Sushi... made at home?

[IgiTang]

So... I have become addicted to Sushi over the last year. I have heard there are sets you can buy to make Sushi at home. Does anyone have any experience with home made Sushi and have any suggestions with what kind of kit I should buy and where the best place to shop for these kits? Also, I assume they dont have the fish in the kits, where is the best place to pickup Sushi quality tuna and salmon?

Thanks.

[Bobblehead]

It was a good episode (Season 9, ep 6) Wake Up Little Sushi

http://www.foodnetwork.com/good-eats...shi/index.html

Edit: not talking about kits, but about how to make your own and it does discuss techniques, so I figured it may help

[DrJ]

In terms of pre-made kits, I would definitely stay away.

The hardest part to sushi is getting the rice correct. Tough to do...

In addition, with the rice, you need a special bowl (I think bamboo) and mixer to get the taste right.

In terms of fish, the only place I can think of is T&T Foods.

I've only ever made sushi once and it really wasn't worth the effort. It didn't taste right and it took a while. I did watch a special on Food Network that was super useful (watched it after my 1 attempt). Alton Brown's Good Eat's - special on sushi. EDIT: Yah, that's the episode above! You can torrent it for sure!

[chid]

You can go to classes at some sushi places in Calgary, Kinjo's does it and Sakana Grill as well. I have wanted to make my own sushi for some time now, thanks for starting a thread.

[VladtheImpaler]

My first wife and I made sushi by the book - it turned out pretty nicely, but took hours. Not worth the effort IMHO - just pay the money... Unless you are one of those people that love spending time in the kitchen, and there some.

[FlamesAddiction]

We make the rolls at home all the time, but typically, we use cooked fish, crab, egg, cheese, or veggies. Never bothered trying to actually buy sushi grade fish.

One trick if you like terriyaki beef rolls is to freeze a piece of beef raw, and then you can cut really thin strips off it. You can also just buy roast beef cold cuts and it's not too bad.

[CaptainCrunch]

Here's my sushi recipes

Ingrediants for easy home made sushi

1 can tuna drained
1 jar mayo
2 slices bread (Can be any type)

Lay slices of bread side by side
Liberally spread mayo on both pieces of bread
Liberally apply drained tuna on one of the pieces of bread
place other piece of bread on tuna, its important that its mayo side down

Serves 1

[IgiTang]

Originally Posted by FlamesAddiction

We make the rolls at home all the time, but typically, we use cooked fish, crab, egg, cheese, or veggies. Never bothered trying to actually buy sushi grade fish.

One trick if you like terriyaki beef rolls is to freeze a piece of beef raw, and then you can cut really thin strips off it. You can also just buy roast beef cold cuts and it's not too bad.

Hrm.. that sounds pretty good actually.

and CC... youre a fool.

[IgiTang]

Originally Posted by VladtheImpaler

My first wife and I made sushi by the book - it turned out pretty nicely, but took hours. Not worth the effort IMHO - just pay the money... Unless you are one of those people that love spending time in the kitchen, and there some.

I do love cooking. One of my favorite hobbies. Would never want to do it for a living tho.

From what I am gathering, its hard to learn and perfect, however once good, its simple. So... Im tired of paying $6 for a bento box of 8 california rolls, especially when I eat Sushi atleast 3 times a week now.

[STeeLy]

Sushi does NOT take hours to make... but of course I have the luxury of a rice cooker... so maybe that's why...

You can get a cheap rice cooker for like $13 at Superstore. You can buy everything separately too. Sea weed, rice, fish, sushi mats (for rolls)... Sushi Vinegar

[yads]

Sushi is quite easy to make actually. You just need a good rice recipe. I use short grain rice, water, rice vinegar, salt, and sugar. Can't remember off the top of my head the proportions though. Probably something like 1 cup of rice, 1.5 cups of water, half a cup of vinegar, 1 tsp of salt, 1 tbsp of sugar. To cool all you do is stir the rice in a bowl while fanning it, cools in about 5 minutes. I haven't bothered with sushi grade fish, but I like to live on the edge.

As far as 'kit' the only thing you really need is a rolling mat, but they're cheap, just check the Asian food aisle at the grocery store.

To make rolls, just spread a layer of rice on a seaweed square, not too thick. Make sure your hands are moist so the rice doesn't stick to your hands. Leave about a 2-3 cm strip on one side of the seaweed with no rice. Put fillings in the middle of the rice (cucumber, strip of fish, crab, etc.) Then use the mat to roll towards the side that has no rice. Use water to get the seaweed to stick then use a wet knife to cut your rolls.

