Koji Kagawa, an Executive Sushi Chef at SUSHISAMBA in New York City is a regular contributor in Japanese Cooking Video.
Today, Koji demonstrates how to slice fish:

You Will Need

1-2 pounds of fresh saltwater fish filets, such as yellowtail.

An extremely sharp knife

A cutting board

A clean, slightly damp kitchen towel

Intro
While sushi masters train for years to perfect their fish-cutting techniques, you don’t have to be quite so exacting. But the more carefully you slice it, the tastier your results.

Step 1
Cut Into Uniform Slabs
Cut your filets into even, uniform slabs by examining the fish pieces and in one even motion, trimming away any uneven sides.

Tip: To keep your cuts even and your fish neat, wipe your fingers and knife blade on a damp kitchen towel between each cut.

Step 2
Slice Off Top
in one motion, slice off the top 1/8-inch of your filet to remove uneven flesh, skin, or scales.

Step 3
Slice Off Bottom
if necessary, do the same to the bottom of the filet.

Step 4
Trim Dark Pieces
Trim off any dark-colored pieces of fish.

Step 5
Repeat Steps
Repeat these steps to trim and square off your other filets, until all your fish is ready to be cut into sushi-sized portions.

Step 6
Notice Grain and Angle
Notice the ‘grain’ of your fish. Lay one of the trimmed filets on your cutting board so its grain sits at a 45-degree angle to the bottom edge of the board.

Step 7
Slice Off Slabs
Position your blade at a 45-degree angle to the filet, and cut on the bias across the grain, slicing off slabs about 1/4-inch thick. Just before you’ve cut all the way through the filet, straighten your knife and slice down to detach the slab from the fillet.

Step 8
Proceed With Recipe
Once you’ve sliced all your fillets into slabs, you’re ready to proceed with the sushi recipe of your choice.

Fact: The FDA does not regulate the term ’sushi grade’ – but it does suggest guidelines for the storage and preparation of raw fish.

Check out www.mysushiset.com for selected sashimi and sushi plates.

Author: Laura Banks And Janette Barber

Fahrenheit Four-Fatty-One. Handmaid’s Ass. As it turns out anti-utopia is happening right now in Japan of all places. We’re sure you are wondering why we sound so hysterical. It’s because we ARE hysterical. Hold on while we slap each other (Ouch.) We’re in a tizzy because (Stop it Laura! ONE slap is enough to quell a temper fit.)…we’re having the vapors because we just read – in the NEW YORK TIMES – that, in Japan, weight terrorism has begun.

Under a new law that they passed companies and local government now not only can but must measure the waistlines of their employees and citizens. If your waist is above the legal limit you get “re-education.” We’re pretty sure that means they can get D.W.E (Driving While Eating) convictions. What on earth will they do to people who accidentally slip and eat a donut before they get measured? Yoichi Ogushi, a professor at Tokai University’s School of Medicine was quoted saying that the Japanese were all too thin to need this new law but that in the US there are so many people over 100 kilos that it would be useful. (100 kilos is about 220 pounds). On the upside we now have some clue as to how much a kilo is. We still have no idea how many pounds in a stone – which is how they do your weight in England (”That cow – she’s 25 stone!”)

Still, learning a few numbers isn’t really enough to set our minds to rest on this one. Are there some obscure lines in the Patriot Act we don’t know about yet? Is it possible that we live in a world where they have marketed us into our size 22’s and that they now plan to make a killing fining us for our flub? Is all that white flour and corn syrup they hide in our food really just a long term plan to get our money? In Japan, if their employees don’t lose the poundage, the companies get fined. How do you spell fired? As if it isn’t already hard enough to get a job in a society that, while banning all other kinds of bias, tolerates and even encourages weight bias? They will also, in Japan, fine the local governments where the thick waisted people work, contribute and raise their children. Can there be any greater way to foster hate crimes than billing tax payers because their neighbors binged on Pepperidge Farm and Hagan Daz? Oh….we has the willies on this one!

