mmmm....sushi

I am one of those people who love sushi. I don't know what it is. It is just so tasty. So I had a brilliant idea earlier this week that I would make my own sushi. I went to a Japanese market that is in downtown Salt Lake. It is an older building and smells funny, kind of like the dairy farm where my mom always bought our milk growing up. More than half the items in the store are only in Japanese. There were things in jars I couldn't even identify and vegetables that were unfamiliar to me. So I just wondered around the store until I found the sushi kit, seaweed, wasabi, and rice vinegar that I needed. I felt very strange in the store because there were 3 little Japanese ladies at the register, a little older Japanese lady, and me in all my 5'9" and pale glory. I felt a little out of place. And when I payed for my things the ladies all started to talk in Japanese and laugh. You can't help but think when you are standing there and people are talking in a different language, that they are talking/laughing at you. I always think that when I get a pedicure. They are probably laughing at my huge chubby feet. But then again that is probably my own insecurities. One lady said, "You have a sushi party?" and I just laughed and said, "Sort of."

So I had all my stuff. I was going to buy some smoked salmon to put in it, but didn't find the time to during my errand running. I also don't know where I could buy sushi grade fish. If anyone knows let me know! I had some shrimp at home and other good stuffing's so I figured that would be fine. I added shrimp, cucumber, avocado, and my favorite....cream cheese to my roll. I thought I would make a roll with the rice on the outside and the seaweed on the inside so I could put toasted sesame seeds on the outside (like most California rolls). Not a good idea if you have never made/rolled sushi before. I put too much rice on the outside so it ended up being a fatty roll. I rolled it too loosely so it fell apart when I tried to cut it. I guess it can't be perfect the first time around.

So the next roll I wisely put the seaweed on the outside. and rolled it as tight as I possibly could. It turned out a lot better and cut more easily. And it was yummy! It may not been as fancy as the rolls at all the sushi places, however, it was tasty and less expensive. So now I just need to find some more interesting ingredients to put in my rolls. I am thinking of making tempura shrimp and putting it in a roll. Or maybe I will some day attempt my favorite....the Las Vegas roll, that has tempura on the entire outside. Ya that would be good.