Introduction 1
About This Book 1
Conventions Used in This Book 2
What You’re Not to Read 4
Foolish Assumptions 4
How This Book is Organized 5
Part I: Discovering the World of Sushi 5
Part II: Getting Ready, Getting Set 5
Part III: Rock-and-Rollin’ Sushi Recipes 5
Part IV: Enjoying Sushi Meals at Home and at the Sushi Bar 6
Part V: The Part of Tens 6
Icons Used in This Book 6
Where to Go from Here 7
Part I: Discovering the World of Sushi 9
Chapter 1: Embarking on the Sushi Adventure 11
Appreciating Sushi’s Past, Present, and Future 12
Enjoying Sushi at Home 14
Gathering fresh ingredients 14
Collecting a few tools 15
Mastering popular techniques 15
Making up a sushi menu 16
Enjoying each and every piece 17
Feeling at Home in a Sushi Bar 17
Chapter 2: Outfitting the Sushi Kitchen 19
Covering the Basics: Kitchen Equipment You Gotta Have 19
Acquiring the Right Stuff to Make Sushi Rice 21
Electric rice cooker 21
Shallow wooden sushi rice tub 21
Rice paddle 23
Flat fan 23
Lint-free kitchen towels 23
Knowing When to Mold ’Em: Tools for Shaping Sushi 24
Bamboo rolling mat 24
Sushi molds 25
Honoring Your Inner Samurai: Looking at Japanese Knives 26
Choosing a sushi knife 26
Using and caring for knives 28
Adding Other Handy Sushi Equipment 29
Finding the Equipment You Need 30
Chapter 3: Getting Familiar with Sushi Ingredients 31
Shopping for Sushi Ingredients 31
Stocking the Sushi Pantry 33
Dry ingredients 33
Bottled ingredients 37
Filling the Sushi Fridge 39
You gotta have these 40
You’re gonna want these 41
Sushi-loving fresh veggies 43
Puckeringly good pickled veggies 46
Delving into the Sushi Deep Freeze 48
Edamame (soybeans in their pods) 48
Sesame seeds 48
Chapter 4: Chilling Out with Fresh Seafood 49
Practicing Safe Seafood 50
Taking cleanliness to heart 50
Being aware of potential raw seafood risks 50
Making sure the seafood is fresh 51
Bringing seafood home 53
Reeling In Six Fabulous Fish for Sushi 55
Roe, Roe, Roe Your Sushi 56
Part II: Getting Ready, Getting Set 59
Chapter 5: Cooking and Seasoning Sensational Sushi Rice 61
Understanding the Object of the Game 61
Gathering the Equipment 62
Introducing the Star Player — Rice 62
Selecting the rice 63
Measuring the rice 64
Preparing the Rice for the Big Game 64
Rinsing the rice 64
Giving the rice a good, long soak 65
Preparing the Rice Vinegar Dressing 66
Kicking Off! Cooking the Rice 67
Adding sake and dashi konbu to the soaked rice 67
Turning up the heat 68
Finishing the Rice — It’s a Winner! 69
Turning out the rice 69
Pouring on the rice vinegar dressing 71
Fanning the rice until it’s cool 71
Keeping the rice moist 72
Chapter 6: Introducing Popular Sushi Types and Techniques 73
Getting Organized: Gathering the Essential Tools 73
Hitting the Ground Running with Hand-Shaped Sushi 74
Finger sushi 75
Battleship sushi 78
Sushi rice balls 80
Tumbling into Rolled Sushi 81
Sliced sushi rolls 82
Inside-out rolls 86
Hand rolls 88
Building Up to Pressed Sushi 90
Breezing into Scattered Sushi 92
Tokyo-style scattered sushi 92
Osaka-style scattered sushi 93
Stuffing Tofu Pouches with Sushi 93
Venturing On to Creative Sushi 95
Chapter 7: Slicing and Dicing the Sushi Way 97
Getting a Grip on Sushi Knives 97
Slicing with a sashimi knife 98
Cutting with a vegetable knife 98