Oh yeah. We’re steamed (not fried.) In the NY Times article they go on to say that in Japan they don’t say you are “fat.” They say you are “metabo.” They say the word makes it easier for people to hear. Maybe this comment will make it easier for them to hear: B-FABs (Beautiful Fat Ass Babes) say you can take your “metabo” and ram it! The article suggests that some experts say that the Japanese government guidelines are so extreme that it will be almost impossible to meet them. They say that some people there think the real purpose of the anti-metabo laws are so they can eventually shift the health care costs from public to private funds. Are you starting to get the chills now too? Did you see Michael Moore’s movie “Sicko?” It is so easy to imagine that insurance companies would leap at a chance to blame us for our illnesses and refuse to cover anything for anyone bigger than the Olsen Twins – either one.

Has there ever been a greater need for us B-FABs to bond? We need our own big-ass Washington Lobby. We volunteer. Laura and Janette will shriek out at the first opportunity. Tell us what you want us to say. Join our B-FAB movement. Pretty soon the only safety we have will be in numbers. Everybody needs a political action group! Look at what AARP is doing for the over fifty crowd. We need to bond together to take a stand for the American metaboes! We’re it. Be a B-FAB. Love yourself and everyone else can stick it.

We feel better now.

Koji Kagawa, an Executive Sushi Chef at SUSHISAMBA in New York City is a regular contributor in Japanese Cooking Video.
Today, Koji demonstrates how to make an inside out California Roll:

True to its name, this roll of sushi was invented in California by an enterprising sushi chef in early 1970s.

You Will Need

Some plastic wrap
A bamboo mat for rolling sushi
Half of a cucumber
A vegetable peeler
A very sharp knife
A cutting board
A ripe avocado
4 imitation crab sticks or a quarter pound of cooked, shredded crab
2 cups of prepared sushi rice
2 sheets of toasted nori, cut in half
1 table spoonful of sesame seeds
A small spoon
A damp kitchen towel
A bowl of clean water
Lemon juice (optional)

Step 1
Encase mat in plastic
Cut a large piece of plastic wrap a little more than twice the size of your bamboo mat and place it on the table.
Place the bamboo mat on top and encase it in the plastic by smoothing the wrap evenly over both sides.
Set the mat aside.

Step 2
Prepare Cucumber
Peel the cucumber and scoop out the seeds with a small spoon. Cut the cucumber half into thin strips about 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide and set them aside.

Step 3
Prepare Avocado
Cut the avocado in half lengthwise and twist the two halves until they separate. Cut the half without the pit into two quarters. Remove their skin and cut them lengthwise into quarter inch slices. Se the slices aside and clean your hands and knife with the damp kitchen cloth.

Tip: To prevent the avocado from oxidizing, or turning brown, squeeze some fresh lemon juice on the cut avocados.

Step 4
Put Rice on Nori
Lay a half sheet of nori shiny side down.
Moisten your hands with a little water and grab a handful, or about a cut of prepared sushi rice. Ball it up and put it on top of the nori.

Step 5
Spread Rice
Spread and pat the rice across the nori, leaving a 1/2 inch margin uncovered at the bottom edge.

Tip: Don’t use too much rice. It should be no more than 1/4 inch thick and you should be able to see the nori sheet through it.

Step 6
Sprinkle Sesame Seeds
Sprinkle sesame seeds over the rice.

Step 7
Flip Nori onto Mat
Lay the plastic-wrapped bamboo in front of you.
Flip the prepared nori sheet rice-side down at the bottom end of the mat.

Step 8
Lay Flling in Nori
Lay a strip of shredded crab across the middle of the nori, add a strip or two of cucumber next to it, and lay avocado slices on top.

Step 9
Roll with Mat
Use the bamboo mat to roll the bottom edge of the nori over the filling in the center, tucking it over firmly so the filling is enclosed.

Step 10
Continue to Roll
Pull the mat back and lay it over the roll again. This time, continue to roll forward, applying even pressure and tightening as you roll, using your mat as leverage.

Step 11
Smooth Out Roll
Once it’s taken shape, take the roll off the mat and lay the mat over it.
Press and smooth the roll, compressing it tightly and evening out the ends.

Step 12
Cut Roll
With a very sharp knife, use a delicate but firm sawing motion to cut the roll in half. Cut each half into three equal pieces.

Step 13
Repeat Process
Repeat the process with your remaining half of nori, lightly layering it with rice, adding the filling, and rolling and cutting the sushi.

Step 14
Serve the rolls on your favorite plate.