We Love Sushi So Much !

Me, my son and my hubby likes to eat sushi so much ! We have bring him to Japanese restaurant since he was 1 year old. So he quite familiar with the taste of Japanese food and he likes to eat seaweed as well. I know some kids don't like the fishy smell of it. Last time we have sushi meal almost twice a month. We love Genki Sushi a lot too ! But it's quite expensive if eat in this kind of restaurant. Last Saturday we decided to make some sushi for ourselves. My hubby have bought some seaweed/wakame, sushi vinegar and soya sauce from Japan. So I just need to buy Japanese Rice, bamboo mat.

The Japanese rice is very different from our local rice in terms of shape, colour and size. The size of Japanes rice is smaller and more in a round shape, compare with the rice we eat daily. And it looks more transparent also. I have planned to make a Futomaki /Norimaki, type of thick rolled sushi and uses different type of ingredients for filling; Nigiri Sushi, sushi with vinegar rice top with raw fish or vegetables. There are the ingredients I used :

Asparagus
Short Bean
Carrot
Cucumber
Eggs (Nigiri)
Prawns (Nigiri)
Tuna Fish wit Mayonese (We like it so much !)

This is first time I cook with Japanese rice. So I was not sure how much water needed. (Anyone have good experience welcome to share !).

So I just cooked the rice as usual. But outcome is the rice is abit too wet and soft. I have put too much of water I think. So I realized that cooking Japanese rice no need to put so much water. I let the rice cooker lead opened for a while after cooked and the rice managed to get harder and drier.

Next I waited til the rice cooled first before I added in the Sushi Vinegar. What I like about this vinegar is the smell is sweet and soft, not so strong compare to other types of vinegar. Maybe this is due to its sugar content.

When you make Nigiri sushi, remember to wet your hand with water first because the rice can be very sticky and difficult to handle.

Here are some of mouth watering sushi that I have made. Hope you like it ! haha ...you can try to make some because it's quite easy to make, economical compare to Genki Sushi and the taste I can tell you is YUMMY ! My son and my hubby love it !

Related Articles : Sushi History Types of Sushi All About Sushi

Tags: Japanese Food Sushi Seaweed Home Made Nigiri Sushi
Futomaki Sushi Wakame Japan Health Snack Japanese Rice Sushi

Looking For A Whole Grains Snack For Your Kids ?

Here is another yummy recipes for your kids after my posting of Hawaiian Nut Cookie Recipe.
This recipe uses 'Popcorn' as main ingredient. I am sure your kids will love it !

Popcorn is a whole grain food which makes it a high-quality carbohydrate source that is not only low in calories, but a good source of fiber. This means it takes longer to chew and makes you feel full longer. Compared to many snack foods, popcorn is low in calories. Air-popped popcorn provides only 30 calories per cup. When oil-popped, it contains only 55 calories. Even drizzled lightly with butter, it's only 90 to 120 calories per cup.

Crunchy Popcorn Trail Mix

5 cups popped popcorn
3 cups whole grain oat cereal
1/3 cup raisins
1/3 cup peanuts (or other nuts)
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
6 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoon light corn syrup

* Stir together popcorn, cereal, raisins and nuts in large microwavable bowl; set aside.

* Combine butter, brown sugar and corn syrup in small saucepan. Heat until boiling; cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour over popcorn mixture, stirring to coat evenly.

* Microwave 3-4 minutes, stirring and scraping bowl after each minute. Spread onto greased cookie sheet; cool. Break into pieces and store in airtight container.

Nutritional Information (based on 1 serving)
Total Calories 230; Total Fat 13g; Cholesterol 15mg; Sodium 180mg; Carbohydrate 27g; Fiber 3g; Sugars 13g; Protein 4g

Tags: Snacks Whole Grain Kids Recipes Popcorn Snack Homemade
Healthy Food High Fiber Low Calories Cooking Dining Carbohydrate Quick Snacks Cookies

Temptation Of Chocolate !

I went to bookshop yesterday and manage to find myself a good recipe book : Temptation Of Chocolate. When I flipped through the book, those yummy chocolates pastries, cakes and desserts really melt my heart and make me want to try to make one myself ! So I just bought it !

