Sushi Gone WILD!

Last Friday was the start of a girls weekend at my house with little Lauren and Michelle (my two favorite pseudo- New Yorkers). It was also the night I decided to make sushi for the first time. I have been working up the courage to do this for some time now. I bought seaweed wraps a few weeks ago. I looked up how to make sticky rice last week. I went to Wegman's in search of sushi grade salmon and tuna...SCORE! And they make sticky brown rice too! I also bought some of my favorite veggies- cucumbers, avocado, asparagus, and carrots.

I suggest you start your first sushi making experience off with one of these.
It will help to build your confidence and relax you at the same time.

key ingredient for the beginner sushi maker- they come raw too!

The ends were not as tight as the middle so I ate them before everyone showed up.

When everything is in there, roll it up. If you leave 1" at one end
and moisten it with water it will stick to itself and create a nice seal. 

VOILA!

If you are not lucky enough to live by a Wegman's or other grocery store that has a sushi counter you can make it yourself. I tried it, and it was sticky, but not nearly as sticky as the pre-cooked rice I bought. Cook the brown rice. Bring water, rice vinegar and sugar to a boil until the sugar dissolves. Fold liquid into rice and blend. I think it didn't work because I used the wrong kind of rice, but oh well. It was still really really good! Unless you are planning on becoming a master sushi chef I wouldn't worry about getting the rice perfect.

VERDICT: The sushi was amazing! However, if I was just making it for myself it would be faster and a little cheaper to buy it from a sushi restaurant. If you have some time and aren't worried about pinching pennies this is a really great meal to make for yourself. If you can buy the sticky rice pre-made, and the sushi-grade fish pre-cut, then all you have to do is cut up the veggies and roll them up into the seaweed wraps. It really isn't that scary after all.

Why make it yourself? Well, for one thing you control the ingredients. When I looked at the pre-made sushi rolls at Wegman's there were like 100 ingredients in them. I was expecting rice, seaweed, fish, and assorted vegetables. I'm not kidding. I couldn't pronounce some of the ingredients. WTF? So the moral of the story is READ LABELS! Because even something as straightforward as sushi has garbage ingredients put in (somehow).

Also, you can try making them so you can say that you have made sushi before...could be a great conversation starter.