Konichiwa!

Once upon a time, there was a fair lass who traveled to far-away lands, seeking wisdom from the Sensei of the kitchen.

She crossed great lands and oceans, to the coastal city that is currently know of Los Angeles, in the great land of California. Her search led her through wide streets, and narrow alleys, into the hot desert, and strangely, to a lonely cold mountain in this hot land.

And while she searched, her Sensei was perfecting his skills, knowing that one day a little grasshopper would come searching for him. He needed to pass on the knowledge to someone who would take the skills to a great people from the cradle of mankind. He knew he could trust his student to learn fast, and learn well, since she only had limited time with him. And so he sharpened his knives, laid out his bamboo mats, and prepared his chopsticks to the finest sheen.

Little grasshopper was almost ending her journey, and she might have had to go back home, had she not wandered into a little back street. As she walked down the street, everyone seemed to look at her like they recognized her. She simply nodded and walked on, as if sensing this was her destiny. At the end of the street was a little door, not too small for one to walk through, but not too big to be noticeable from a far. And on the door was a sign that said, simply, “welcome”.

Grasshopper pushed the door open, and she was almost overwhelmed by the smells that wafted through the house. The delightful smells coming from what seemed to be a kitchen in the middle of the room filled her whole body, infusing her every pore with delightful tingles. In the midst of this all, stood a man, slightly taller than her, slender in body, who with a smile, beckoned her to come closer.

She walked fast towards the table, almost running, but tried to restrain herself as she knew she had arrived at the end of her quest. Sensei simply handed her an apron and a knife, and everything seemed to fall into place. Chopping and dicing, slicing and arranging, Sensei showed her what she had come to do: learn how to make sushi. They cooked sticky rice, laughing as it covered Grasshopper’s fingers until she learned to dip her hands in warm water first before handling it. The thin slices of red tuna sliced so well, you could almost hear the swipe of the knife as it went through the meat.

In no time, Grasshopper had mastered the age old art of making sushi, with the wonderful and kind Sensei at her side, and she knew she was ready to share it with the world. Packing a bag of tools in a basket, Sensei made sure she had the essentials before she left, as well as a carefully wrapped dish of sushi rolls that he had specially made for her. She was ready for the world!

Grasshopper traveled back to her land, over oceans and vast lands, to the little city of Nairobi. The sushi rolls that Sensei had made for her were nourishment for the journey on that magical dragon machine that took only two days to bring her back home. Her family received her back in jubilation, delighting and awed by the skills she had acquired.

Soon enough, it was my turn to become the grasshopper. The original grasshopper, Suzzi, was ready to teach me as her Sensei had, a few years ago. She carefully taught me step by step: what to do, what to improvise with, and what new ways to make Sushi rolls and California rolls.

Who will be the next grasshopper?

Ingredients:

• ½ Kilo Sticky rice
• Sea weed wrapping
• Crab sticks/Tuna/Salmon
• Bell pepper (red, green and yellow)
• Cucumber
• Soy sauce to serve

You will need a bamboo mat to roll the sushi, and some cling wrap

• Boil the rice until cooked. Remember that it’s sticky rice, so it won’t come out in single grains.

• Julienne the bell pepper and cucumber, and also cut the tuna or crab into thin slices. Crab sticks can be used as a whole.

• Lay the bamboo mat on a flat surface, and cover with cling wrap to avoid the food sticking onto the mat.

• Lay one wrapping of sea weed onto the mat, and cover 2/3rds of it with about ½ inch of sticky rice, leaving one edge uncovered. Handle the sticky rice with wet hands, to avoid it sticking to you.

• In the middle of the rice, lay the cucumber, pepper and fish/crab slices.

• Roll the mat to the edge of the seaweed, pressing firmly as you go to get the rice to stick together in a roll. The sea weed should be on the outer side when the mat is unrolled.

• Gently slice off pieces of the roll into bite sizes, using a sharp knife for a clean cut.

• Repeat the process until you have enough rolls and pieces of sushi to serve.

• Pour soy sauce into a side bowl, and serve alongside the sushi.

*Vegetarian rolls, are simply made by omitting the fish from the sushi.

You can refrigerate any extra slices left, since they are served cold, but being careful not to serve them too many days later, as fish spoils very fast.

Enjoy!

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