I suspect this is a southern California thing, but the major supermarkets around here (Ralph’s, Vons) have mini sushi counters next to their service delis. Am I right? Is this a southern California thing?
Anyway, it’s not like you can have a seat and drink sake, at least not at the ones in my area, but you can place an order and wait while a sushi chef prepares your rolls or nigiri. The chef arrives mid-morning and starts preparing a selection of commonly ordered items that are then packaged and positioned for sale, much like a shrink-wrapped turkey on rye. Most people just pick from the pre-made items and head to the register.
Sushi is my favorite thing to eat. If you steer away from the mayonnaise loaded rolls and mercury-tainted fish and instead focus on the vegetables, rice, nori (did you know it’s high in vitamin C?), and avocado, it can be a inexpensive, healthy lunch that is really quite satisfying. Plus, reputable as they may be, I’m squeamish about buying nigiri or fish-based sushi from anywhere other than a restaurant. You can call me a chicken; I’m fine with that.
My favorites are the cucumber roll (thin cucumber spears, rice, nori), the avocado roll (avocado slices, rice, nori) and the vegetarian roll (thin carrot spears, cucumber, sometimes spinach, avocado, rice, nori). You can find a more varied selection of vegetarian options at a true sushi bar, but for $9 combined, it can’t be beat. I usually share the cucumber and avocado rolls with the boys.
That said, $9 is $9 and I can’t–and don’t–spend $10 a day on lunch. This is more of a once of month treat that I wish I could do more often. I wish I could go to sushi restaurants more often but that’s a whole different story. My point is that my birthday is at the end of the month and, having promised my in-laws that I would come up with a few gift ideas, finally tossed out the idea of a sushi making kit. It started off desperate, just something that I could say to them so they wouldn’t have to scramble at the last minute for a gift, but the more I think about it the more excited I get. It’s not like I would be working with raw fish, of course. I’d use it only to make vegetable rolls.
Once I decided on this, I had to then find a decent kit, and that’s where I am at a loss. There isn’t really a kit for vegetarian sushi. There are some kits at place like Amazon, but they include books on traditional preparation methods. As great as they may be, I have no interest in preparing fish and don’t want my family to waste their money on something I will not use. So, I’ve taken it upon myself to make my own kit.
This modest kit from Sur La Table contains a bamboo mat, wooden rice paddle, and instructional booklet for $5.95. Here is a fancier one (comes with a knife and form box) from Bed Bath and Beyond.
Next, I was thinking I might need a rice cooker. Normally I am not found of single purpose kitchen devices, mushroom brushes notwithstanding, but I (1) always burn the rice (2) have had many of you recommend them the last time I complained about burning the rice and (3) doubt I can recreate that sticky texture of sushi rice without one. Any thoughts on this? Am I right? This Aroma model comes with a steam basket and has received good reviews on Amazon. The price ($34.99) seems middle of the road. The prices seem to swing from a low of $12 to a high of $200 and up.
It took some digging, but I did find a vegetarian sushi book. There are some complaints that it isn’t truly vegetarian because many of the recipes call for fish flakes, but that doesn’t bother me. I can guarantee that any recipe I make won’t have fish flakes. I can’t be trusted to go to the store for bread; I’m not about to hunt for fish flakes. I just need to first see it in person. I’m going to see if my area booksellers carry it.
So, that’s my kit. Can you think of anything to add? I can. Here are some nonessential items I found.
Check out this bizarre thing I found on Amazon while looking for a book. Is it not the cheesiest looking thing, ever? The faux samurai typeface is ridiculous! I think the company is based in New Zealand. I was all set to make fun of it, but people seem to love it! It’s called a Sushezi, and it helps you build rolls faster. I’ve linked to the company, which has an informative website instead of the Amazon page, which was no help. Who knows if it works? This really seems like a limited use item, but fans say they also use it to make cheese logs and fudge rolls. Both sound…well. Still, after all that, I totally want it. I’m a gadget junkie, which is why I own a mushroom brush. It’s $18.99 on Amazon.
And, of course, something cute to serve it in. This set from Cost Plus World Markets isn’t fancy, or even my favorite, but the price is reasonable and I know the boys will flip over eating at something with bugs on them. Orange bugs, Mama.
