How to Make Sushi Part 1 – Extreme Sushi Explosion, Kapow!
By Mark Hewitt

Let’s talk about Japan’s greatest creation, just barely edging out Ghost in the Shell, bento, Otsuka Ai, Iron Chef, comedy routines based on torturing Morning Musume and Pocky. Sushi!

First, we have to clear up one of the most common misunderstandings in multicultural culinary experience. Sushi is a category of traditional Japanese food consisting mainly of rice mixed with seasoned vinegar, seaweed, vegetables and either cooked or raw fish. The fish doesn’t have to be raw, people! In Japan raw fish is more often used, but it’s still perfectly “authentic” using cooked. Actually, till now I’ve held a general rule that I won’t eat raw fish unless I’m somewhere on the coast, but lately I’ve heard from a lot of people saying that this is mainly a paranoid fear story that we get fed, and raw fish off a fishmonger or supermarket shelf is quite safe to eat.

Anyway, on with the sushi thing. I’ll talk about ingredients and preparation today, and construction tomorrow, as I think this is a subject which deserves detailed attention.

First, you need the right rice. This is easier to obtain than you might have been told – a lot of places (I see it mostly in health food shops) sell “sushi rice” which is usually overpriced and not particularly special. I have made great sushi from this, from arborio rice (italian risotto rice), pudding rice and regular big huge economy bag short grain rice. As long as it’s short grain and cooked the right way, it’ll be fine.

“Cooked right” means cooked the way I’m about to tell you, no deviations. This method of rice cooking is 100% bullet-proof and 99% idiot-proof. It’s derived from the guidance of Yasuko-San, who is an actual bona fide Japanese mother. You do not mess with a Japanese mother when it comes to cooking rice. You shut up and cook the darn rice they way they tell you to. Actually I had to adjust the figures a bit because the rice we get over here has a different absorption ratio, but the principle still stands.

(for 2-3 people) Take one and a half cups of short grain rice, wash it till the water runs clean, and put it in a saucepan with 3 cups of water. The saucepan must have a tight-fitting lid. Now, put the saucepan on a medium heat, and simmer it for 15 minutes. DO NOT move the lid at any time or Yasuko-san will find you and beat you with her samoji*.

Now, crank the heat up to the top and cook the rice for 1 full minute. You should hear it start to sizzle at the bottom of the pan at the end of the minute. If you’re using electric hobs (as I am cursed with, living in a high-rise), have a hob preheated to high heat and just slide the pan over onto it. Then take it off the heat, with the lid STILL TIGHTLY ON, and let it stand for 10 minutes WITHOUT TOUCHING THE DARN LID.

Rice cooked in this way will have the perfect consistency, will need no draining (because all the water is absorbed), and actually tastes better. For long grain rice, it will be firm and smooth – with a quarter teaspoon of salt added to the boiling water, I’ll eat a plain bowl of white rice cooked this way with gusto. For short grain rice it will be sticky but the grains will keep their shape, perfect for sushi or rice balls. All hail Yasuko-san! Ganbatte! Ganbarimasu!

For the seasoned vinegar, combine a quarter cup of white wine vinegar (best of all rice wine vinegar), 1 and a half tablespoons of sugar and 3/4 teaspoon of salt in a small pan, and heat it just to boiling so it all dissolves. Once the rice has finished its 10 minutes rest, spread it out in a shallow container (I use my vertical-sided saute pan which is perfect) and drizzle the vinegar mixture over it, then dig it in well with a spatula or wooden spoon. Try not to squash the grains too much, you want them firm and well-shaped for perfect sushi.

Now you need to cool the rice before rolling. A real sushi chef would fan it by hand. Actually, scratch that, a real professional sushi chef would have one of his underpaid kitchen monkeys fan it by hand. Fortunately we have the benefits of modern technology, and an almost-total disregard for tradition. Stick it in front of an electric fan for about a minute, then dig it around with a spatula to bring the hot rice from the bottom to the top, and leave it there for another minute. This will leave the rice cool, and slightly drier (but still moist and sticky enough to shape well).

