Sushi Made Easy – Top 5 Tips to Making Authentic Sushi
By Maggie Tan

After all fattening ourselves with chocolates and bacon and lots of wine throughout the festive months, it is time to start thinking and eating healthy.

What better way than to try our palates on some sushi? If you are squeamish about raw fish, don’t worry. Sushi is much much more than raw fish. There are gorgeous California rolls, Avocado rolls and literally any kind of rolls that you can conjure which does not involve raw ingredients.

‘Credit Crunch’, I hear you say? Yes, indeed, I know just too well how expensive sushi is. I have been a victim to my addiction for sushi and had paid silly prices in sushi bars and restaurants. However, I have found a sure proof way to get around this problem.

I was lucky to be let into a little secret, which taught me just how easy it is to carve my own authentic sushi! I just have to share this secret with all Sushi Lovers.

It may sound unbelievable, but you are only 5 Steps away from dishing up an Authentic Looking and Tasting Sushi Platter.

5 Steps to the Perfect Sushi

1) Sushi Rice

This is the essentially the heart of sushi, so if you get this right, you are 80% to making the perfect sushi! It is therefore not surprising that Sushi Experts place so much emphasis on how to prepare Sushi Rice.

Unlike normal long grains, sushi rice grains are a lot starchier. Therefore, the rice grains have to be rinsed in clear water for about 5 times before actually cooking it.

Once the sushi rice has been cooked, loosen it with a wooden ladle and transfer it to a wooden (preferred) or glass bowl. Use a damp clean cloth to cover the bowl to prevent the sushi rice from losing moisture.

*Important* Never store sushi rice in the fridge as the sushi rice will lose its moisture and taste exactly like the hard and gunny sushi that you get from supermarkets or even some sushi restaurants and bars

2) Nori

Very often, we think of nori as just the seaweed sheet for rolling sushi. However, nori plays a very important role in delivering the flavour and aroma of sushi.

To get the most out of a nori, lightly toast it over the hob for 2 seconds. That will give it a crisp texture when you sink your teeth into the sushi roll. Toasted nori are also more aromatic.

Over handling of the nori is a mistake that many sushi amateurs made. Remember to wipe your hands dry before handling the nori and minimise touching the surface of the nori unnecessarily. This will prevent the nori from becoming damp and losing it crispiness.

3) Rolling the Roll

A pretty sushi looking sushi will whet a person’s appetite even before he/she bite into the sushi. Hence, care must be taken in rolling the sushi.

Rolling the sushi roll is actually not difficult. The key to this is not to overstuff the sushi with rice and ingredients. You want the sushi to look sufficiently pack, but not overflowing to the point that the nori is not large enough for all your contents.

A thin layer of sushi rice that covers the surface of the nori is sufficient. It may look very little when you spread the rice onto the nori, but once you add your strip of cucumber and carrot or other ingredients that you fancy and roll the sushi, the sushi will get its bulk.

The other trick is to always remember to leave 0.5 inch border on one length of the nori when you spread your sushi rice i.e. there should be a 0.5 inch border on one length of the nori that is not covered with sushi rice. This will allow the nori to sealed easily when you roll it

4) Cutting the Roll

Have you ever been amazed at how clean cut each piece of sushi looks in restaurants? If you drive a knife through a sushi roll and try to cut it, you will find it very hard to complete your sawing motion. This is because sushi rice is sticky, so the knife will not be able to move smoothly through the roll.

What you need is a sharpen knife so you can avoid excessive sawing motion and more critically, you need a slightly wet knife so that it will run smoothly through the roll. The knife needs to be lightly wet for every single cut.

5) Garnish & Decorations

When it comes to packaging, Japanese is King. It is no different when it comes to their local delicacy. What makes sushi so attractive is not just the colours in the sushi, but also the garnishing and decorations that goes with the sushi platter.

Of course it helps if you are an expert at vegetable carving, but in reality, how many of us are that proficient? That’s where play dough cutter comes into play. Just use small vegetable cutters to cut out flower from carrots and cucumbers. To give it more colours, you can use red, green or yellow capsicums as well. Even just strips of these colourful vegetables will spice up your platter tremendously.

Sushi is a very neat dish, so don’t scatter your garnishing all over, but place them neatly along side the sushi.

Just remember these tips and tricks and you can most certainly present a platter that’s of restaurant standard.

To find out more about how to make sushi, watch a video demonstration of making sushi and obtain more information about The Art of Sushi Dining and get more Sushi Recipes, visit http://www.HowtoMakeSushi.co.uk

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maggie_Tan

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Beyond Sushi – 3 Delicious But Lesser Known Japan Food Items
By Shane A Jones

If you’re a lover of Japanese food, you’re undoubtedly familiar with sushi, tempura, teriyaki, and other common Japanese food fare, but in this article I’d like to introduce you to three delicious Japan food items that you might not yet have heard of. All of these foods are both common and popular in Japan (not to mention delicious!), but have not yet found their way to the masses overseas in the same way that sushi has. Trust me, though, it’s just a matter of time before they do!

1. Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki Japanese pancake is a popular food item in Japan at restaurants, festivals and home parties. Translated literally as “cook what/as you like,” okonomiyaki is especially fun to eat at restaurants and home parties, where participants gather around a flat grill, mix up the ingredients, and have fun cooking the pancakes themselves.

The okonomiyaki pancake batter consists of flower, eggs, water, grated yam, and cabbage. Fillings include pork, assorted seafood, vegetables, kimchi, cheese, mochi, and yakisoba. Toppings and seasonings include nori seafood flakes, katsuobushi (fish flakes), pickled ginger, mayonnaise, and a Worcestershire-like sauce.

2. Takoyaki

Japanese Takoyaki is a snack of grilled octopus balls consisting of a pancake-like batter and a little piece of octopus as a filling. The dumpling batter is poured into a special pan molded into rows of little semi-circles and grilled for a few minutes on one side. Then the balls are flipped over with a toothpick or chopsticks and grilled on the other side until golden brown.

The takoyaki are then served up, usually in portions of 8 or so, in a plastic or paper container and topped with a sweet soy-based sauce and ingredients like green onion, pickled ginger, green onion, mayonnaise, and katsuobushi (dried fish shavings).

3. Onigiri Rice Balls

Onigiri rice balls are a favorite picnic and snack food in Japan. Onigiri is a popular carry out food item in Japanese convenience stores, and is a common item found in bento boxed lunches. Simple to make and delicious to eat, onigiri is a staple food item in Japan.

Popular onigiri fillings include tuna salad, salmon flakes, seafood salad, konbu (a type of sea vegatable), umeboshi (a sour bright-red pickled Japanese plum), and shrimp tempura.

If you’re planning to travel to Japan, make sure to keep an eye out for these delicious Japan food items and give them a try!

Discover more delicious and uncommon Japan food items at the http://essential-japan-guide.com

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Sushi Rolls – Another Most Popular Item of Japanese Cuisine
By Kimiko B Shisumo

Sushi rolls are the most popular form of sushi. Japanese and American restaurants serve two types of sushi to their patrons.

Seaweed called nori on outside of sushi is one variety of sushi rolls. The second type has nori inside the roll.

Whether or not the nori is on the outside or inside of the roll can dramatically change the flavor and texture of the sushi. Nori enthusiasts often prefer seaweed on the outside of their sushi rolls.

This style of sushi roll is called futomaki. Sushi rolls that have nori inside them are called uramaki. Futomaki is preferred to uramaki as it is more popular and and traditional in form.

A sushi restaurant or sushi bar, even a grocery store, would supply you the futomaki variant. Even though futomaki is vegetarian it is served with toppings of fish eggs.

Generally futomaki is cut into pieces and then served. However, on certain Japanese festivals it is offered as a roll. Since Japanese prefer to eat with their fingers, uramaki is not a preferred choice. As uramaki is has a tendency to be sticky and it falls apart under pressure, it is difficult to eat it either with fingers or chopsticks.

A uramaki sushi roll, on the other hand, is non-vegetarian in nature and is served with sesame or fish egg toppings. Uramaki has primarily originated in North America since its natives are not fond of coating on futomaki.

Hosomaki stands out in the entire sushi rolls family. Like futomaki, hosomaki is wrapped with the nori on the outside of the roll.

There are four primary types of hosomaki. These include Kappamaki, Tekkamaki, Negitoromaki and Tsunamayomaki.

- Kappamaki that has cucumber as its main ingredient is said to cleanse the palate after eating raw fish dishes and its accompaniments.

- The red color of tuna fish gives tekkamaki its name and base ingredient.

- Negitoromaki is filled with tuna and scallions. Fatty tuna is commonly used in this type of sushi roll.

- Lastly Tsunamayomaki has canned tuna and mayonnaise in it. This is considered a home style sushi, and can be made by virtually anyone easily.

Kimikoshi Sumo is a Japanese food expert and self proclaimed perfectionist. Her sushi help website at http://www.hereishelp.com offers simple yet delicious fish rolls for creating the perfect meal on a fixed budget. Kimi’s cooking book on sushi “Introduction to Sushi” is jam packed with tips for lip-smacking rolls.

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How to Throw an Extravagant Sushi Party on a Budget, Part 1
By V Udasco

We all know that in this economy, cash is hard to come by, especially during the holiday season. However, you can throw a great sushi-themed party no matter the occasion, and it’s more affordable than you think!

Why not host a sushi themed holiday dinner?! Trade that dry turkey and stuffing in for some great tasting and healthy sushi, and start a tradition of your own! For any occasion, sushi is a yummy and popular way to go…you can just throw a “We Love Sushi” party, too!

You will really impress your guests with your exotic menu and they will appreciate your unique theme. You can host a Sushi Party that your relatives and guests will be wowed by. Just don’t blame me when they beg you to throw a Sushi Party over and over again!

Hosting a party at home can be a very stressful and daunting task, especially if are cooking a full course meal for your guests. When planning any get together, you must do the leg work regardless of what is being prepared. However, these tips can eliminate your stress, while keeping more of your hard earned money in your bank account.

Planning Phase (can be done on the internet, from the comfort of your own home)

• Determine your budget. Having a limited budget, you need to get the most bang for your buck. This means you will have to find great deals and do a lot of the leg work yourself.

