What Rhymes with Sushi?

If you look on t'internet when preparing to create a witty headline for a blog entry on sushi, you will find little inspiration. Jim Belushi seems to be the obvious answer to the above question, indeed the only answer according to wiki.answers.com.

Shame really, because today's dishes really were something special and I wanted a suitably stunning/cringe-worthy headline. Virtually no cooking as such, all in the careful preparation, precision, and presentation (presentation, presentation, presentation), but great results.

Photo above: preparing the nori (seaweed), salmon and vegetable strips on the sushi mat

Photo left: the rolled sushi, before cutting into pieces

Our newly discovered and practiced knife skills were to the fore. Apparently, in the real world, a trainee sushi chef has to serve two years before s/he is even allowed is even allowed to chop anything, and it takes 7 years to achieve Master Sushi Chef status. Difficult to believe, but we did manage to turn out something decent in a couple of hours, as you can see.

My partner of Monday, Kate, didn't make it yesterday due to "exhaustion". I'd like to think this had nothing to do with me, other than perhaps being in my magnetic presence for too long. Today we swapped round again, and I was paired with James.

James is a ski and snowboard instructor, English but living in Glasgow, with his wife and small child, specialising in working with the disabled. He certainly has the skills and manner to suggest he is very good at what he does. He's doing the course to add to his skills, and enable him to widen his options. Every day, when we sit down for lunch he says "This is the best meal we've cooked so far". A man who appreciates the present moment.

Photo above: sushimi (hand-shaped sushi)

Photo: sushi and "inside out" sushi (rice on outside) with salad and ginger

Having suffered from some very poor and boring sushi in the past (not exclusively, I really like Wasabi Sabi in Sheffield), I was amazed at how good our efforts tasted. Firstly we made a big pan of sushi rice, which takes quite a bit of effort, not just boiling it up for 10 minutes - there is a quite complex sauce added to it before it's used to loosen it up and give it flavour. We used the sushi mats to help form the rolls, and carefully cut vegetables into fine strips and prepared a variety of sauces and salads to go with it. Finally, laying it all out was probably the most time-consuming job of all. Worth the effort though.

By the way folks, my friend Stuart, who is 12,000 miles away in New Zealand, was on the blower tonight arranging to come and see me up here in Edinburgh for a pint of heavy and a deep fried Mars Bar. I reckon if Stuart can make the effort... There are certain exclusions: Margaret, Simon and Fiona are due up this weekend; Dave, John, Bill and Rob also have plans related to narrow boating (yes there is a canal in Edinburgh). By the way chaps, tried out a couple more pubs last night for your delectation.

And finally folks, the connection between these two things: we also tried our hand at tempura vegetables, and Pip suggested we tried producing a tempura sushi roll - clearly the Scottish slant on traditional Japanese cuisine - they will deep fry anything up here.

Photo: tempura salmon and vegetables topped with salad and rice noodles