I started to dig into the net to find all information about chocolate form history, how it is made to different types or categories of chocolate.

I never know there are so many different types of chocholate out there. Chocolate is made from roasted Cocoa Beans and it is originated from South America. I believe no one can resist the temptation of chocolate with its creamy and silky taste !

History

The cacao tree apparently originated in the foothills of the Andes in the Amazon and Orinoco basins of South America. It was introduced into Central America by the ancient Mayas, and cultivated in Mexico by the Toltecs and later by the Aztecs.

Cocoa trees will grow in a very limited geographical zone, of approximately 10 degrees to the North and South of the Equator. Nearly 70% of the world crop is grown in West Africa.

Cocoa was an important commodity in Pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. Spanish chroniclers of the conquest of Mexico by Hernán Cortés relate that when Moctezuma II, emperor of the Aztecs, dined he took no other beverage than chocolate, served in a golden goblet and eaten with a golden spoon. Flavored with vanilla and spices, his chocolate was whipped into a froth that dissolved in the mouth. No less than 50 pitchers of it were prepared for the emperor each day, and 2000 more for nobles of his court.

Chocolate was introduced to Europe by the Spaniards and became a popular beverage by 1700. They also introduced the cacao tree into the West Indies and the Philippines. It was used in alchemical processes, where it was known as Black Bean.

The cacao plant was first given its name by Swedish natural scientist Carl von Linné (1707-1778), who called it "Theobroma cacao" or "food of the gods".

Quiz :

1. Who is the leading country for cocoa processing ? Netherlands
2. Which country has the highest cocoa consumtion per kapita ? Belgium [5.5 kg]

Do you know that chocolate is the most popular ice cream flavor, after vanilla ? Chocolate also recognized as The Food Of Love.

Types of Chocolate :

Chocolate Couverture

Couverture is a term used to define high quality chocolate coating that contains a high percentage of cocoa butter. Chocolate couverture contains at least 32% cocoa butter and for good quality courverture at much as 39%. This high percentage of cocoa butter give couverture a shiny appearance, thin consistency when melted and excellent flavour. Usually chocolate couverture also contains a high chocolate liquor content which strengthens the flavour.

Chocolate courverture is used by professional to coat, mould, bake or dip and garnish. Courverture must be tempered before use to stabilize the cocoa butter, giving it a glossy finish and a hard crisp consistency. If it is not tempered before use it will look a poor streaky colour and may look unappetising.

Generally on the packaging of couverture chocolate you will find a formula giving you the percentage of cocoa solids, sugar and cocoa butter or fat content.

It melts and spread easily. It is very sensitive to heat and you should not melt it with a temperature higher than 42 Celsius.

Health Benefits of Chocolate :

Cocoa has about twice as many antioxidants as does red wine, and up to three times more than green tea. Antioxidants are thought to be healthful compounds. Several chocolate manufacturers are beginning to offer chocolate products with guaranteed levels of these antioxidants, called polyphenols.

Tags: Chocolate Cocoa Bean Recipes Pastries Couverture
Quality Chocolate Antioxidants Red Wine Cooking Dining Food Cakes

Here Is A Recipe Worth RM 250 (USD68.00) From Famous Amo Cafe

Someone I know, definitely not me have bought this recipe from Famous Amos Cafe with RM 250.00/USD68.00. I think you can get this kind of recipes from Internet without spending even a cent or free.

Here is the recipe to share. Try it and I am sure you will love the taste. I have not try on the recipe but someday will.

Hawaiian Nut Cookie Recipe

2 cups butter
4 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups brown sugar
5 cups blended oatmeal (measure oatmeal &
blend in blender
to a fine powder)
24 oz. chocolate chips
1 tsp. salt
18 oz. Cadbury bar (grated)
4 eggs
2 tsp. baking powder
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)
2 tsp. vanilla

Cream the butter and both sugars. Add eggs and
vanilla; mix together with flour, oatmeal, salt,
baking powder, and soda. Add chocolate chips,
Cadbury bar and nuts. Roll into balls and place
two inches apart on a cookie sheet.. bake for 10
minutes at 375 degrees. Makes 122 cookies..

Tags: Cookies Recipes Cooking Hawaiian Nut Famous Amos

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