Author: admin

I'm just folding up the last of my laundry. Of course, I have mismatched socks. Of course, I have one of each type of sock that I own (my sock philosophy is to buy in bulk).

The throat situation isn't getting any better.

I'm feeling quite blah tonight.

To quote a friend, “that is all”.

Tonight was my sushi trial run. It took two and a half hours of prep work, for a meal that was eaten in 30 minutes. The spicy mayo was kick-ass, the tempura shrimp were good, though I need to find a better batter recipe. We had enough veggies, and rolling decent maki is fairly straightforward. The only bad point was the rice. sbourge, you do NOT have a rice cooker. You have a steamer with pretensions to being a rice cooker.

The rice sucked, there's no half-measure about it. It was sticky as desired, but way the fuck too pasty and starchy. It felt like eating lead, and the taste overpowered everything else. Still, it's a positive test. I'll buy a decent rice cooker and do some tests before the girls come over for the real meal. I want my tiramisu :P Everything looked really good to eat, so that's a good start :) The individual components were also good, so only the rice needs major work.

I went to Miyamoto's this morning. That shop rules. Nice fish selection, lots of cool stuff. I fell in lust with a set of sushi knives but, dear lord, those things are expensive.

So, looking back on tonight, I'd say it's a good first trial. I know what I need to work on. eniran, strychnyn, would the weekend of the 24 be good for you?

I met with eniran and strychnyn for drinks tonight. It was a fun night. I'll admit to feeling a bit like the odd man out sometimes, mostly when they went off on a tangent of inside jokes, but that's to be expected when you meet two people who are such good friends. Still, between the shared stories, underwear flashing and boob grabbing, we managed to make it a fun night. I just don't know if I'll be able to handle those two and sbourge at the same time for our upcoming sushi night… That promises to be something.

I just satisfied my email jones, and now I'm going to bed.

Nighters all.

Never talk to muffin trees says:
   Kissing doesn't scare me.
Never talk to muffin trees says:
   I'll kiss you.
Never talk to muffin trees says:
   But you don't know where I've been. :D
Talisker says:
   For a kiss, I'd chance it  
Talisker says:
   And don't take this wrong way muffin, but you don't even know where you've been sometimes  
Never talk to muffin trees says:
   ROTFL!
Never talk to muffin trees says:
   You're right.

A gift from Hyde_grrrl

http://www.muffinfilms.com/
http://www.makingfiends.com

And as always, the classics found here

Things to buy for sushi making

On the menu

Nigri sushi

• ebi
• shime-saba
• hamachi
• sake

Futo-maki

• California (crab)
• Kara-age (grilled chicken)
• New York (spicy tempura shrimp)
• Spider (soft-shelled crap)

I usually find it easiest to buy Japanese mayonnaise, from an Asian market as it comes in a convenient plastic squeeze bottle. Several people have asked about a recipe for this mayonnaise, and I recently found the following one.

3 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1-1/2 oz (50 g) white miso
1 cup salad oil
salt to taste
sprinkle of white pepper
a pinch of grated yuzu, lime, or lemon peel

Beat the egg yolks and lemon juice with a wooden spoon in a bowl. Continue to beat, adding the salad oil a few drops at a time until the mixture begins to emulsify. Keep on adding the rest of the oil, then stir in the miso and the seasonings. Refrigerate in a squeeze bottle.

Hints and Tips on making sushi

The number one hint or tip is this: rolling sushi is a self-correcting process. If your first roll does not turn out quite right, eat it to hide the evidence and roll another, which will be much better. If it has been a while since you made a roll, the first one may leave something to be desired, but it will all come back to you, like riding a bicycle or playing a piano (if you knew how to do those activities in the first place).

Rice doesn't stick to nori, or roll does not stick together when rolled. You most likely did not use enough vinegar in your rice. The rice should be very sticky, annoyingly so.

Roll is too thick, or does not hold together well. You probably used too much rice, or packed it down too tightly. The rice should be spread on the nori to within about 5/8-inch of what will be the outer edge, should not be squished onto the nori, and should not cover the nori completely. You should be able to see nori between the rice kernals, perhaps 1/4 to 1/3 of the space should be open to the nori below the rice.

Cucumber can be cut into larger chunks which are easier to work with. Try quartering the cuke lengthwise, removing the seeds, then cutting the flesh into a few large pieces about 1/4-inch thick by 3/8- inch wide. The length of the pieces should be half the width of the nori.

The thick-skinned black avocadoes are easier to work with. Cut in half and remove the pit. Then cut each half into half again. Using a paring knife, slice the avocado in the peel, then run the knife just under the peel to cut the slices from the peel. It is easier and faster than peeling the avocado and then slicing it.

Place a square of plastic wrap on between the nori and the bamboo mat when making rolls. This will keep the rice and messy ingredients out of the mat and make it last longer. (Washing a bamboo mat is NOT recommended, it warps when it dries.) Peel the plastic wrap back with the mat as you roll. When you are finished, wrap the roll in the plastic wrap and put the roll in the refrigerator. When you are finished making several rolls and are ready to serve them, unwrap them and slice them.

I hate this feeling. I know I'm coming down with something, and I have a feeling it's going to be annoying. I can feel something at the back of my throat, that's forecasting some kind of bug that will make my life miserable for a few days. Just the aftertaste I have right now when I swallow is fun fun fun. Bleh.

It's -40 outside. Normally, I hate talking about the weather, but this is just stupid. When you wake up to hear your radio morning man asking himself if it's colder here or in Kursk, that's NOT a good sign.

This day started out ok, and ended nicely. Had a decent day at the office. Prior to leaving for boys' night out, I had an amusing chat with eniran. She's a very witty and open person, and I think I'm going to enjoy getting to know her. I promise I'll do my best to grow a pair of boobies, just for you.

I had to take a cab to Fat Benewa's place, as the metro was shut down to evacuate smoke somewhere on the line. Just as I'm back on the street, my cell phone rings. It's a friend calling from Australia! This is a chat buddy I recently met online, and she's calling to surprise me and say hello. We chatted all during my cab ride and I had to regretfully say goodbye when I got to the boys' place.

We then spent the night playing new board games that people had obtained for the holidays. The first one was Carcasonne – hunters and gatherers, the other one was Alhambra. They're going to be fun additions to the games we normally play, which are The Settlers of Catan, Vampire, the masquerade, or AD&D. Might sound geeky, but hey, we've been playing games together since CEGEP. That's close to 10 years now :)

According to various anagram generators found online, my full name produces the following anagrams: