Operation Homemade Sushi

The best kinds of adventures are the impulsive ones.

The family decided to make sushi yesterday, which was exciting for a couple of reasons. One, sushi is delicious (obviously). The second reason was the fact that we would get to go to an Asian mart. If you have never been to one of these magical stores, I highly suggest it.

Rice hats!

Strange and colorful desserts!

Ordinary things in foreign languages!

This particular one (cleverly named...Asia Mart) isn't quite as fantastic as the 24-hr Korean Mart in Los Angeles, but it did have Durian fruit and balut. Seriously, walking into an asian mart is like walking into another country. 

Once we lugged our treasure back home, we realized we had gotten a little carried away. It might have been the squid jerky or matching rice hats for Dom and Lily (they are now Sushi hats). 

The sushi hat is serious business. 

So the trick to sushi is the perfect sushi rice. Sushi rice is short-medium grain rice with a su (sauce or vinegar) folded in. The recipe we used was this:

4 cups rice (rinsed, then cooked in a rice cooker)

1 cup rice wine vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup sake (we used unfiltered)

The result should be rice that is shiny, with a sweet/tangy taste and not mushy. Ours turned out really well, but I might use less of the su next time. 

I think Operation Homemade Sushi was a success. We definitely appreciate the art of sushi-making more and will probably be more picky about how fresh our fish is. 

Also, we realized that three pounds of fish is definitely too much for only four people. 

Nigiri, Temaki, Uramaki, and Poke

Sushi is the most attractive of foods~

Learning Overload

Konnichiwa!

I started learning Japanese (or nihongo) this week. I know, what better time than during a full semester load and starting a new job? What can I say? When I get motivated, I get stuff done. So far I can do basic greetings and count to ten.

Ichi, ni, san, shi, go, roku, nanna, hachi, kyu, gyu!

This has been an ongoing project for, well, since I first started watching anime. So I am guessing at least six years. I have made half-hearted attempts here and there over the years. I enrolled in a class for half a semester, I signed up for a free online tutorial, etc. But this time it is for real!

ii tenki desu ne (nice weather, isn't it?)

See? I have a knack for it. Plus, I really want to visit Japan. So, you know, learning the language is a pretty important part of that.

In other news, I think the painstaking efforts in figure drawing are starting to pay off.

Degas on the right, mine on the left. 

 It might just be that I am drawing more often, so my skill level in general is increasing. Either way, I am getting more confident in my art, which is really exciting. 

All I draw is naked people these days.

I also made my first cheese cake last night. Originally, I was supposed to make it for my roommates birthday, but I am about two weeks late. He enjoyed it despite how belated it was.

This recipe was for a no-bake cheese cake (which is super easy). I'm not sure what is with me and boozy desserts, but I found myself making a Bailey's Irish Cream cheese cake. You can find the recipe here.

 

Mmmm...cheese cake.

Mine was not as pretty as the pictures on the blog, but it was delicious. Next time I will line the bottom of the pan so the cookie crust doesn't stick. Also, I either need a smaller pan or double the cookie crust because there definitely wasn't enough of it.

Now if I can only figure out a way to combine this recipe with the Guinness Chocolate cake I made...

Posting Instead of Homework

It has been a while.

Oops.

I don't really have much of an excuse, especially since school only started two weeks ago. I guess I'm just not adjusting too well to a busier life. I have  time, not as much as I had in Los Angeles, but some.

I definitely still have time to make cupcakes. There is always time for cupcakes.

Vanilla, Lemon and Chocolate Peanut-butter.

(Please excuse the crappy cell phone picture)

Well Summer is officially over. After a three(?!) year break, I am back at the local Junior College. The plan was to just take the English class I need to transfer. Of course, that would be too easy. Due to all those lovely budget cuts and my lack of priority, I was unable to sign up for any English class. So I did what anyone would do and signed up for all the classes I wanted to take, but never got around to.

Those classes are:
Figure Drawing (aka drawing naked people)
Intro to Art & Design
B&W Photography (film cameras, remember those?)

Art classes! Woo!
Oh, and the History of God

I'm even starting to dress like an Art student

I figured I might as well make my re-entry into college as enjoyable as possible. So far, it's working. I am loving school, even if it means being there 9-4 for most of the week. It's like having a full-time job, really. If you include the time spent on homework. Homework I am definitely putting off right now...

I promise I will finish my reading assignment after this.

But first, look what I made! 

First attempt at a bento lunch.

The sandwich cutter was a present from Yano (who knows me so well) and I picked up another food stamp in Japantown last weekend. If you don't know what bento lunches are, they are Japanese box lunches. If you know anything about Japan, you know they go all out. 

Seriously, look up bento lunches. 

Usually they include onigiri (rice balls), but I started simple with sandwiches and veggies. More elaborate bentos will come soon. 

I still can't get over how cute the radish stars are.