Mercy! Would you look at this post! Mikey came home from school with a tummy bug–maybe the same one Nico had over the weekend, and I thought I would write this fun and lighthearted post to relax and get my mind off things. Mission accomplished, I guess!
I got a friend a sushi making kit recently and I think doing it like you’re doing is better than getting a boxed set which include things that look nice in a box, but aren’t really that useful. I think a rice cooker is a must. Honestly, it makes things so much easier. I am Asian. We all have them. A bamboo mat is essential – a rice paddle not so much, but nice to use anyway. Apart from that, what ends up costing a lot are the actual starter ingredients. Maybe you can put together a wee shopping list with sushi rice, a few packs of seaweed, a tube of wasabi, a jar of pickled ginger, sushi rice seasoning, soy sauce, etc. Other than that, you’re pretty much ready to roll. If all you want are vegetarian rolls, you will be amazed at just how easy it is! Your rolls might not turn out perfect, but they will be delicious nonetheless.
(What about crab sticks?! You’ve gotta love crab sticks!)
I’ll tell you what, I have the aroma, and it definitely makes cooking rice and steaming veggies at the same time easier! There are a couple of caveats, though: The holes on the steam basket are pretty big, so I have to put a paper towel across the bottom to keep my edamame/gandules verdes/whatever else I might be steaming from falling into the rice (My husband WILL NOT EAT the edamame if I steam it unshelled. Silly man.) Also, it takes longer than the normal 20 minutes to make the rice, and if you want STICKY rice, you really need to leave it on the “warm” setting a little longer than it takes to just cook the rice.
It also takes a LOT of counter/cabinet space.
We have those sushi stations at our major grocery stores in Chicago. Talk about convenience.
Last fall we picked up making sushi after a Daring Cooks challenge – it is a lot of fun as a little group activity. You can get really creative with the rolls based on what veggies are on hand. We made the sushi rice in our normal pans and it turned out great – I think the directions from the daring cooks challenge were pretty easy to get good results if followed step by step. The mat for rolling is the most important tool to add… IMO.
We have sushi counters here in the Southeast too. They’re probably not as extensive in their selection but they’re in almost every store (Publix and Kroger).
My best friend is married to a guy from Laos and she has become quite the rice cooking expert. They have a rice cooker for making regular rice but for sticky rice (or sushi rice) they buy a special kind from the Asian market and she makes it with her special rice basket. It’s similar to this method but with a woven basket. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JfJoOy0EPo
I am from Michigan (but lived in SoCal for almost 5 years) and here at our local grocery store, called Meijer, they make sushi at the deli and sell it. It’s not as good as what you’d get in a restaurant, but if you want some sushi now and you want it cheap, it’s a great way to go!
I know Kroeger owns Ralph’s, and I think Meijer is somehow related in the mix, too. Maybe it’s a part of that corporation’s shopping experience? I know that Raily’s in Lake Tahoe didn’t have a station this summer and the store in Pensacola last spring didn’t have one. Either way, I’m so glad that you all know what I’m talking about! I was half expecting someone to start in with the “only in southern California” jokes…which most of the time are well deserved. ;)
If you want to take a little drive out this way, off the 55 at Baker is Mitsuwa Marketplace. They have a great sushi making assortment of things plus a grocery area (sake), and little shops like a Japanese bookstore, sweets counter, and even a ceramics and homewares shop. You would probably find veggie options you didn’t think of; mushrooms, or daikon, or other interesting things. My favorite in that store though is the Japanese candy. Kids and adults flock there.
Sold! I’m totally going there.
I’m up in Ottawa, Canada and we have sushi in almost every grocery store too! When I started making my own sushi, I bought just the bamboo mat, and the ingredients. On the back of the sushi rice package there were instructions for microwaving the rice – a method that I now use for all kinds of rice because I never fail to burn, undercook, overcook etc – and the rice comes out fluffy/sticky, just the right consitency. I bought myself a rice cooker last year, and its been used a total of two times – it works fine, it just isn’t convienient to clean or pull out from it’s place in the cupboard.
