Sushi!
A member of hip_domestics asked for a sushi tutorial, so here's what I wrote -- thought I'd put it here, as well.

ETA: PICTURES ADDED thanks to my stunningly wonderful photographer and web-hoster, elsrik! :)



A Few Preliminary Ingredients











Sushi Rice:

1. Wash the rice! This is very important so that the vinegar can soak in and so that the rice will have a proper texture. You need to rinse the rice in a bowl of water, changing the water until it runs completely clear.
2. Drain the water off, then, let the rice drain in a colander/strainer/cheesecloth/etc. for an hour. According to two of my Japanese cookbooks, this allows the rice to attain the "proper water balance." I'm not 100% sure about that part, but it does turn out a delicious bowl of sushi rice, so I do what the cookbooks say.



3. When the water has drained, cook the rice in your rice cooker or in a pan with an amount of water equal to 25% more than the amount of rice (do not add oil or salt -- the rice should not stick if you've added the proper amount of water, and you're going to add salt when you make your vinegar solution).

So if you're cooking a cup of rice, use a cup of rice and 1 1/4 cups of water. Boil the water, add the rice, reduce the heat to low, put the lid on the pot and *DO NOT REMOVE THE LID and DO NOT STIR THE RICE.* (I have a VERY hard time with my boyfriend elsrik always trying to pick up the lid and peek inside. NO! You need to keep the steam in the pot -- the measurement of water is just enough to get the proper amount of steam in the rice, don't mess up the balance! I'm going to start telling my boyfriend it's releasing bad chi into the air to open the rice pot. ;) ) Cook the rice on low for 20 minutes, remove it from the heat and let it steam for another 10 minutes (again, do not remove the lid).

4. Turn the rice out into a wooden bowl and with a broad, flat wooden spoon or paddle, you are going to CUT IN the following mixture. Do not stir or beat the rice, as you will break up the kernels. Cut this mixture in like you would cut butter into pastry. Also, if you have an assistant around, you can have your assistant fan the rice (to speed cooling) while you cut in the vinegar solution.

Seasoned Vinegar:

For 2 cups of sushi rice, blend the following together:

1/3 cup Rice Vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
1-1/2 tsp sea salt

5. Pour the vinegar solution over the rice evenly then, as I noted in step 4, cut the vinegar into the rice until all is absorbed. When the rice has cooled to the point that you can handle it, you're ready to make sushi!

Maki-Zushi:

Maki-Zushi are the rolled pieces of sushi. Some people use a bamboo roller covered in plastic wrap to make these but, honestly, I have had great luck just using wax paper -- that is, for the sushi with the nori on the outside and the rice on the inside. If you want a roll with rice on the outside of the nori, this is much trickier and really requires the bamboo mat and the plastic wrap (I don't usually make this kind of sushi).

To make 8 pieces of maki-zushi, do the following:

1. On a wide, flat cutting board, put down a sheet of wax paper or a bamboo rolling mat. Put one sheet of nori down on the wax paper/bamboo mat.
2. Turn your water faucet on to run a thin, steady stream of water. Wet your hands thoroughly (it's so much easier to deal with the rice when your hands are wet) and grab a handful of rice.
3. Pat the rice down evenly along the entire width and about 2/3 the length of the nori. You don't want to cover the entire sheet of nori because it will be extremely difficult to roll and seal. Also, if you make the rice layer too thick, your sushi rolls will be huge! Too little rice and the nori will be tough and overpowering in flavor. With a little practice, you can get the size down -- I usually pat the rice to about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
4. Smooth a line of wasabi down the center of the rice.



5. Place your fillings in a line about 1 inch from the bottom edge of the nori. My favorite sushi roll includes the following: tuna, cream cheese, avocado, and cucumber. Use whatever you like in yours, just make sure the slices are thin and uniform, otherwise it will be difficult to roll your maki.










6. Now you're ready to begin rolling.



This is really something that you just improve on with practice and common sense. Just make sure your hands are damp and use the wax paper to help you roll (I really prefer wax paper, here, to the bamboo rollers, because I can feel the sushi roll through the wax paper and tell if it is compact and even.



