The Art of Sushi Making

Not only does my husband surprise us with eclectic meal creations every day, he shops for the necessary ingredients to make special meals. When he goes to visit one of his clients in Edgewater, NJ, he visits Mitsuwa. Mitsuwa is a Japanese/Korean grocery store for finding key ingredients to make sushi. Bob shops for a variety of sushi grade fish from eel, tuna, halibut and yellow tail, sushi rice, rice wine vinegar (powdered), dried sea weed, wasabi in tube or powder form, jar of pickled ginger, cucumbers, avocado, sesame seeds, salmon and flying fish roe. These are Bob's instructions on the art of sushi making:

step 1: Cook sweet sushi rice until sticky

step 2: Add rice wine vinegar (powder)

step 3: mix well and set aside to cool

step 4: Sharpen a knife

step 5: Cut your fish into bit size pieces

For "Sushi"

step 1: Form bite size balls of rice - add a dab of wasabi (optional)

step 2: Lay your favorite piece of fish on top, decorate with fish row or sesame seeds

For "Maki" rolls

step 1: lay a sheet of dried sea weed on special bamboo rolling mat

step 2: Add rice and flatten

step 2: Add filing - fish, cucumber slices, avocado (your choice)

step 3: With a special bamboo rolling mat you roll the dried sea weed tightly

step 4: Roll dried sea weed with bamboo rolling mat tightly

step 5: Wet ends of sea weed with water and cut in half then in thirds for 6 pieces

Note: The sea weed doesn't have to go down first, you can invert the layers, try adding the rice first then roll

Most importantly, Sushi making is about the artistry just as much as the taste. Serve with saki and enjoy!