So you’ve got your rice ready, perfectly cooked and seasoned, awaiting your rolling skills. Now all that remains is the final transformation. Find out more tomorrow, as we venture deeper into the world of sushi! Thrills, spills and seaweed! There’s danger at every turn!

* Rice paddle

Mark Hewitt is an English foodie, cook, philosopher, geek, shaman and writer. At the start of 2007 he sold or gave away almost all his possessions and left on a backpacking journey round the world, the purpose being (at least in part) to figure out why he would want to do such a thing. You can follow his journey and find other articles at: http://www.scadindustries.com

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The Secrets to Making the Perfect Sushi
By Gisella Caselli Leniz

SUSHI it is a plate of Japanese origin with rice cooked decorated with vinegar of rice, or homemade sushi vinegar and sugar. This preparation is very popular and you can get it world wide and is the most popular food in Japanese gastronomy.
The most of the people associated sushi with seafood or raw fish but, you can also find vegetables or egg, or even deep fry sushi and cook food can also accompany the rice.
The most of the time Sushi is prepared in small portions, mouthful size and can have different shapes and figures.

- When Sushi is presented in a roll of seaweed, (called nori) the name is Maki.

- When presented in a shape of a little ball, with fish (Salmon, Prawn, Tuna) placed over the ball of rice it would be called Nigiri.

- Little balls of rice with a strip of Nori around filled with vegetables or any kind of Roe (fish eggs), like Salmon Roe will be called Gunkan.

- Sashimi is just raw fish without rice and there is a lot more, just to name a few……..

The most important tips for an excellent homemade sushi:

First you have to make sure that you have all the equipment necessary to make your sushi, like the sushi mat, cling film (BELIEVE IT OR NOT This is going to come in very handy – A little secrect that helps alot when Rolling the perfect Sushi Roll), cutting board, a sharp knife, and a pot
Then make sure you have all the ingredients necessary for sushi, like: Nori (sea weed), short grain rice, Wasabi, Pickled Ginger, Soy sauce, rice vinegar or your own homemade vinegar for sushi, the ingredients primarily depend on the recipe you have chosen.

How to make the perfect sushi rice

- First you have to rinse the rice(short grain) very well, until the water is clear (about 8 to 9 times),

- Place the rice in a pot and cover with clean water. The water level should be approximately 2,5cm above the level of the rice. Cook on a average fire, covered, until the water is boiling, this should take approximately 10 min. Then lower the flame and cook for 6 to 7 minutes more.

Finished this, by raising the flame (Hot flame is required) for 10 seconds.

Rest for 15 minutes, and most important is that the pot should not be opened as the steam plays a important role in getting the Sushi Rice to perfection.

- Put the rice in a pot or bowl – Wood or Plastic (Do not use metal or glass as the materials of these products retain heat, WHERE as we want the exact opposite to happen.)

- Pour Rice Vinegar ( or HomeMade Vinegar – to be found on my blog with loads more info regarding Chef Secrets) on the rice once again approximately 2/3 of the dressing, slowly while stirring the rice smoothly with a spatula or spoon (preferably wood).
(1 cup per each kilo of rice and 1 ½ of rice vinegar per kilo of rice)

- Stir well so that the dressing is impregnated. Leave to rest for 10 minutes and cover with a humid and clean cloth.
Stir from time to time.
Once the rice has cooled down it will be ready to use.

YOU want to make Sushi at home like the Chef’s, and want to know more about those KITCHEN secrets, please feel free to hop over to my blog, I regularly update my blog and post videos and demos that would make the learning curve so much easier. Please feel free to place a comment and I will respond to any request or questions promptly…. So head over now and discover THE SECRETS OF THE KITCHEN at http://gisellacaselli.wordpress.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gisella_Caselli_Leniz
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Author: Susan Chadwick

The next time someone brings up fucoxanthin in conversation; don’t think they are insulting you in a foreign language. Actually, fucoxanthin is a powerful substance found in seaweed that many believe helps in weight loss.