The microwave! I didn’t even think about that. I don’t love to use it since there are conflicting opinions, but I would absolutely use it to make rice if it saved me an appliance and didn’t burn rice. My supermarkets carry sushi rice. Is that where you all buy yours?
I buy mine at the Asian market. I can’t remember the name, but it is in a white bag with an orange sun (maybe it’s a sun? it’s circular).
Ah yes, I grew up without a microwave… and still don’t like to stand near one when its in use. As for the rice – yes, just grocery store stuff :)
I don’t live in SoCal anymore but I sure miss Marukai! It is a great place to get sushi-making materials- they have adorable dishes too. It is like a Japanese 99-cent store (not everything is 99 cents but close…) Mitsuwa is great too but I think Marukai is less expensive. I look forward to seeing some of your homemade sushi:)
I’m half Asian and dimly aware that there are people in the world that do not use rice cookers, but still it is a hard concept for me to grasp. You won’t regret buying one, they are so wonderful. We use ours everyday.
Seriously, if I can make sushi then you can make sushi. I’m the worst person to have in a kitchen. My sister taught me, and it really is easy!
The grocery store sushi dudes are not just a SoCal thing. We have them, here, in Kentucky. Which means they are probably everywhere. We’re not exactly known as early adopters around here.
I don’t know, with Kroger being our major grocery store, we might BE early adopters. They’ve been selling the sushi since before I started law school, because I used to grab it from time to time when I was on my way to work.
Don’t put our state down, its awesome and far more sophisticated than people give us credit for! ;)
I have a Zoujiroushi rice cooker ($100+) & it is one of the best appliance investments I have ever made – and I have never regreted it. It really does make a huge difference, I love the timer feature. & they don’t have to be “single use” – there are books and blogs out there for cooking other things in them, too!
Also, some rice cookers come with a rice paddle so keep that in mind. You really don’t need the Sushezi – frankly, that looks like more trouble than just rolling it up. Ooh – Asian Food Grocer has a dessert sushi recipe that is to die for! And vegetarian!
I recommend Kagayaki brand rice if you can find it.
Which model do you have, and what makes it better than the lower priced stuff out there? I’m not being sarcastic–I really want to know so that I buy the right one.
OMG, we would DIE without our rice cooker. It’s something that even *I* can deal with. Plus, with sushi rice, you need it to be practically perfect (the right amount of stick) and they take the guesswork out of it. Well worth having a single use item.
I could eat avocado rolls daily they are SO yummy. Heck, anything with avocado is usually a winner for me. :D
But yes, the tools are simple, it just takes practice.
This is a great post, Jules! Although i’m not a rabid fan of Sushi, my husband adores it. AZ also seems to have these Sushi counters you speak of in all our major grocers (which scares me, considering how far away we are from any nearby fresh fish, lol). Finally, regardless of our Sushi endeavors, a rice cooker is also something we are seriously considering because we seem to make so much of it – particularly the brown variety. One less thing I have to watch on the stove.
When you first mentioned the sushi area in the grocery store, I got nervous. But I’m with you – veggie rolls from the store are A-OK. Real fish sushi must be eaten in a restaurant (of good repute).
I’ve never even considered making it, but I think the Sushezi looks both hilarious and functional. Totally go for it!
No rice maker here, but we’re very minimal rice eaters (twice a month, maybe?) so I splurge and rely on those little microwave packs that make one cup at a time (from TJs). Terrible waste of packaging, I know, but there are some indulgences that just make my life so much easier that I give in.
I use those same baggies from TJs, mainly because I always burn the rice. Yesterday I made brown rice and didn’t burn it (!) but it doesn’t have the sticky sushi rice texture. I think you can only get that from steaming it, hence the rice maker. If I do get a rice maker, you better believe we’ll be having rice more often than we do now.
There is a great Mitsuwa Asian Market in Venice…you would love it!
My $14 Pampered Chef microwave rice cooker has served me well! I use it to make rice, risotto, even steam veggies. It’s the best thing for me to put rice in the microwave, shower and come back to dinner!
Ok – I’m coming out of my self-imposed blog hibernation to add to the chorus of rice cooker praise. Really. I can’t imagine life without one, and not just because I’m Asian. You really don’t need to spend more than $40 on it. I think the one I have cost $15 and I’ve had it for years and years.
