've never actually eaten sushi before? Well, honestly, I did try sushi once before, but didn't know what I was ordering and ended up with squid nigiri.

It actually didn't taste too bad, almost good. The problem was that instead of being a thin strip of squid on top of the rice, it was about 3 fingers wide, and as long as my middle finger. And being squid, it could be chewed all day long. Bad first experience.

I'm still rather intrigued by the whole idea of sushi, and that's why this site started. I have quite a lot to say about the sushi seen in this video, but I'm saving that for another post. For now, enjoy my inability to talk for the majority of the vid.

Review of Sushi For One by Camy Tang

2009-01-08T15:50:00.008-05:00

I thought that it would be fun to review fiction with a sushi theme, so when I had an opportunity to get a review copy of Sushi For One by Camy Tang, I jumped at it! Now, since my criteria for this blog is different than, say, a book review blog, I'm doing two reviews. One here, and one on my catch-all personal blog. There will be links to other reviews found at that link as well.

Sushi For One is "loud Asian chick-lit" written by a "loud Asian chick". It's the story of an athletic girl, whose obsession with volleyball specifically, and sports in general, disappoints her family. Well, her Grandma at least, who has threatened to pull funding for the volleyball team that Lex coaches, if she (Lex) doesn't have a real boyfriend in time for her cousin's wedding- only 4 months away!

While sushi itself is rarely mentioned in the book, and if I remember correctly, not until at least the final 3rd, Chinese and Japanese food seems to play quite a big part, being specifically mentioned on bad dates, weddings, and set ups....

Amazon.com Widgets

Sushi for One is followed by Only Uni and Single Sashimi which follow two of Lex's 3 cousins. I believe a fourth novel is coming.

Sushi Pillows

2008-12-29T20:39:00.005-05:00

I can't believe how many places make sushi pillows! They're incredibly cute, yes, but popular enough to warrant all this competition? I'm impressed.

I'm not posting pictures right now since I don't have permission, but I'll include pictures of the sushi pillows as I'm able. In the mean time, please follow the links or conduct your own search for views of these adorable things.

1. TheOriginalSushiPillow.com- As they say, they're the original sushi pillow. These pillows look so comfy, and so fuzzy... You don't need to be a fan of sushi to want one! But my two favorites are the pillowcases that are designed to look like soy sauce packets (I kid you not!), and the Ikari- which looks like it's covered in huge red pompoms! Also, the girl on the homepage looks just like an asian Rachel Ray!

2. eBay- As with everything in eBay, you may or may not be able to find sushi pillows available. It all depends on what's listed at the time of your search.

3. Amazon-

It varies, but sometimes you can find sushi pillows on Amazon:

4. SofaGarden.com- They have a few sushi pillows, but they're much more expensive, and not as cute as TheOriginalSushiPillow.com's pillows.

5. PerpetualKid.com- The sushi pillows on this site look like they come from TheOriginalSushiPillow.com, but as it doesn't say specifically on the website, I can't be certain.

6. Etsy- Not only are there a number of sushi pillows already available on Etsy, but many artisans there are willing to take custom orders.

7. Shana Logic- Not only do they have pillows, but Shana Logic has some super cute sushi jewelry too!

8. Make Your Own Sushi Pillow- This site has step by step instructions on how to make your own sushi pillow.

Sushi Coupons

2008-12-03T14:13:00.003-05:00

To be honest, I never thought I'd see sushi coupons available on eBay, but after a strange conversation last night I just couldn't help myself. And yes, there are sushi coupons!

At the time I'm writing this post, there are two sushi coupons listed for auction. One for 10 $1 coupons, and one for 4 coupons and Edo Sushi in Baltimore.

Edit- I'm sorry to say that eBay no longer allows auctions on Blogspot sites. There are not that many sushi coupons available online, but you may still go directly to eBay and search there. I'm sorry that I can no longer provide a steady stream of eBay's sushi coupons to you.

Funny Sushi Video

2008-11-27T18:00:00.000-05:00

I was searching for some informative videos on sushi, and found this funny sushi video instead. Please note, this is tongue in cheek. It's a humorous video made in Japan for the Japanese people. Unless you're Japanese or have lived in Japan, a lot of the jokes will probably just fly right by. But you'll still laugh, because, well, some humor just transcends language and culture!

Did you laugh at all the "samurai way" comments? Did you lose it when they began eating salt out of the bowl? Me too.

Sushi Books: Fiction

2008-11-27T17:19:00.000-05:00

I did a search on Amazon for Sushi books, to get an idea of what sushi cookbooks and "for beginners" type books were available. Lo and behold, a bounty of fiction titles popped up about our favorite food! I had no idea there were so many books who's storyline revolved around sushi! So you know these are going on my wishlist.

First Book of Sushi (World Snacks) is a child's book, full of rhymes. All the reviews are 4 and 5 stars (or seem to be), and several people have mentioned how their children love to have the book read to them. According to the detail page, there are lots of pictures that help to identify various types of sushi, though they've said that there is no pronunciation key. Keep in mind, however, that it rhymes, so that may help in figuring it out for yourself.

The Story of Sushi: An Unlikely Saga of Raw Fish and Rice (P.S.) seems like an interesting sushi book. Based on the description, I'm assuming that it's fiction, but what's most interesting is that the author actually attended a sushi school in a Japanese restaurant in Hermosa Beach for several months for research. According to the detail page, woven throughout the stories is a great deal of information on fish and sushi. Surely an intriguing read for any sushi lover.