The substance is a carotenoid found in brown seaweed, also known as wakame, which is the seaweed commonly used in miso soup. It is found in smaller concentration levels in red seaweed, which is the variety typically used in sushi rolls, as well as green seaweed.

According to Japanese studies on animals, the naturally-occurring substance promotes the loss of abdominal fat in mice and rats. These studies were conducted at Hokkaido University in 2005 in Sapporo, Japan. The study indicated that the chemical promoted fat burning within white adipose tissue, otherwise known as abdominal fat, by increasing the expression of thermogenin.

In order to obtain the amount of fucoxanthin necessary to replicate the success of the animal studies, people must use supplements. It’s not fully understood how the chemical works to achieve such results, but it’s thought to target a protein called UCP1 which increases the rate at which abdominal fat is burned. It also appears to stimulate the body’s production of a chemical called DHA; one of the many healthy chemicals found in salmon known as an omega-3 fatty acid.

Because seaweed is high in iodine, moderation should be used when attempting to use seaweed for weight loss benefits. Iodine poisoning and thyroid damage results when a person consumes too much iodine. Also, some people are allergic to iodine.

No human studies have been published relating to fucoxanthin supplements, but the active ingredient is derived from nature. Natural medicine advocates are optimistic that the cure for many known diseases will be found in everyday herbs and plants.

Like many other plant-based natural chemicals, recent studies have found that fucoxanthin may potentially help in the fight against cancer in the future of medicine. Early test tube studies show that the chemical is effective in suppressing the reproduction of cancer cells. However, it is far too early to predict how the chemical will work as a cancer treatment in humans.

In other animal studies, the chemical has been found to help reduce insulin and blood glucose levels. In the future, the carotenoid may manifest as an option for the natural treatment of diabetes after more research shows if the same effect occurs in humans.

An unpublished human study conducted in Russia using double-blind, randomized and placebo-controlled clinical studies found that weight loss was much more dramatic for the people taking the supplements than the control group. In fact, the study involved 150 obese Russian women, and the group that took the supplement lost an average of 14.5 pounds over 16 weeks, while the control group lost an average of 4 pounds in the same time frame. Both groups of women were given a calorie-controlled diet of 1,800 calories a day. The study also showed that the women taking the supplement lost much more body fat than the control group.

Because the Russian study is unpublished, the medical community is unable to analyze the research methods and data obtained in the study. Therefore, the credibility of its findings cannot be verified. However, if a naturally-occurring substance like fucoxanthin can reduce abdominal fat in humans, it will help to prevent numerous other weight-related illnesses. Here’s hoping this compound helps people to fight the battle of the bulge.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/supplements-and-vitamins-articles/fantastic-qualities-of-fucoxanthin-the-natural-miracle-512658.html

About the Author:

Susan Chadwick writes for Global Health News, covering topics in all areas of health, from weight loss to internal cleansing.

Fucoxanthin is sold under the brand name Fuco Prime and can be found at www.FucoPrime.com; or Fuco Prime by Nature’s Biology

This is by far the best video tutorial for beginners on how to make california rolls. Obsidiank (his YouTube nickname) walks you through the process of sushi making with simple easy-to-follow instructions.

You need to know how to make sushi rice. I will cover this in my next blog post.

What You Need:

Clean cutting board
Bamboo sushi-roll mat
Sushi knife or sharp knife
A pack of roasted-seaweed (Nori)
Plastic wrap

Ingredients:

1 cup of cooked sushi rice.
½ cup of crab meat or imitation crab.
½ avocado, chopped.
½ chopped cucumber
2 tablespoons of sesame seeds.
½ cup of Mayo

Give it a try and have fun.
Obsidiank, thank you for your contribution.