May 29 2009

10 Essential Things to Know Before Visiting a Sushi Bar


10 Essential Things to Know Before Visiting a Sushi Bar
By Mark Etinger

Are you a sushi beginner? Never been out for an evening of Japanese seafood dining? Then get yourself ready with the following essential information about how to get the most out of your sushi dining experience.

10 things to know about dining out for sushi

1. This is NOT Chinese food. Far too many people walk into a fine neighborhood sushi establishment and immediately request the Chow Mein special with a chicken egg roll. That’s Chinese food, people. Sushi is a fresh, raw and healthy delicacy from Japan.

2. Watch out for the sake. Sake looks harmless enough; it is served from decorative bottles in tiny cups and glasses. But watch out for the alcohol kick from this strong spirit. To experience a sushi restaurant in full, enjoy a glass – but in keep it all in moderation.

3. Start with cooked menu items. It is a common misconception that all sushi is raw. Beginners may want to give cooked items such as California rolls or unagi (eel) a try before moving on to raw dishes.

4. Stick with what you know. Many of the types of fish you have enjoyed for years are available at a sushi bar – simply in raw form. If you like salmon or grouper – stick with their raw equivalent when ordering sushi for the first time.

5. Be prepared for the omakase. Omakase is loosely translated as “chef’s choice” and ordering it puts you in the hands of the experienced sushi chef. Bear in mind, that while this option may indeed produce some delightful dishes, they may be a little too advanced for the novice palette.

6. Go veggie if you like. Did you know that you can eat a completely satisfying sushi dinner without eating any fish? It’s easy if you stick to the vegetable rolls (such as the cucumber roll) and substitute veggies for seafood in other dishes.

7. It’s good to ask questions. At some snootier fine dining establishments (French restaurants, we’re looking in your direction) asking questions is frowned upon. However, at sushi bars, questions are encouraged. The best sushi chefs love to talk about their craft and share insight into the different dishes they will be serving.

8. Sushi is a healthy meal. Sushi is low in fat, filled with important nutrients and packed with vital protein. If you eat out once a week, it is much better for your body than a burger joint or chain restaurant.

9. Start the kids out young. The best way to raise a child with a sophisticated palette is to introduce them to different dishes at a young age. Taking them to a fun sushi restaurant is a great way to start them out on a life-long love of great seafood and Japanese cuisine.

10. You can enjoy sushi AND keep kosher. More and more, sushi restaurants are offering full kosher options as part of their menu. That means individuals who wish to maintain a strict adherence to their kosher diet can enjoy all the fun and good taste of a real sushi bar.

When was the last time you had really great sushi? OK, how about the last time you had really great kosher sushi! Sushi K Bar is New York’s favorite kosher sushi restaurant and home to some of the freshest, most delicious seafood you have ever eaten. Hand-selected chefs from Japan will prepare your sushi delights with great care using only the best vegetables and of course, the most flavorful fish in the sea. To see the entire menu, and learn more about how yummy kosher sushi can be, visit http://www.sushikbar.com today.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Etinger
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May 26 2009

Eggplant Sushi


Eggplant Sushi
By Sturat Mitchel

Sushi has been a Japanese delicacy for centuries and was originally intended to preserve fermented fish. Nowadays, sushi bars (famous for its conveyor belts) have become upscale restaurants in high-class cities. But, you don’t need to be upper crust to enjoy this simple Japanese meal. You only need to know how to make sushi.

There are many sushi-making kits out there with their own how-to books and guides. Find a book with simple recipes that a beginner can try out. You’ll be surprised to see how many simple dishes there really are.

The ingredients are not many. You only need rice (Japanese is the best bet, since they have a unique consistency can hold the sushi together), rice vinegar, sugar, salt, nori (seaweed) and toppings of your choice (eggs, cucumbers or crabsticks).

First, you will have to cook the rice. Most brands actually give instructions at the back of the packet, but in case they don’t, here are some pointers. You cook the rice the normal way by rinsing it with cold water and cook in a rice cooker. What’s important is to dissolve the vinegar, salt and sugar in a pan under low heat for a few minutes before letting it cool in a bucket of ice. Add the mixture into the cooked rice a little at a time. While doing that, you need to ‘fold’ the rice with a spatula without squishing them. It is ready when there is a shine to the grains.

