Sushi in the Sky with Diamonds
February 1, 2007
There is nothing prettier than a crisp clear winter sky for evening stargazing.
How about hosting a picnic on the back deck with food that the kids helped
to whip up? Maki rolls, chicken on a stick with BBQ sauce, peanut noodles,
a thermos of peppermint hot chocolate, and ginger–spiked maple syrup
on snow should do the trick. To prepare for stargazing go to www.weatherunderground.com,
scroll down to the moon phases box, and click on the interactive map section– it
allows you to identify and chart combinations of stars, constellations
and planets.
Maki-zushi (also called nori–maki ) are sushi rolled in nori, a dried seaweed.
Maki means rolling in Japanese. The main ingredients: nori, wasabi, rice, and
pickled ginger, are available at Asian groceries and most supermarkets. Sushi
is easy to make and children are surprisingly dexterous at rolling the nori.
There’s going to be a full moon tomorrow evening, and a full month ahead
of great stargazing– time to get rolling!
Prep the Sushi Rice: In a small bowl stir together three–fourths
cup of rice vinegar, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt. Rinse
four cups of short-grain white rice under cold running water (use a colander
with a fine sieve) until water runs clear. Drain 5 minutes. Pour rice into a
5-quart pan and add 5 cups water. Cover, bring to a boil, simmer and cook, until
water is absorbed (10–12 minutes.) Spread rice onto a baking sheet and
slowly pour vinegar mixture over rice, turning it gently and cooling for 10 minutes.
Makes 8 cups; can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead.
Maki Rolls: Place a sheet of nori, shiny side down, on the edge
of a bamboo rolling mat (slats run horizontal) or a piece of plastic wrap 2” longer
than the nori. Dip fingers into a small bowl of vinegar and water, and scatter
one and one half cups sushi rice over the nori. Pat into an even layer, spreading
out to the sides and bottom of nori; leave a 2” strip bare along the top
edge. Spread a thin line of wasabi horizontally across rice and add small amounts
of fillings like shredded carrot, cucumber and avocado sticks, and pickled ginger.
Moisten top edge of nori with vinegar-water mixture. As you lift the edge of
mat closest to you, brace fillings with your thumbs and roll it so that the near
edge of nori meets the far edge of rice. Seal with daps of the water–vinegar
mixture, and hug the mat or plastic briefly around roll to secure. Remove roll
from mat. With a sharp knife, trim excess off of ends and then cut roll into
equal pieces. Rinse the knife in water between cuts. Store covered in fridge
until serving time. Dipping Sauce: Stir together one half cup
of soy sauce with one fourth cup brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar.
Kim Dannies is a graduate of La Varenne Cooking School in France. She lives in Williston, VT with her husband, Jeff, and three college–aged daughters who come and go. ©2008