- Roll slowly, pressing and squeezing evenly as you go.
- Try to keep the fillings near the bottom edge of the nori, so that your maki will have the filling right in the center of the sushi roll.
- If some fillings poke out the ends, don't worry, just place an extra piece of filling over the top of these end rolls and they'll be just as beautiful and tasty as the rolls in the middle
- When you get to the end, you may need to dampen the nori slightly to seal it.




7. Now that you have one roll, wet your knife blade (it will cut through the rice much easier) and slice the roll into 8 equal parts. Don't chop, slice slowly, as if you were cutting bread, and your sushi rolls should stay together. Line each roll up on a plate as you finish.




Nigiri Zushi

Nigiri are the hand-rolled chunks of rice with a piece of fish or vegetable on top. It takes a little practice to be able to shape the rice with your hands (I've read that sushi chefs in Japan must train for two years to get the proper technique down); however, it can be done -- or you can do it the easy way....

1. Get a small wooden box about 2 inches wide by 2 inches deep by 4 inches long. Where am I going to find that, you ask? Simple -- go to Linens & Things or Bed Bath & Beyond and look at their kitchen drawer organizers. They have little wooden boxes used to arrange your "junk drawer" or your kitchen utensils. Get the short one -- voila, sushi press!

2. Wash the box thoroughly and line it with plastic wrap.



Press enough sushi rice into the box to fill it about half full (1 inch deep), then just invert the box and remove the plastic wrap.









3. Using your wet knife, slice the block of rice into nigiri-sized strips. Rub some wasabi on the rice and place a strip of fish on top.










Chirashi Zushi or Scattered sushi

Chirashi is the simplest form of sushi and if you find you just can't get the rolls right, you can still enjoy sushi. However, the time that you would ordinarily spend rolling sushi should ideally be devoted to arranging the ingredients on the chirashi in a very decorative and beautiful way. Though chirashi is the easiest form of sushi to make, it is often the most beautiful in appearance.

1. Fill a bowl with rice. You may then sprinkle the rice with flakes of nori and masago (smelt roe) -- I've also had a chirashi once that had jasmine tea sprinkled over it -- very interesting and tasty.
2. Top with any combination of your favorite sushi toppings -- usually nine different types, as nine is the Japanese lucky number. Cucumber, daikon, tamago (sweet omelette), shrimp, crab, unagi (sea eel), anago (freshwater eel), and any of your favorite fish pieces.

Temaki Zushi or Hand Roll

Temaki Zushi is easy to make but more difficult to eat.

1. Use half a sheet of nori and spread about a tablespoon of rice along the side.
2. Fill with your favorite fillings, then roll the nori into a cone, sealing the end with water or wasabi.

Other tips:

1. Only use fresh fish and vegetables. Fish that is fresh will *not* smell fishy -- it will simply smell of sea water.
2. Do NOT mix your wasabi and soy sauce to make "wasabi soup" when you eat sushi. Wasabi dulls your taste buds and covers up the delicate flavors of the fish. This tactic is honestly very insulting to most sushi chefs, as you're covering up their handiwork with the thick paste of wasabi. If you wish to have more wasabi, add it to each roll individually as you eat it, then dip the roll into the soy sauce.

Sushi Etiquette (particularly for sushi bars and Japanese restaurants).

Respect your sushi chef!

1. Do not leave chopsticks sticking straight up in a bowl of rice. Chopsticks are put straight up in food as an offering to the dead, so if you are eating food that has a set of chopsticks straight up in them, you might draw the negative attention of your Japanese co-diners and sushi chef. ;)
2. In the same vein, do not pass food to another person with your chopsticks. This is like passing cremated bones of a relative at a Japanese funeral. If a friend wants to try something on your plate, he/she should take it from your plate.
3. Do not let your chopsticks rest on the table/sushi bar.
4. If you can't use chopsticks, use your fingers instead -- this is perfectly acceptable. In fact, nigiri is meant to be eaten with your hands.
5. Sushi should be eaten all in one bite, but if sushi is too large for you, just bite it and eat in two tries. Do not ask for a knife from a sushi chef, as this implies that the sushi is too tough to eat.
6. Don't wave your chopsticks around over your food indecisively, and don't scrape rice from your chopsticks.