My mom and dad’s fondest wish has been to bring their kids and grandkids to Japan. I don’t ever remember a time that all 5 of us have traveled to Japan together. It’s probably with good reason since traveling with the K’s [whom I shall dub the “Krazies”] is never a good idea. We all turn on each other and it becomes very, very ugly.
My parents aren’t getting any younger so we decided to pull the trigger [so to speak. at least I hope it’s just a figure of speech. At this point it’s a 50/50 toss up as to whether or not I’m going to land my @$$ in jail for popping a cap in someone’s butt and vice versa]. But wait, there’s more! My mom decided to ask her friend’s family to join us in the insanity. So 15 of us – the K’s and the S’s [whom I’ll dub “SorryTheyEverAgreedToComeAlong” or “Sorry” for short] will be traveling to my parents’ motherland to partake in the rich history, culture, and well, FOOD!
In preparation for our trip, I thought it was necessary for us to have a family meeting to discuss itineraries, expectations…and of course to eat. I opted for Japanese food for our potluck. I would’ve done a whole spread of sushi but let’s face it. I’m lazy. My fall back is to have a “make your own sushi bar”. Nothing can be easier.
Ingredients list:
Nori sheet [seawood paper]
Sushi Rice [see LaFujiMama’s instructions on how to prepare sushi rice]
Cucumbers, cut into 5″ matchstick lengths
Daikon Sprouts [available in asian groceries]
Takuan, cut into 5″ matchstick length [pickled radish, available at asian groceries]
Imitation crab meat, tear into 1/2″ widths the long way
Avocado, sliced the long way, sprinkled with lemon juice so it doesn’t brown
Masago [roe from capelin fish, found in asian groceries]
Spicy tuna [see instructions below]
Spicy tuna:
Raw Tuna or Salmon, about the size of a deck of cards, sushi quality fish [available in Japanese groceries]
2 – 3 Tablespoons mayonnaise, depending on your preference [i don’t like a lot of mayo]
1 Tablespoon of Sriracha Sauce [more or less depending on your spiciness level]
thinly chopped green onion [2 stalks, green part only]
1 spoonful of masago
Chop fish into small cubes.
Combine all ingredients together in a small bowl. Using a fork, mix all ingredients together until it looks like a puree.
How to assemble:
1.) Cut nori in half shortways
2.) Place nori in the palm of your hand or on a plate, place 2 – 3 spoonfuls of rice on the left side of the sheet a
3.) Spread into a thin layer [should cover less than half the sheet]
4.) Place desired filling cross wise [top left corner of rice to lower right corner of rice]
5.) To Fold into a cone: bring bottom left corner to top right corner of rice
6.) Continue to roll around making a cone. At the end of the roll, there will be a little left over. To seal the temaki, smash rice on nori
7.) Bring tip of nori over the front and seal.
Take a few huge bites and enjoy!!
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey, that's a great idea! I need a lot of ideas for my going-away party and the thought of cooking entrees for that many people is giving me nightmares…
this is the easiest thing to do! make your guests do the work [that's what my mom said…my dad grumbled about having to roll his own sushi…]
I LOVE LOVE LOVE sushi parties! So much fun and so easy when you're not the one doing all the rolling work! Oh, and spicy tuna is my absolute favorite. Now you know how to bribe me…
We did a trip like this last year with my family and it was a blast. Suggest that you have a plan, options and free time to really enjoy the ride. Lonely Planet Guide to your particular city helps too. (Osaka, Tokyo)
FUN! where in japan will you be travelling to.
with such a large party, i'm sure you'll be able to slink away for a moment's peace.