food and recipe Questions and answer forum.

[emerald]

I am on a nori wrap kick!  I don't eat bread so I use the nori wraps as a replacement.  One of my favourites right now is mashed egg, mayo, some wasabi powder and some cucumber slices all rolled up in a seaweed wrap.  

[Hard-Core-Cook]

quote:Originally posted by emerald

I am on a nori wrap kick!  I don't eat bread so I use the nori wraps as a replacement.  One of my favourites right now is mashed egg, mayo, some wasabi powder and some cucumber slices all rolled up in a seaweed wrap. Great Idea ,good with tuna fish salad and chicken salad

[NSgirl]

Where do you buy japanese mayonaise? is it much different then regular mayonaise. I asked the guy making my sushi for me what he put into it and he said japanese mayonaise. Also they use some kind of japanese pickle[its yellow] where would you get that at?  I'm wondering if a store like tnt market might carry this kind of stuff?
The guy also said he used japanese vinegar for the rice,he said it is different then rice vinegar.
I'm going to try making my own sushi as it looks pretty easy.I'm having trouble finding the pink ginger to go on it too. So once I manage to buy all this stuff,hopefully I have some sucess with it.If you have any tips for making a good sushi or some recipes please share. p.s. we only eat cooked stuff,I'm not into the raw fish yet!

[Lise]

You can't find Japanese mayo? That's weird. I found plenty at Save-On Foods and Superstore. Check out the Asian section, should be close to where you would find wasabi powder and nori seaweed wraps. Yes, T & T carry Japanese mayo. It should look something like this:



The pink ginger comes in an air-tight jars. Also can be found in the same aisle as the mayo. T & T will sure to have it otherwise go to your local Korean grocery store. They should have them in stock.

You should definitely use Japanese vinegar when it comes to making the rice but be warned though! It takes a lot (and I do mean a lot) or practise to get it right. I'm still trying to get the perfect batch but it doesn't always work 100%.

You need Japanese rice (Japanese koshihikari). Don't go for any brand that comes from other parts of Asia save the one from Japan and is made specifically for Japanese sushi rice.

Anyways, I've tried this recipe, seems to work about 80% of the time.
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Market/7773/vegetarian_recipe/sushi_rice.html

[NSgirl]

Thanks for the info and link Lise
I will look in those sections of the store for the ingredients.
Have you ever tried it with "seasoned rice vinegar"? it comes with the sugar and salt already added? someone told me to use that,to save the hassle of preparing the vinegar.
Anyway I will try making them and if all else fails I will just go back to my favorite sushi restaurant!
I use to buy those little vietnamese salad rolls,but they were so expensive I learnt to make them and they are actualy very cheap to make,easy and quick,so hopefully I will find the same thing to be true with sushi!

[Lise]

I can't say that I have used the seasoned rice vinegar brand. I usually like to adjust the sugar and salt to my taste but you can certainly use that if you're not too fussy. I like mine without too much salt because I'm already going to dip the sushi rice into soy sauce.

If all else fails, you can always resort to buying already made sushi rice from the restaurant. They'll give you a fair batch for under $2 or so.

Making those Vietnamese salad rolls is eaisier than sushi rice, I gotta tell ya. Just prepare the vermicelli noodles (soak in boiling water, cover for 5 mins then wash under cold water, drain) and whatever you like to put into your salad. I usually get prawns, lettuce, mung beans, cilantro, dried shallots - whatever you want).

The paper sheets are tricky though. They come in packages and are brittle to handle. Just before rolling the rolls, get a tray with warm water. Place ONE sheet each into the pan and dip in long enough for it to become soft but not too soft. Remove, let the water drip away and place on a flat surface. Then put the vermicellir rice and whatever filling into it and roll.

It takes practise (my first had plenty of holes but who cares?) but they taste really good.



My dipping sauce is easy. I use peanut butter, fish sauce, sugar and hoisin sauce, bit of chilli sauce. Mix everything together for a great dip.

Good luck with both! Let me know how it turn out.

[surely]

I love salad rolls. What a great invention..a salad you can eat like a sandwich!

[NSgirl]

sushi turned out pretty good. I tried to make a dynamite roll with fozen shrimp you heat up in the oven. it was o.k. not as good as the restaurants.I wasn't sure just how much rice to cook for sushi I ended up making 2 batches because I underestimated how mush I would use per roll! I was also wondering if they sometimes cut the nori sheets in half or not?

As far as salad rolls go I am great with those I have been making them for years. it does take practice to get a perfect roll,and the right amount of water on the paper,so they don't break!
I make my dip almost exactly the same way but I don't put in fish sauce or sugar just peanut butter,hoisin, chilli sauce  and just a bit of water to thin it out.
thanks for the help!

[bbybabe]

Is it hard to find good raw fish in groceries? safe, I mean?

[Lise]

Hey NSgirl, what do you put in your salad rolls? I'm always on the hunt for good combination. You should try adding a wee bit of fish sauce into the dipping sauce, it gives it a nice round flavor.

You're welcome, btw.

As for finding good raw fish.... yeah, it's difficult. Unless you know the fishmonger personally and can trust him, it's really difficult to get fresh fish. You would have to take his or her word that the fish brought in is fresh and sashimi-grade.

I would NOT recommend that you purchase fish fillets or pieces at your local T&T Supermarket or Save-On Foods, Superstore. They looked like they've been sitting there for quite a while.