The next part requires a bit of creativity. Spread the rice on a large piece of seaweed, which in turn is placed on a sushi mat. Add your toppings on the rice and start rolling! You may not get it right the first time, but that’s how you make sushi. You rarely get it right the first time.

A delicious topping for sushi is eggplant. This fruit (yes, it is actually a fruit), comes in many shapes and sizes, the most common one being purple and long. It can also be cooked in many ways, from being sautéed, char-boiled and even pickled. If you want to make it as a sushi topping, you will have to know how to cook an eggplant.

The Japanese usually pickle this delicacy and make them into tempura. It is best to serve them raw, with a little lemon juice to prevent browning, if you want it to be part of a sushi roll. You can also, grill these beauties on a searing hot grill for a smokier flavor. For those stir-fry nuts, cubed eggplants can be added to a hot wok with salt, garlic and red chilies.

Whatever way you cook it, eggplant will always taste good, especially if it is in a roll of Japanese rice and nori.

Related Articles

How to Cook Eggplant

How to Make Sushi

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sturat_Mitchel
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May 22 2009

Ordering Sushi Like a CEO

If you want to appear like a sushi connoisseur, this clip from Saturday Night Live will help you. At least Matt Dillon pronounced each sushi item perfectly. Do you want to know how this video looks to Japanese natives? Well, I’m one of them and it’s incredibly funny. Matt Dillon’s performance is superb!

May 20 2009

Chelsea Lately’s Naked Sushi

Chelsea and Chuy are tackling sushi making for the first time. Dressed in confusing oriental costume, they learn the sushi basic from the chef. Chelsea does not have it her heart to suck the brain of the live shrimp. I don’t blame her. They even have their moment being a naked sushi person. It was truly entertaining four minutes of my life.

May 16 2009

How To Prepare Teriyaki Sauce: A Traditional Japanese Sauce

Author: Ferdinand Dominic

Teriyaki sauce is a traditional Japanese sauce that has picked up great popularity in Western cultures. It is a sweet sauce, applied as either a garnish or a marinade for meats, vegetables and rice. It can be applied as a dipping sauce as well, making it a flexibility that makes it suitable as an addendum to many cuisines.

Ingredients:

Mirin

Sake

Cornstarch

Brown sugar

Garlic

Soy sauce

Ginger

Readying Time: 5 to 10 minutes

All ingredients should be rinsed, chopped or ground before mixture. Most teriyaki sauces are not cooked, as they will be cooked with the meat or vegetables. Different ingredients will be utilized based on if it is a modern or traditional teriyaki sauce.

Use:

A form of cooking process in Japan, teriyaki sauce is traditionally used as marinade, with the sauce being the sweet marmalade that the vegetables or the meat are coated in. More often than not, Teriyaki techniques are reserved for white meats such as fish and chicken. For fish, yellowtail, marlin, skipjack tuna, salmon, trout, and mackerel are most usually used.

In Western cultures, teriyaki sauce tends to be a reference to a similar style of sauce utilized in the teriyaki method of cooking. Nonetheless, these sauces do not tend to be true teriyaki, as the preparation of the food is not typically done in the same way. Rather as a marinade, in this case teriyaki is typically utilized as an accompaniment and in stir fry .

When grilling, it is suggested that your meats or vegetables sit in the marinade for a minimum of 30 minutes prior to preparation. Because it permits the meat to absorb the flavor of the teriyaki sauce, it is not common for recipes to call for a marrinade of 24 hours. Generally, the stronger the teriyaki flavor, the longer it will be allowed to marinade. In some cases, such as fish, you will wish to use a shorter marinade process so that the fish tastes as fresh as feasible.

Teriyaki grilling can be done on numerous surface types, including electric, gasp, coal and wood burning grills.

History:

Along with yakitori and sukiyaki, teriyaki was utilized for the first time in Japan in the 17th century. These three cooking methods are closely intertwined, and were improved alongside one another. The ‘Yaki’, which is the base word in all three types, simply means grilled, and often yaki dishes will involve pretty similar ingredients with differences in how the vegetables or the meat are grilled.

About the Author:

If you want to Recreate The Wonders Of Your Favorite Restaurant At Home then you might as well Drop-By today.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.comHow To Prepare Teriyaki Sauce: A Traditional Japanese Sauce