[linnea]

Yum! I love making sushi at home!

I learned recently that almost all of the "wasabi" we use in the U.S. is not real wasabi, it's dyed horseradish. I found a place online to get the real thing: http://www.freshwasabi.com/

It's a splurge, though!

Short grain brown rice will work, but it's just never goint to be as sticky as white sushi rice. Leaving the protective bran on the rice keeps the starches from gooping it all up and making it sticky. I think it's tastier, though!

 

[linnea]

Sometimes I make cone-shaped handrolls to hold in the rice instead of rolling them with the mat... it's like sushi ice cream!

I also love making inari, or "fox pockets" - you can usually find the tofu wrapper fresh or canned at an Asian food store. I mix up a batch of sushi rice with shredded carrot, shiitake mushrooms, whatever veggies I have on hand and just use that to stuff the tofu pockets or put into handroll.

Another favorite is onigiri, or rice balls... you pretty much need to use white rice for those, though. I love them with just a dollop of miso stuffed inside and wrapped with freshly toasted nori. Yum!