FOODIE WEEKEND - Easy and simple hand-rolled sushi

Hello, beautiful people!  Happy weekend! It's Foodie Weekend again!  Man, food always makes me feel at the top of the world.. proof are all those exclamation marks! See, another one there ;D

Once a week when we (me and Captain) take the boys out for lunch or dinner, we would normally ask where or what would they like to eat and the answer is usually "Japanese!" (if not the usual burgers or shawarma, a local delicacy here in Dubai)  So, since they like Japanese food, especially the hand rolled sushi, I figured I would give my hand a try at making one of these at home.

After much studying, research and consideration (wow, do I sound like a scientist now) I head towards the supermarket and bought myself the tool and ingredients needed and spent an afternoon messing up the kitchen and created these, my homemade, hand-rolled sushi!
Well, I have to say they are not hard to make so if you all have been following my blog a while you would understand this - if I can make these, anybody can!

HAND-ROLLED SUSHI

Ingredients (make about 40-50  pieces)

1 kg of pre-cooked Japanese rice (yup, I cheated)

1 bag of roasted seaweed sheets  

Some crab sticks

Some shredded cucumber and carrots

Bamboo sushi rolling mat

Soy sauce and wasabi for dipping

Method

First empty the pre-cooked rice in a container.  So, this is the tricky part.  Check the texture and consistency of the rice, it should  be sticky and soft, not grainy.  If it was, steam it for about 10 minutes or until you get the texture right.  The one I used was the hard grainy type so steaming did the job.

Once the rice has cooled down, place a sheet of seaweed on your rolling mat.  Spread a thin but even layer of rice leaving a cm on top and at the bottom of the sheet empty.  Since the rice is very sticky, wetting your hands with some water every now and then is highly recommended.

Then, put the filling of your choice, in my case shredded cucumber/carrots and crab sticks evenly

Now, moment of truth, the rolling.. Make sure you roll the sushi tightly, pulling in the filling as you do so.  For this to make sense I suggest watch this video 

Once you have reached the end of the rolling step, your sushi should look like this (above) a tight, firm tube.

Now using a moisten blade of knife, slice the sushi evenly.  Remember to re- moisten the knife every time.

Voila! And your sushi are ready to be served! 

Tips:

You can also place a layer of plastic cling on your bamboo mat before putting the seaweed sheet to avoid mess but I didn't.  I tried with and I ended up rolling the plastic sheet together and that was not pretty, so I decided to go without before any of us end up with indigestion of plastic wrap LOL!

You can fill up your sushi with anything you want like avocado, carrots, cucumber, crab sticks, smoked salmon.. anything!

Enjoy!

Malibu

Malibu... I can't explain in words how I felt as I stood on that beach watching the surfers riding the waves.  The closest would be 'FREE'  That's what Malibu and its beaches made me feel. It made me let down my guard and let loose, forget about petty little rules or dos and don'ts of my life and just live the moment.  In short, it made me feel 20 years younger!

I promised myself before I left that wonderful little beach town that I will return, and next time, with a surf board!

I think this is the most iconic scenery of Malibu

Those tiny black dots, those are the surfers waiting for the waves!

Neptune's Net.  Anybody can tell me one movie that was shot here?

Frankly I don't normally eat this kind of food but Malibu made me forget that rigid rule of my life and chow down!

As usual, our self taken photo is a must.  Actually Captain is getting quite good at this

Malibu, wait for me.. I will return soon!

FOODIE WEEKEND - Pasta alla Boscaiola

Hello, everyone!  It's Foodie Weekend, again!  I am sure some of you would go "No, not again!" but still I am hopeful that some would be like "Yay!"

I love food, period.  I love food so much that eating has always been in my top agenda when travelling.  When the word chilling out with friends pops up in my mind, food will always be in that picture!  The thing is as I grow older, the effect of food is not always good on me.  The equation now has to be Food + More Food = Lots of jumping around trying to burn the calories!  But still at the end of the day, this will never take away my love for good food.  

Ok, enough blabbering these incoherent words, it is time to talk about the recipe for this week, Pasta alla Boscaiola.  According to Captain, my Italian food 'maestro' (I bet he loves this title!) 'boscaiola' means lumberjack.  Apparently this recipe is famous among the lumberjacks as it uses the ingredients easily found in the wood; you know mushroom, beans, cream.. that is if there is a Carrefour or Whole Food Market in that wood I suppose (duh?)

But whatever it is, this recipe is good, simple and if you (or me) are clever enough to use the correct ingredients, no visit to the gym is required afterwards!  

Pasta Alla Boscaiola

Ingredients (serves 4)

500 gms of pasta of your choice (best for this recipe is farfalle or penne, I use penne)

2 cups of sliced mushroom (which ever type you like but preferably the button type)

2 cups of green peas

2 cloves of garlic bruised

1/2 a cup of chopped flat leaves parsley

180 - 200 ml of low fat cooking cream

Some extra virgin olive oil

Some ground black pepper and salt for seasoning

Method

In a salted rolling boiling water, add the pasta and time according to the cooking time.  Remember, pasta should be al-dente or slightly chewy, not soft.

In a skillet/pan, heat about 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

Add the garlic to the pan and saute the garlic until fragrance but be careful not to burn it

Add in the mushroom and stir until soft

Add in the peas and season with a bit of ground black pepper

Stir for about a minute or two, then add in the cream

Continue stirring occasionally until bubbling

Season with salt and pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil

Finally add in the chopped fresh parsley.

When the pasta is cooked to al dente, drain the water and pour the cooked pasta into the pan/skillet of sauce.

Add the parmesan cheese and mix well.

Serve immediately

Buon Apettito and enjoy your pasta!

Vienna - The land of Sisi, Mozart and Klimt

My trip to Vienna was short, full and sweet.  I learned a lot during my stay especially about the history of this city and the beautiful country in general.  I also learned that there's a slim chance of watching a good opera show in Vienna if you didn't book your ticket weeks if not months in advance! 

Here are some snap-shots as a summery of my small visit to Vienna!

The Marriot in Vienna was a perfect place for us, a stroll away from Vienna City Centre or Wien Mitte as the locals called it

Sisi or Empress Elisabeth of Austria, her story was very interesting, so was her museum

The Kiss - one of the famous paintings by Gustav Klimt

The Royal Opera House, the playground of Mozart and Salieri

Beautiful fountain at the corner near the winter royal palace, Hofburg

The Gothic structure of St Stephen's cathedral 

    The Kärntnerstrasse, strolling down this beautiful street was good for health but not good for my wallet ;D

Coffee and strudel, anyone?

The rose garden, Volksgarten.. amazing!

Mozart balls, a must for those with sweet tooth!