The Barefoot Kitchen Witch

Sushi Lesson

A few weeks ago my niece, Natalie, texted me and asked when we could cook together again.  

If you’ve been reading here a while, you’ve probably seen some of my other baking/cooking with Natalie posts…we’ve made Chocolate Pound Cake, Fresh Mozzarella, Dorie Greenspan's Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrownies, and also Dorie Greenspan's Chipster Topped Brownies.  (Can you see the chocolate theme that flows, river-like, through out baking adventures?)  Bill and I also went down to my sister’s house and taught Natalie (and my sister) to make Chiang Mai Soup, which features Thai red curry paste.  Natalie’s very adventurous in the kitchen – I’m sure she inherited that from me diagonally across the genetic pool.  Or something like that.

Anyway, I figured the school break in February would be most convenient for everyone involved, and asked what she wanted to do. 

“Sushi.”

Sushi Rice

If you're going to make sushi or maki rolls, you need to first learn to make sushi rice. 

We Interrupt This Photo Essay on Last Night's Dinner Preparation...

So yesterday Bill (mainly Bill - I was soft shell crab fry cook, dishwasher, and photographer) prepared this absolute FEAST of Japanese food.  Primarily sushi - related things, but not just that.  I'll post the recipes separately, because there are too many to cram into this one post.

But after the meal, and after the clean-up, I uploaded the pictures I'd taken while the meal was being prepared, and what struck me funny were not the pictures of the food, but the unexpected pictures that showed up here and there in between the chronology of the food prep.  Basically what happened was while Bill was making the soft shell crab maki rolls, and I was taking pictures of them, Alex yelled from the other room "Mommy!  Come quick!  The sky is pink!"  And so I just peeked out the kitchen window, saw that yes, the sun was setting and pink clouds dotted the sky, and took a quick step outside to take a few pictures before the pinkness was gone.  Alex knows I will to this, so he is vigilant.

So here's an example of my viewing experience...

Shoosi

A few days ago I made tacos for dinner, but I'd also picked up a package of barbecued eel maki rolls from the little sushi area in the grocery store.

I believe I've mentioned this before, but in case you're new here, or in case I am mistaken in what I think I remember...my son, who is five and a half...LOVES SUSHI.  Loves it.  He can eat any adult under the table, particularly if we're talking tuna. 

The Rest of the Fish Story

The same night Julia was playing "Eye Spy" with the grilled red snapper, we also had maki rolls.  I had picked up a rainbow roll and a barbecued eel roll on the way home.  After the four of us consumed the two whole fish and a lot of the noodles Bill had made, Alex was still hungry.  So Bill told Alex to sit back in his seat and just wait.  And then he brought the maki rolls in.

Alex loves him some raw fish.

He's quite the connoisseur.

Hey, I want some of that!

(Nothing can distract him at this point.)

All was blissful...

until...

Julia?  What is this?

There's still some eye goop left, Daddy!  Want some?

Yum!