Pickling some Sushi Ginger…

OK – my love of how quick and sushi is well documented.  However, it came that I made sushi and completely forgot to get pickled ginger.  I have always wanted to try making it myself and knew it was super easy but have always found it reduced so never had to worry. 

So now comes the time to attempt to make it, I did a few searches and looked at various recipes on how to make it.  I don’t have an exact recipe and really one isn’t needed as I just kept to a ratio of 1 part of rice vinegar to ¼ of murin/sugar.  I added a bit of water and allowed the ginger to marinate in some salt that I rubbed into it for about 30 minutes.  I heated the rice vinegar/murin/sugar until just to the boil and poured over the ginger. 

I noted that they said it would turn pink if it was ‘new’ ginger – how you know this I haven’t a clue but the taste was really quite good.  I was pleased with it and other than wishing I had done this a week before I had to use it I was impressed at how easy it was.  I spent perhaps a total of 10 minutes between the prep, salting and then getting the mixture into a pan.  I left the rice vinegar to sit until the ginger had waited about 30 minutes and then 2 minutes maximum to get the thing to boil.  

Mine didn’t turn pink but it could have been from the murin I used which was a deep dark brown in colour (it’s organic – not sure that makes a difference?) but who cares.  It’s all about the taste for me and this was surely a good one – give it a try.  So much better than the stuff from the store/packet and well you save a packet making your own!  Enjoy.

Birthday dinner and cake....

Every year I always make J something special. He chooses his dinner and cake he’d like and of course I make it for him. I’m sure he tries to pick things that I’ve got on hand or things that I don’t make often enough. This year he wanted sushi and a chocolate cashew brownie cake (recipe by the usual death by chocolate author). I know...he’s a bit strange but gotta love him!

So about two weeks before his big day (which wasn’t on this posting date I should add!) he says his preferences. I was a bit dubious of the sushi as we normally only make that when we have a really hot period as that’s the best for those days. We’ve not had a really ‘hot’ summer here unlike other parts of Europe or America.

But rather our usual English weather of mid-60s and the odd few days of something a bit higher. So it was a *big* surprise to both of us that on his birthday the Gods smiled on us with yes, HOT weather! It was pure luck I am sure but it was good to have those few days of heat and have sushi to enjoy. Here are a few pictures of the meal from the roll to the cut version. I make smoked salmon for him – shrimp or veggie for me.I had all the fixings for the cake bar the cashews which as luck would have I got on offer at the store. I also happened to get the chocolate reduced (OK only I could find this chocolate reduced but that’s the great thing about me – the reduced aisle!) that I used – which was the first time I actually used this chocolate. Since it was unsweetened I had to add a bit of extra sugar to the cake which wasn’t a problem and really it was delicious. J thinks it’s the chocolate that really made the cake and I sort of have to agree.

Ooooo...too long yet again

Well again a long drought between posts but life is for living and that is what I have been doing. I've been busy with holidays, work, and Christmas! It's something that rolls around every year but as usual I'm forever trying to catch up and do things.

I haven't been baking much per se - nothing other than the usual for us and some friends especially at Christmas. I have this recipe I make for granola - too addictive for words really - well a friend at work calls it her 'crack cocaine' I'm inclined to agree. One taste and you will never enjoy the stuff that comes from a box. So this year most people got the good stuff....homemade ganola.

I recently made did a Sushi Demo day at the library for a Manga Day that we had. We had about 150 people who all came in costume and did a whole day of Japanese things. It was interesting and great to have people there who were interested in how to make their own Sushi. I must admit I at first was intimidated in making it and thought there was no way I could do it adequately. Honestly, I've only made it about 6 or 7 times before giving this demo! Honest! I'm hardly an experienced Japanese chef but I'm not willing to devote 10 years of my life to making the most artistic sushi either. If it is edible and looks OK then I'm happy with it. I try for the pictures in books but hey they are just a guide. Live in the moment and not for the picture!

That's it for the time being...off to live the life but just had to do the posting. I'll post without my sushi picture but will try to remember to bring one back home to post with this posting soon. Over and out...