Family, Some Lifelong Learning & Sushi Rolls with Unagi & Cucumber

Pardon me for this ultra-long post. This week has been very interesting to me, in both good and bad ways. I always pick up good things when the bad ones come along LOL! For instance, I've been a really careless gal lately. (Or, have I always been that way? Hmm ... I have to re-evaluate myself thoroughly ...) Not too long ago, I almost dropped my ATM card into a huge drain ... A few days later, I left my cell phone in the public restroom at work. Just then two days ago, I left my purse at the same spot again! To make it even worse, I made myself an embarrassment in front of my colleagues! (I'll skip that part because it's going to make me sound long-winded.) At that very moment, all I wanted was to hide myself away from everyone else. ='( ... (Of course, I couldn't because the lunch break was just over.) I just couldn't focus on what I was doing thereafter at work ... was too disturbed by that embarrassment.

My brain has been malfunctioning. =( Of course, I can't simply look for scapegoats to be blamed at; I control my own destiny, I should thus blame myself for being super, super careless.When I got home that day from work, I let out all my negative thoughts and feelings to my mom. Eventually, I couldn't help but burst into tears. My mom simply responded with these: "It's better to be safe than sorry. For me, the word 'sorry' doesn't exist. So, try not to make any mistake because most of them are irreversible."

They may sound like cliché. But, they have helped awaken me from my supposedly "misconception" that evening. All these episodes made me understand myself better now. I'm fortunate enough that I didn't lose both my phone and purse, and that some kind-hearted, honest people found and returned them back to me. (Thank you!) I realized I'm that kind of person who will only realize how painful a pain is once I've had that torturing experience myself. Mom, thank you for waking me up! I love you!

I've also come to TRULY realize how precious family is. No one will love and sacrifice for you like they do. When I think about my dad now, tears come rolling down my cheeks. Honestly speaking, he's been the one fetching us four in and out of this busy, ever-congested big city. He barely has time to relax everyday after work. What makes me feel ever worse is that he is getting older. At 60, he still has to rush back and forth just like how he's been since I was a little baby-- and he hasn't stopped since then.

I can see though he's extremely exhausted, my dad still willingly puts himself in the position of coming to fetch me home from the light rapid transit (LRT) station, which is going to take me 20 to 25 minutes of walking to get home. Whenever we think about the possible tragedies that may happen to me as I walk home alone, e.g. robbing, kidnapping and raping, we couldn't help but shiver. With the high crime rates here, my dad has no choice but to come and drive me home himself. Dad, I'm really sorry for the trouble I've brought you since young. Thanks for the sacrifice you've made to me. I really cherish you!

Whenever I feel down and stressed after coming back from work, my family has been the ones cheering me up and giving me the encouragement and emotional support that I need to get myself going. I've come to put all my trust and faith in my loved ones because they've shown the patience, unconditional love and sacrifices to me all these years as I grew up from a naïve child and a rebellious teenager to who I'm today. No one can and will ever do these to me other than those who really love and care about me. I've learned better on who to and not to trust. I'm blessed and lucky to have such loving, supporting parents and siblings who patiently teach and guide me through all of life's difficulties. Thanks to all of you mom, dad and two little brothers!

Here's a post dedicated to my sushi-loving brothers and of course, all you out there who go mad about sushi (壽司). I'm fairly new to sushi making, still learning along the way every time I make them. However, I'd say, unlike many other baking and cooking projects, there is no fast and fixed rule in sushi making. All it takes is practice and time.

I'd really been wanting to make sushi for my brothers because they normally would have them for late-night supper on weekends. Out of my own will and determination, I carried a backpack and went all the way to Isetan, a Japanese department store at KLCC--without any personal transportation--and brought home more than 2kg worth of goods all in my backpack! (Of course, I was broke by then as you can imagine how expensive imported Japanese goods are! LOL!) This was almost a month back then I suppose ...

Sushi making is pretty much an art by itself once you've grasped the concept. You can experiment by rolling different ingredients into the rice rolls. In fact, the only Japanese cookbook I have (for now) is "Quick & Easy Sushi & Sashimi" from the Periplus Mini Cookbook series. (I have only six of the handy cookbooks now.) You can imagine all the details that have to be crammed in with this little space! Though it may not be as comprehensive as a huge, thick Japanese cookbook is, it's good enough for me. I heart every bit of it!

 

The short-grain rice used in sushi making is in fact non-glutinous even though it may seem to stick to you when cooked. Japanese call it uruchi mai. Its glutinous variety, used in making mochi, is aptly named mochi gome in Japanese. The truth is it is very expensive in Malaysia; I paid over RM70 (close to US$30) for 2kg of the rice! Basically, all imported Japanese goods are expensive ... Just think about the costs of living in Japan! So to make your investment worthwhile, store the rice like how you'd do to any other type of rice. Keep it in an airtight container at room temperature. And, that should last you for a while.

Speaking of unagi (ウナギ), or fresh-water eel in English, we three siblings will go nuts about it! I was unable to find anago (穴子), or salt-water eel. So for my maiden sushi attempt, I decided to use unagi and cucumber, with modifications to the original recipe from the mini cookbook. Unfortunately, the avocado I bought earlier rot even though I kept it refrigerated! So, I substituted it with cucumber, a less expensive alternative.

We all agree that the texture and flavor of the prepared sushi rice is VERY, VERY important as 70 percent of the result is judged based on just that. To my delight as a novice, my brothers and their friend raved about my "project" that afternoon, "對一個初學者來說，那個壽司飯還不錯喔！" ("For a beginner, the rice for sushi tastes pretty good!") Haha ..., I'm filled with joy now! =D [Ah hem ... By the way, pardon us for our Malaysian-style Chinese. It's different from the standard Mandarin in China, so to speak. In Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding area, we speak Cantonese mainly ... and getting more popular now, Mandarin and a mix of both Chinese dialects among Malaysian-Chinese. Yes, Malaysians are melting pots of cultures and I take pride in my cultural heritage.]