• Send out RSVP’s to determine how many people will attend. By knowing who will be attending, you will have a better idea if you should cater towards vegetarian sushi recipes, fish recipes or both. If the majority of people attending don’t feel comfortable with raw fish, you can prepare “cooked” sushi recipes (i.e. tempura roll, Philadelphia roll with smoked salmon, cooked shrimp nigiri, California roll, and etc.) and not as much sashimi or spicy raw tuna roll. You get the idea and besides, if you stay away from the sushi grade ingredients needed for sashimi, you will save money there, as well.

• Depending on your guests, if they are close friends or family and want to bring something, you can have them bring a side dish such as edamame (soybeans) or sake (rice wine) or even dessert, maybe a green tea ice cream. Many of these items can be found at major grocery stores and this could help to minimize your costs.

• Research various sushi recipes online, both hot and cold, cooked and raw, to start developing your menu. When developing your menu, select ingredients that are in season and grown or produced locally. By doing this, you will save on cost and ensure the freshest ingredients.

• Make a few calls to your local grocery chain or seafood market to see what fish is in season. Ask if they have any sushi grade fish and the price. Sushi grade fish normally has been frozen for a specific period of time to kill any parasites that might have been in the fish, i.e. according to minimum health standards -4 degrees Fahrenheit or lower for at least 7 days). Ask if they have any seafood on sale…you may even ask who their fish suppliers are to purchase wholesale, if you are buying a large quantity of fish.

• To learn how to make sushi, you can either learn via the internet, which is full of resources (YouTube is a great source!) or purchase a sushi book if you feel adventurous and don’t mind the mess. It will take some trial and error, and also practice, but you’ll get it sooner than you think!

• If you don’t feel comfortable making the sushi, you have another alternative. Ask family members of friends if they know of a Sushi chef that you can hire on a per hour basis to prepare sushi “live” at your event. Another great idea is to visit your favorite sushi restaurant and ask the sushi chef if he works private parties. In this economy, you won’t have difficulty finding a sushi chef at a decent price and since they are already in the industry, they may be able to get the ingredients at wholesale price for you!

By doing most of the leg work above, you can save between 30 to 50% of the cost of Japanese sushi restaurant. The savings can be put towards a couple of good bottles of Sake to toast with your friends.

If you are in Southern California, you are in luck! One of our sushi chefs can assist you with your sushi party!

http://www.MatsuCateringSD.com

Matsu Catering is a Japanese owned and operated full service catering company. We poudly serve Southern California in San Diego, Riverside and Orange counties.

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Author: Vikram Kumar

Great Japanese cooking requires food distribution that includes the authentic ingredients that you need for your Japanese meals. If you have a Japanese restaurant or just want to cook Japanese food, you need to search out the best food distribution so that you can find. It is vital that your Japanese cooking gets the freshest ingredients.

Japanese cooking is not difficult, but you do need to have the right ingredients for the dishes. If you are unfamiliar with Japanese cooking, you will find that it includes a lot of fish dishes as well as those that use rice. Another ingredient that is used in a great deal of Japanese cooking is kombu. This is an edible kelp that is harvested in Japan. It is not difficult to get the hang of Japanese cooking once you have learned the basic steps and have the right tools. You can even take a Japanese cooking class so that you can learn how to cook these foods.

In order to make authentic Japanese food, however, you do need to have the right ingredients. You should look for food distribution companies that will allow you to find the authentic foods that are needed for Japanese cooking. Fortunately, it is easier than ever to find food distribution companies because of the internet. The internet makes it easy to discover which are the Japanese food distribution companies that can deliver to you. Of course, it is necessary for the foods that you get for your Japanese cooking to be fresh. As is the case with any other type of cooking, the fresher the food ingredients, the better the finished dishes. This is important whether or not you have a restaurant or if you are just practicing Japanese cooking for the family.

Look online to find a Japanese food distribution company. Once you find such a company, you can then inquire as to how they can deliver authentic Japanese foods to you. Many of the food distribution companies will deliver to the restaurant only and only deal with restaurant accounts. Others will provide authentic Japanese food for anyone who is willing to pay for it.

Once you get the hang of the Japanese cooking methods, you can then cook all types of Japanese favorites, including kombu dishes that are a favorite and are part of Japanese cooking secrets. You may even decide to take a class or two to learn the cooking methods to cook Japanese food. In some cases, traditional cooking is handed down from generations, although there is always room for those who are willing to learn how to cook authentic Japanese foods.

Find the right food distribution company that will provide you with the freshest foods so that your Japanese fare tastes fresh. Learn what you can about cooking this type of cuisine and then you can start preparing many different types of Japanese meals. Japanese cooking is not difficult once you practice the recipes for some time and if you get fresh foods from a good Japanese food distribution company that supplies you with rice, fish and even fresh kombu.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/food-and-beverage-articles/great-japanese-cooking-starts-with-food-distribution-821994.html

About the Author:

Japanese cooking is well rewarding for anyone who learns and gets to eat the results of this cuisine. Look for a good Japanese food distribution company such as Japanese Kombu.