There are several things you can do though:

a) check with your favorite Japanese restaurant and ask where they get their fish or if they can recommend a place where you might purchase fresh fish
b) let the fishmonger know that you are preparing fish to be eaten raw and the fish MUST BE sashimi-grade and no less
c) raw fish have no 'fishy' smell - they should smell like the 'ocean' and the color of the flesh should be bright and vibrant
d) make sure your board and knife is clean and there should be little or no cross-contamination, wash hands frequently

If in doubt, you can always buy sashimi fish (in block) from your Japanese restaurant.

[M Grenade]

isn't most sushi grade fish quick frozen to prepare it?

[Hard-Core-Cook]

quote:Originally posted by M Grenade

isn't most sushi grade fish quick frozen to prepare it?
all fish should be frozen to -40 for 48 hours to kill parasites.

[wyk]

Hey, I just noticed this thread!

Anyone use wonton sheets for ravioli?  How do you keep the ravioli stuffing from coming out when boiling?

[Lise]

Sashimi grade fish - yes, like Cook said, they're frozen in order to kill the parasites. Those frozen slabs that you see at T&T where they're frozen rock solid and lying there for however long - those ones I would avoid. They're NOT fresh. I would just check with the fishmonger if you're getting any type of fish and make sure you tell them you want to eat them raw.

I've never used wonton sheets for ravioli but I supposed you could technically use it. The sheets are too thin, no? Maybe Cook can answer your question because I've never cooked home-made ravioli before.

If I'm making Chinese wonton in soup, in order for the fillings not to come out, you would not overfill the wonton wrappers so it doesn't spill out. I would imagine this works for the ravioli?

[Hard-Core-Cook]

quote:Originally posted by Lise

Sashimi grade fish - yes, like Cook said, they're frozen in order to kill the parasites. Those frozen slabs that you see at T&T where they're frozen rock solid and lying there for however long - those ones I would avoid. They're NOT fresh. I would just check with the fishmonger if you're getting any type of fish and make sure you tell them you want to eat them raw.

I've never used wonton sheets for ravioli but I supposed you could technically use it. The sheets are too thin, no? Maybe Cook can answer your question because I've never cooked home-made ravioli before.

Well I am glad you asked.wonton wraps are great for ravioli also can be shaped into tortalini,the fact that the sheets are thin makes them a light tasting pasta and if you look at the ingredients you will see thats it's no different than your italian counter parts

If I'm making Chinese wonton in soup, in order for the fillings not to come out, you would not overfill the wonton wrappers so it doesn't spill out. I would imagine this works for the ravioli?

[schmoozer]

I was told that all fish except for TUNA needs to be frozen to kill parasites...

not true??

[Lise]

quote:Originally posted by schmoozer

I was told that all fish except for TUNA needs to be frozen to kill parasites...

not true??

Hmm. Sorry. My brain's a bit blocked today. Can Cook answer this? I think DS is killing my brain cells.... waah.

[Hard-Core-Cook]

the ravs are stuffed with veal shank and sorry for the pic it's not my best work the poop looking stuff is a fig compote(looks better in real life)the sauce is a carrot orange reduction and the raves are made with wonton wraps

[Lise]

OK. I googled sashimi. Apparently in Canada, there are some true die-hard sashimi lovers who absolutely REFUSE to freeze the fish because it might change the flavor. So not all sashimi-grade fish are frozen first.

Freezing is often practiced to kill parasites. According to European Union regulations[2], freezing fish at -20C (-4F) for 24 hours kills parasites. The FDA recommends freezing at -35C (-31F) for 15 hours, or at -20C (-4F) for 7 days.[3]

Canada does not regulate freezing fish,[citation needed] although British Columbia and Alberta voluntarily adhere to guidelines similar to the FDA's.[citation needed] Ontario attempted to legislate freezing as part of raw food handling requirements, though this was soon withdrawn due to protests by the industry that the subtle flavours and texture of raw fish would be destroyed by freezing.[4] Instead, Ontario has decided to consider regulations on how raw fish must be handled prior to serving.[5]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sashimi

[supersize me]

that looks kind of gross actually.... that swirly thing on top looks like cat poop [V]

[supersize me]

^ i want the veal shank only ... sooo hungry [V][V]

[Hard-Core-Cook]

this is a fish terrine I made with saffron and squid ink the sause is a baby shrimp and verrmouth cream

[Hard-Core-Cook]

quote:Originally posted by Lise

OK. I googled sashimi. Apparently in Canada, there are some true die-hard sashimi lovers who absolutely REFUSE to freeze the fish because it might change the flavor. So not all sashimi-grade fish are frozen first.

Freezing is often practiced to kill parasites. According to European Union regulations[2], freezing fish at -20C (-4F) for 24 hours kills parasites. The FDA recommends freezing at -35C (-31F) for 15 hours, or at -20C (-4F) for 7 days.[3]

Canada does not regulate freezing fish,[citation needed] although British Columbia and Alberta voluntarily adhere to guidelines similar to the FDA's.[citation needed] Ontario attempted to legislate freezing as part of raw food handling requirements, though this was soon withdrawn due to protests by the industry that the subtle flavours and texture of raw fish would be destroyed by freezing.[4] Instead, Ontario has decided to consider regulations on how raw fish must be handled prior to serving.[5]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sashimi it's touch and go when it comes to raw fish parasites have been known to live in us for manny years and get verry long.....lol

[Lise]

quote:Originally posted by Hard-Core-Cook


this is a fish terrine I made with saffron and squid ink the sause is a baby shrimp and verrmouth cream

Wow! That looks mighty good!! Yummy.

I'm always curious about squid ink? Where does one purchase this?

[friday]

what does squid ink taste like?