As for all the fun little sushi accessories – I’d skip ’em, but only because for me that stuff just ends up being a hassle to store + clean. I make the Korean version of sushi and have never needed anything more than a cutting board and a sharp knife.
And now I’m hungry. :D
If you get a decent rice cooker, you don’t need a paddle. You also really don’t need a bamboo mat (i find it annoying to clean and store). I never use a bamboo mat. if you must, you can use plastic wrap to get you confident, but the nori alone would work too.
I have had my rice cooker for a long time (10 years) and use it a lot when I remember it. You can cook dried beans in it, steam stuff, boil water for ramen noodles (college years), etc. My mother still has the one from when she got married (the Zoruishi) 29 years ago although she has 2 other ones, the latest being a pressure cooker.
IMHO you can use a cheaper rice cooker, but if you get a bit nicer one, it won’t burn the rice, and is very forgiving about water levels.
We have a sushi station at a few supermarkets here in NH too. Great for grab and go.
We had a rice cooker/steamer combo when we first got married and I loved it. Loved it. Freed up the stove and shut off automatically. It broke between moves, but now I’m think about my Christmas list : )
We east coasters do have sushi bars in some of our fancier stores (Harris Teeter for example). Sushi is my favorite too and I haven’t considered making it at home. But my Korean best friend wants me to tell you not to scrimp on the rice cooker. And check out any Asian groceries in your area for the real deal (they may run closer to $100) but the nicer ones keep your rice in perfect form all day long. I have more rice making tips to entice you with after you get your cooker :) You can train your very own sushi chefs. I’m training my kids to be baristas.
I used to make veggie sushi all the time and it is time consuming. My kids hate it. I have no problem forking over $9 for someone (a hot asian) to make it for me. :)
P.S. We bought our rice cooker at Costco and we also have one from the Asian market that we use as well. I usually use one for rice and one to steam veggies.
wow..I had no idea they were all over! (they = sushi counters at grocery stores).
Here I was so happy that our Small City Wisconsin stores had them.
My husband makes rice on the stovetop and uses a vinegar-based sushi rice mix; that’s what makes the sushi rice sticky when it’s done cooking. I don’t know if you’ll need it with a rice cooker, though.
The only thing you really need is a sushi mat. It keeps your roll nice and tight even for beginners. Cover it with saran before you lay your sheets of seaweed or rice if you are doing a reverse roll and you never have to clean it. Roll it to store it, it’s very compact.
The trick with sticky rice is to make sure you have the shorter grain and don’t forget the rice vinegar/sugar mix while it’s warm.
We have a rice cooker (tiger brand that we bought maybe 15 years ago for $70) and we easily use it three times a week. It’s a nice 8 cup size so it doesn’t take a lot of space. Next to our bbq, it’s our most used appliance.
I <3 sushi! Boy, has it been too long since I've made some. I really need to do that again.
When we make it, we don't even bother with the bamboo mat, since it's easy enough to just roll it up in the nori., even if your first few attempts are a bit lumpy. We also don't have a recipe book (though maybe I should get one!). We just cook the rice, chop up some random veggies (usually peppers, avacado, cucumber, carrots) and roll it all up. If we're feeling particularly fancy (and rich that week), some crab gets stuffed in the middle too.
I don't have a rice cooker yet, but I'm in the market. My friends have one, and they steam veggies & cook rice in it at the same time – what a great time saver (with fewer dishes to clean to boot).
I have never made sushi but I do eat a ton of it. I have to say the rice cooker is ESSENTIAL. I did a post on essential items in the kitchen and I also agree with you one job items are my peeves but the rice cooker is a God send. Being married to a Filipino it is important that the rice be made well and I have tried making it on the stove. Not so much. But a GOOD rice cooker will be worth its weight in gold. I recommended the tiger brand but we make rice everyday, I’m sure the aroma brand will suffice. Also did you know that you can make steel cut oats in a rice cooker and I have seen cookbooks on making one pot rice dishes in the rice cooker, and soup.
here is a link to mu useful gadgets post, if you were wondering what I was referencing.
http://candidkoosh.blogspot.com/2010/09/i-wanna-start-by-saying-that-i-cook-lot.html
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