Sushi is easy (& inexpensive)

Sushi is a fairly expensive treat if you eat out. Made at home though it becomes a healthy and inexpensive meal for the whole family.

You'll need:

Nori (dried seaweed sheets)
Rice
Choice of fillings
Bamboo rolling mat

Cook the rice.

 On a bamboo mat place one sheet of nori. Press on a thick layer of rice. Lay your choice of fillings on top of rice. Using the bamboo mat roll tightly. Slice and serve.

Next adventure: Japan

 This month is my fifth wedding anniversary. When we married my husband (who is trying to learn Japanese & loves Kamen Rider and other Japanese tv shows) suggested we should try to visit Japan for our fifth anniversary. Little did we know we'd be having our second child and buying our second (larger) house that year instead. Guess we'll work towards visiting Japan for our tenth anniversary instead.

Meanwhile I can continue to learn about their food and cooking at home. While I have an aunt who is Japanese and a cousin who lives in Japan, what I've been learning about their food comes from books and the Internet. I love how very healthy it is. There are some nice subtle flavors too.

Did you know making sushi at home is comparatively inexpensive? Have you ever tried yakisoba, the  buckwheat noodle and vegetable dish stir-fried with a touch of sake? Miso soup is so comforting too, like chicken soup.

We're going to enjoy this.

Chimichangas

My husband loves chimichangas. If we go to a new sandwich shop he orders a Reuben. To make sure it's a good restaurant, he says. If we eat Mexican chances are he'll order chimichangas. A restaurant with a good chimi is worth a second visit. Disappointed by the chimi, adios!

So I resolved to try my hand a frying chimichangas.

Maybe it's good I'm not running a restaurant.

Ok, so it wasn't that bad. But I did learn there is definitely a trick or two to making those beautiful chimichangas he loves so much.

First the filling. Whatever size tortilla you use you must make sure to have the right amount of filling inside. Too much, things explode (or well, ooze out). To little and it's a little shabby.

Second, toothpicks. Seriously, don't make the mistake I made a first. I bought all the ingredients at the store while forgetting to check my supplies. "Hmm, it says to pin with toothpicks. Oh well.i suppose they'll be ok without...." No. Just run to the store if you are out of toothpicks. While I did end up getting them mostly to stay together, the toothpicks would've kept much more of the filling intact.

Finally, the heat. If you have the heat just right you'll end up with beautiful golden chimichangas in no time. Too high or too low-even by a little-made a big difference in the results. Watch that temperature!