Working with Fresh Fish 99
Slicing straight down 100
Slicing at an angle 101
Slicing transparently thin 103
Cutting sticks 103
Dicing 104
Working with Fresh Vegetables 104
Cutting ribbons 104
Cutting slivers 105
Cutting matchsticks 105
Cutting paper-thin slices 106
Dicing 106
Mincing 106
Taking advantage of a few shortcut tools 107
Part III: Rock-and-Rollin’ Sushi Recipes 109
Chapter 8: Creating Sushi Bar Favorites at Home 111
Adventuring into Raw Seafood 112
Savoring Cooked Seafood 117
Refreshing Your Sushi Palate with Japanese Cucumbers 126
Chapter 9: Quick-and-Easy Sushi: Finger-Snapping Fast Recipes 129
Assembling Simple Veggie Sushi 130
Reeling in Easy Seafood Sushi 134
Using cooked fish 134
Using raw fish 135
Stepping Up the Pace with Beef, Poultry, and Pork Sushi 146
Chapter 10: Do-Ahead Sushi: Sidestepping the Last-Minute Rush 151
Veggie Sushi 152
Puckeringly good do-ahead sushi 152
Stuffing tofu pouches ahead 155
Grilling colorful veggies for do-ahead sushi 159
Sweet Tuna and Sushi Rice 162
Chicken and Turkey Sushi 164
Ginger-Beef Roll 168
Chapter 11: Chi-Chi Sushi: Stepping Up to Glamorous Sushi 171
Sampling Stylish Gifts from the Sea 172
Appreciating Sophisticated Vegetable Sushi 180
Chapter 12: Extreme Sushi: Blowing Away the Boundaries 183
Loving Sushi on a Half Shell 184
Tasting Tropical Seafood Sushi 186
Unearthing Sushi from the Garden 188
Saluting Independence Day 190
Part IV: Enjoying Sushi Meals at Home and at the Sushi Bar 193
Chapter 13: Serving Sensational Sushi Sidekicks 195
Starting with an Appetizer 196
Serving Savory Soups 197
Chilling Out with Salads 202
Selecting Smashing Side Dishes 206
Putting a chill on veggies 206
Steaming-up shellfish 208
Diving into the Drinks 209
Discovering green tea 209
Sipping sake 210
Enjoying beer and wine 212
Indulging in Sweet Conclusions 213
Chapter 14: Hosting a Smashing Hand Roll Sushi Party 219
Getting Your Sushi Party in Order 219
Planning the menu 220
Making a grocery list 220
Shopping in shifts 222
Preparing a few items the day before 222
Completing preparations the morning of 223
Getting the Party Underway! 227
Chapter 15: Demystifying the Sushi Bar Experience 231
Getting the Best Seats in the House 232
Surveying Your Place Setting 233
Deciding on a Drink 233
Placing Your Order with the Chef 234
Enjoying Sushi One Piece at a Time 237
Finishing Up Your Sushi Meal 239
Part V: The Part of Tens 241
Chapter 16: Ten Tips for Creating First-Rate Sushi at Home 243
Adopting a Relaxed Attitude 243
Keeping Sticky Rice Out of the Bedroom 244
Moistening Your Hands 244
Resisting the Urge to Overstuff 244
Pressing Ever So Gently 245
Moistening Your Sharp Knives 245
Chilling Out with Raw Seafood 245
Tucking In Your Sushi Rice 246
The Cold Fish/Warm Rice Dilemma 246
Breaking the Rules in the Name of Leftovers 246
Chapter 17: Ten Tips for Minding Your Sushi Manners 247
Don’t Rub Chopsticks Together 247
Do Place Chopsticks Together 247
Don’t Look for a Spoon 248
Do Flip Chopsticks Over 248
Don’t Overload on Soy Sauce 248
Do Dip the Fish in Soy Sauce 249
Don’t Put Wasabi in Soy Sauce 249
Do Eat Sushi with Your Fingers 249
Don’t Forget to Use the Washcloth 249
Do Ask the Sushi Bar Wait Staff for Food and Drink 250
Appendix: Metric Conversion Guide 251
Index 255