Sushi for Beginners: A Novel By writer Marian Keyes is described as British chick-lit ala Bridget Jones. The romance appears to revolve around a themed dinner of Sushi For Beginners. The reviews indicate that it's not a top notch book, and starts rather slowly with cardboard characters. However, nearly ever review indicates that the book becomes good. Speaking as a lover of Bridget Jones who found Olivia Joules (by the same author) rather tired, I'll probably end up with this book! What can I say? Cardboard chick-lit is my guilty pleasure.

I want children, just so that I have an excuse to buy Yoko (Yoko and Friends-School Days). This looks so cute! As indicated, it's a children's book. Yoko's mother lovingly packs a lunch of wonderful sushi for Yoko's first day of school. Her day begins very well, but when it comes to lunch time, Yoko is the only student who doesn't have a "normal" lunch. The details page indicates that the end of the book has her classmates appreciating Yoko's culture (or maybe just the food), rather than her giving up her favorite comfort food or culture. It sounds like a wonderful book, and I may not be able to wait until I have children!

I can't find any information on Amazon about Desperately Seeking Sushi: A Madeline Bean Culinary Mystery (Madeline Bean Mysteries), but I totally dig the title. (Big fan of Desperately Seeking Susan)

While I haven't read Camy Tang's Sushi for One? (The Sushi Series, Book 1), several of my friends have, and they all loved it! This is Christian chick-lit... funny how so many of these novels involving sushi are chick-lit? and there are two more titles in the series: Only Uni (The Sushi Series, Book 2), and Single Sashimi (Sushi Series, Book 3).

The Secret Lives of the Sushi Club seems to be Women's Lit, but there are no details on the detail page! The reader reviews shed more light on the subject.

Hope you enjoyed this list, and hey- maybe it made your holiday shopping a little bit easier!

Types of Sushi

2008-11-25T16:00:00.000-05:00

Did you know that there are several types of sushi? And with all the creative chefs out there, I expect there will be more to add to this list soon.

Of the types of sushi that can be ordered, the most common are:

Sashimi- Sashimi is raw fish. This may be served simply as strips of raw fish, or may be accompanied by a bowl of rice.

Nigiri- Nigiri is served as a slice of fish (or other ingredient) on top of a "finger" of rice. According to my internet sources, this finger is generally about the size of one or two fingers together- however, from my experience, it was at least three fingers wide, and another two deep, so this may vary depending on the sushi bar. Nigiri may be served with a strip of nori wrapped around it for presentation.

Maki- Maki is a what we usually think of when we say "sushi". This is what we see with a layer of nori (seaweed) on the outside, a thick layer of sticky rice, and fish, seafood, or vegetables in the very center. It is hand rolled into a log, and then sliced, usually into 6 bite sized pieces.

Temaki- Temaki is nearly identical to maki, but instead of being rolled into a log, temaki is rolled into a cone, and simply handed to the diner in that manner.

Reverse Sushi- Reverse sushi is simply maki made inside out- with the rice and occasionally other ingredients on the outside. The California Roll is an example of reverse sushi.

You can visit The Nibbler for more information on sushi types and ingredients. It's quite a large list.

What Is Sushi?

2008-11-23T19:16:00.000-05:00

There seems to be a bit of confusion over what sushi actually is. The term "sushi" actually refers to the vinegared rice that's used in the dish that we usually call "sushi". This rice is usually dressed up with raw or cooked fish, other forms of seafood, and/or vegetables and is often served rolled up in a sheet of nori, a sea vegetable (seaweed).

The sushi that you see rolled in nori, is called maki, but there's another popular form of sushi that is simply the fish (or other ingredient) that is simply placed on top of rice.

Not all sushi is made with raw fish. In fact, quite a few types of sushi are made using cooked seafoods, and still others with no seafood at all.

Simply said, sushi is a food that is prepared with rice and any number of other ingredients. As long as the flavor is well balanced, that is what you're looking for. And there is no embarrassment in asking your server or chef for their recommendations for a sushi novice.

Is Sushi Raw?

2008-11-19T18:59:00.000-05:00

I've always been fascinated by sushi, but not by raw fish. But after getting to know several sushi fanatics, I had to ask "Is all sushi raw?".

I can't believe that I didn't simply look it up online, or even ask my friends who do eat sushi if there was any such thing as non-raw sushi. After all, I'd seen vegan sushi, and you know that doesn't have any fish in it at all!

So I finally looked it up. And surprisingly? No. Not all sushi is raw. In fact, the term sushi refers to the vinegared rice, and not to the actual sushi roll. According to Snopes.com, most non-fish sushi is cooked (such as octopus, crab, shrimp, and eel), so if you're averse to eating raw fish, but are fascinated by the sushi phenomenon as I am, there are some safe choices.

And, of course, you can always ask your server or chef just to be on the safe side.

Welcome To All Sushi Stuff!

2008-11-19T18:12:00.000-05:00

Sushi has long been a favorite among sophisticates, but only in recent times has it become popular among the masses. And now? Make sushi at home kits, recipe books, review blogs, and even sushi pillows and jewelry!

Sushi is no longer just a food, it's a statement. Not only does eating sushi say something about who you are, but the very specific types of sushi that you choose to eat becomes your very identity! Do you prefer the classics? Spicy tuna? Or maybe you're really adventurous and choose eel, avocado, and caviar!

Stick around, because there's a lot to be enjoyed in the sushi world.