Without further ado, here's what I'd like to share with you today: my first sushi along with some really helpful tips I learned as a beginner. I adapted all the following recipes from Quick & Easy Sushi and Sashimi, by Susie Donald. Enjoy!

Basic Sushi Rice

250g uncooked short-grain Japanese rice

Enough cold water, for washing rice

8cm square piece of konbu 昆布 (dried kelp)
*I omit this as I can't find any at the moment.

(A)
300ml water
1 Tbsp sake 酒


(B)
1 Tbsp rice vinegar 米醋
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt

1. Place the rice in a big bowl with enough cold water to cover, then stir the rice with your finger for one minute till the water has turned somewhat "cloudy." Drain in a colander. Repeat the process above three to four times until the water comes out almost clear. Drain in a colander and set the rice aside for at least one hour.
2. For those who can find and want to use konbu for their sushi, wipe the kelp with a damp cloth to remove any grit--BUT, don't wipe off the white powder! Then, cut konbu into four pieces using scissors.
   *I skip this step totally.
   
3. Place (A) and the rice together in a heavy-bottom saucepan or rice cooker. Lay the konbu pieces on top of the water-submerged rice. (I skipped the last step. I also opt for saucepan to cook rice every time as I've never used a rice cooker to cook rice. Surprised, eh?) Cook over medium heat, remove the konbu pieces just right before the water boils--you may risk getting slimy rice if you forget about this particular step! (Again, I left out the konbu part throughout the whole process.)
   Reduce to low heat when the water has reached a rolling boil, then cover the saucepan and let simmer for 15 minutes or till all the liquid is absorbed--try not to lift the lid of the saucepan too many times to check the rice
4. Immediately remove the rice from heat and let it sit in the saucepan for 15 minutes. Then, gently fluff up the rice with plastic or wooden rice paddle as the rice tends to stick really badly to metal ones. Place a kitchen towel over the saucepan and cover with the lid, leave aside to absorb excess moisture for 10 minutes. (I didn't use kitchen towel at all; I simply covered the saucepan of cooked rice with the lid. But, I suppose there may be a huge difference if you stick to the rule.)
   Meanwhile, dissolve (B) together in a non-metal bowl. After 10 minutes, spread the rice out in a large, non-metal container; sprinkle the vinegar mixture all over it
5. Gently fold the vinegared rice with one hand using a plastic or wooden rice paddle next to a running electric fan. (You can try the primitive method of fanning the hot rice, too.) Continue with the folding as you let the hot rice cool to room temperature, which may take around five minutes. This quick cooling process is essential in achieving the desired texture, consistency and flavor of good sushi rice!
6. Cover the container with a damp kitchen towel to prevent drying out. (I simply cover the whole deal up with the lid again.) The rice is now ready for use and can be stored at room temperature for up to four hours. DON'T refrigerate the prepared rice as it will harden and dry up in the fridge!

Tezu (Vinegared Water)

(C)

125ml water (1/2 cup) water

1 Tbsp rice vinegar

1. Combine (C) together for tezu. Use as directed by the recipe(s)
   *This is a bulk recipe. Prepare just enough of it by eyeballing the quantity based on the recipe you're using. It's such a headache when you have too much leftover. =.="

 Unagi (Smoked Eel) and Cucumber Sushi Rolls

One medium-sized cucumber, peeled and cored

*I'm not referring to Japanese cucumber; I used a regular one.

*There may be extra left--eat it raw then because it's SO good and refreshing!

Enough toasted nori sheets 海苔

Small bowl of tezu

450g of prepared sushi rice

1/2 cup furikake 振り掛け (topping for rice)

250g unagi (smoked fresh-water eel,) skinned and deboned

*I got mine fully prepared from the supermarket, i.e. smoked and thoroughly cooked as well as deboned--not skinned though. Reasons being my kitchen's not fully equipped for smoking meats and I don't have the knowledge and skills for doing that =p

1. Slice the cucumber lengthwise into thin strips, then set aside for use later
   
2. Slice the unagi into strips, set aside for use later
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Place the bamboo mat in front of you, strips horizontal; lay one sheet of toasted nori on the mat--shiny side-down and with the edge of the nori 2cm away from the edge of the mat closer to you
4. To assemble the sushi rolls, moisten your hands with some tezu to prevent rice from sticking to you. Then, spread about one cup of the prepared rice onto the nori evenly with your fingers--leaving a 2cm space at the top of the nori. Next, sprinkle some furikake over the rice evenly
   *I may skip furikake for my brothers' portions in the future as they aren't too fond of the savory taste that it imparts. BUT, I love them on my bowl of sushi rice especially! Simple and yet flavorful! Good for a quick and lazy lunch ... =)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Lay the unagi and cucumber down--one strip for each--in the middle of the rice.
   
6. Start rolling by holding the edge of the mat closest to you with one hand. Press fingers of the other hand over the cucumber and unagi to hold them in place, roll the mat over the rice, away from you. Lift up the top of the mat and turn the roll over a little so that the unfilled blank part of the nori seals the sushi roll.
7. Unroll the mat and remove the sushi roll, touch up a bit by roughly shaping the roll into square or rough if presentation matters to you, too. LOL! Then, cut the roll into eight uniform slices using a moist and very sharp knife.
8. Repeat the same with the remaining unagi, cucumber, prepared rice and etc. until everything is used up
9. Enjoy them right away. Or, like how we do, send the sushi rolls to chill in the refrigerator for a bit before wiping them out! =) We like ours cold, hehehe ...