[FlamesAddiction]

BTW, on an unrelated sushi note....


It's perfectly fine to eat nigiri sushi with your fingers. I see people fumbling with chopsticks trying to eat it sometimes... just use you fingers.

[yads]

Heh FlamesAddiction, you reminded me that i forgot to add a nigiri how to.
Nigiri is prett easy. just cut the sushi into appropriately sized strips, then take a bit of rice and put it into your curled up hand where the fingers start. Then just use your other hand to shape it into a rice slug. Make sure your hands are wet. Then put your strips on the rice.

[MaDMaN_26]

Originally Posted by IgiTang

So... I have become addicted to Sushi over the last year. I have heard there are sets you can buy to make Sushi at home. Does anyone have any experience with home made Sushi and have any suggestions with what kind of kit I should buy and where the best place to shop for these kits? Also, I assume they dont have the fish in the kits, where is the best place to pickup Sushi quality tuna and salmon?

Thanks.

My only suggestion is to buy the kits that DO NOT include the fish.

as for courses... a little hole in the wall place on 16th ave (I think west of peters but on the north side of the road in a blue strip mall kind of place) does it and I did it there.. very private, only 5 of us, and he closed restaurant for it... it was a lot of fun.

As for making it at home... only if you really really want to... Calgary sushi prices are quite possibly the best in the world... we really are spoiled as sushi lovers. I recommend Sushi Ichiban on Macleod for their all you can eat menu... depending on weeknight/day or weekend 22.95 - 25.95 and has the good stuff like belly of tuna (toro) and bbq Eel (unagi) - very yummy and for the price and variety I personally think better than making it at home.

[ShaolinFlame]

Originally Posted by MaDMaN_26

As for making it at home... only if you really really want to... Calgary sushi prices are quite possibly the best in the world... we really are spoiled as sushi lovers. I recommend Sushi Ichiban on Macleod for their all you can eat menu... depending on weeknight/day or weekend 22.95 - 25.95 and has the good stuff like belly of tuna (toro) and bbq Eel (unagi) - very yummy and for the price and variety I personally think better than making it at home.

You, good sir, are insane. You need to try some good Vancouver sushi. I hate van as much as the next man, but the cheapest, best tasting sushi in Canada. It costs way more in Calgary, and the fish isn't anywhere near as good in Calgary. I used to get rolls for around $1 at my local joint.

[Cain]

Originally Posted by MaDMaN_26

I recommend Sushi Ichiban on Macleod for their all you can eat menu... depending on weeknight/day or weekend 22.95 - 25.95 and has the good stuff like belly of tuna (toro) and bbq Eel (unagi) - very yummy and for the price and variety I personally think better than making it at home.

It is funny, but most of my recent posts on a hockey forum come up when there is a sushi thread. I'm an addict.

In my opinion, I'd stay away from the all you can eat venues (ichiban, korean bbq inn, sushi tokyo) as I think the quality of sushi there is really very poor. I recently went and tried it again for old times sake and did not enjoy a single piece that they brought out. For whatever reason though, these always seem to be packed...I have no idea how they do it.

My current recommendations for sushi would be Wa's and Misato. Both are very, very good. The important thing to note is that all you can eat sushi is not really a good deal anyway. You will walk away more than satisfied if you spend the same amount of money at a higher quality sushi restaurant. You really do not save any money by doing all you can eat.

I'd love to try making it myself though, sounds fun. And you can just be lazy too, I mean who doesn't love sashimi?

[Hack&Lube]

Calgary Sushi is okay but it's pretty pathetic compared to Vancouver Sushi, even the kind that came from the shack next to the mom & pop Japanese grocery store.

[Rhetts_the_Best]

I would stick to eating it at restaurants
Making sushi is a very fine and delicate art.
Many sushi chefs learn to make rice for 2 years! However
some restaurants do classes..which are reasonably priced, and you get to taste the finished product
Tokyo gardens at least does
It had to do with the buddhist temple i went to... so i don't know how often they offer the classes

[yads]

Since we're on the topic of sushi restaurants. I've lately been very into Kinjo on McLeod. Terrific sushi and not terribly expensive.

[redforever]

For her birthday, this gal's husband hired a sushi chef to come to their house for a couple of hours and teach his wife how to make sushi.

There are actually 3 links in the link below, click on any of them and you will have VERY DETAILED instructions. The first episode tells you how to make perfect sushi rice, even has a video, then on to the rolls and then on to a variation of rolls.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/category/sushi/