Oh my! An incredible variety of bentos. I would be in hog heaven in stores like this. Each bento is beautifully assorted with a variety of ingredients. This is what makes a bento so appealing – a colorful combination of foods in a box. It’s like a full course meal put together. Every one of those is speaking to me… choose me, choose me! Not being able to pick just one, I would probably end up buying several if I were there.

By V Udasco

We all know that in this economy, cash is hard to come by, especially during the holiday season. However, you can throw a great sushi-themed party no matter the occasion, and it’s more affordable than you think!

Why not host a sushi themed holiday dinner?! Trade that dry turkey and stuffing in for some great tasting and healthy sushi, and start a tradition of your own! For any occasion, sushi is a yummy and popular way to go…you can just throw a “We Love Sushi” party, too!

You will really impress your guests with your exotic menu and they will appreciate your unique theme. You can host a Sushi Party that your relatives and guests will be wowed by. Just don’t blame me when they beg you to throw a Sushi Party over and over again!

Hosting a party at home can be a very stressful and daunting task, especially if are cooking a full course meal for your guests. When planning any get together, you must do the leg work regardless of what is being prepared. However, these tips can eliminate your stress, while keeping more of your hard earned money in your bank account.

Planning Phase (can be done on the internet, from the comfort of your own home)

o Determine your budget. Having a limited budget, you need to get the most bang for your buck. This means you will have to find great deals and do a lot of the leg work yourself.

o Send out RSVP’s to determine how many people will attend. By knowing who will be attending, you will have a better idea if you should cater towards vegetarian sushi recipes, fish recipes or both. If the majority of people attending don’t feel comfortable with raw fish, you can prepare “cooked” sushi recipes (i.e. tempura roll, Philadelphia roll with smoked salmon, cooked shrimp nigiri, California roll, and etc.) and not as much sashimi or spicy raw tuna roll. You get the idea and besides, if you stay away from the sushi grade ingredients needed for sashimi, you will save money there, as well.

o Depending on your guests, if they are close friends or family and want to bring something, you can have them bring a side dish such as edamame (soybeans) or sake (rice wine) or even dessert, maybe a green tea ice cream. Many of these items can be found at major grocery stores and this could help to minimize your costs.

o Research various sushi recipes online, both hot and cold, cooked and raw, to start developing your menu. When developing your menu, select ingredients that are in season and grown or produced locally. By doing this, you will save on cost and ensure the freshest ingredients.

o Make a few calls to your local grocery chain or seafood market to see what fish is in season. Ask if they have any sushi grade fish and the price. Sushi grade fish normally has been frozen for a specific period of time to kill any parasites that might have been in the fish, i.e. according to minimum health standards -4 degrees Fahrenheit or lower for at least 7 days). Ask if they have any seafood on sale…you may even ask who their fish suppliers are to purchase wholesale, if you are buying a large quantity of fish.

o To learn how to make sushi, you can either learn via the internet, which is full of resources (YouTube is a great source!) or purchase a sushi book if you feel adventurous and don’t mind the mess. It will take some trial and error, and also practice, but you’ll get it sooner than you think!

o If you don’t feel comfortable making the sushi, you have another alternative. Ask family members of friends if they know of a Sushi chef that you can hire on a per hour basis to prepare sushi “live” at your event. Another great idea is to visit your favorite sushi restaurant and ask the sushi chef if he works private parties. In this economy, you won’t have difficulty finding a sushi chef at a decent price and since they are already in the industry, they may be able to get the ingredients at wholesale price for you!

By doing most of the leg work above, you can save between 30 to 50% of the cost of Japanese sushi restaurant. The savings can be put towards a couple of good bottles of Sake to toast with your friends.

If you are in Southern California, you are in luck! One of our sushi chefs can assist you with your sushi party!

[http://www.MatsuCateringSD.com]

Matsu Catering is a Japanese owned and operated full service catering company. We poudly serve Southern California in San Diego, Riverside and Orange counties.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=V_Udasco

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By William Santoro

Sushi was one of the hardest foods to give up after I resolved to adopt a vegan diet. After all, my passion for sushi was one of the things that brought me to live in Japan in the first place. And while Japan is infamous for exclusive sushi shops that charge $500 per person, even low-end sushi (such as kaiten, or “conveyor belt” style) is fresh and inexpensive compared to other countries, making it hard to resist.

For some time after I had bid sayonara to meat, eggs and dairy, I continued the Japanese institution of going out for sushi with friends and family. At first, I ate varieties consisting of mostly vegetables such as natto (fermented soybeans) and green onions, cucumber, takuon (pickled radish), kampyo (dried gourd), as well as inarizushi (fried bean curd filled with sushi rice and black sesame seeds).

As an omnivore, I had always considered sushi not only umai (delicious), but healthy compared to traditional convenience food like sandwiches or burgers. However, eventually it dawned on me, that even minus the fish, restaurant or store-bought sushi wasn’t particularly healthy for 2 reasons:

1. The main ingredient in sushi is white rice with vinegar. Since going vegan, I had switched to eating only foods made with whole grains. I became used to making genmai (brown rice) at home for its nutritional benefits (3 times the fiber, more vitamins and minerals) compared to white rice, and I could no longer reconcile eating white rice sushi from a taste or health perspective.

2. Sushi vinegar contains katsuo dashi (extract of dried tuna). Other ingredients used in sushi, such as pickles, umeboshi (sour plums), and sauces are also prepared using sushi vinegar and/or dashi. In fact, I discovered recently that the only food at most sushi shops that doesn’t contain fish extract is the powdered green tea!

I am not sure why many people seem to have difficulty eating brown rice. Westerners either eat it or they don’t, while Japanese who say they enjoy eating genmai frequently mix it together with white rice, so apparently they are eating it for its health benefits rather than its taste and texture, which I actually prefer.

Once I stopped eating sushi out, I still longed for a vegan substitute, so we began making temaki zushi (hand-rolled sushi) at home using vinegared genmai, nori (seaweed laver), and various fillings such as avocado paste, natto, umeboshi, cucumber slices, etc.

When there’s time, and for special occasions, we lightly pan-fry sliced eggplant (nasu), and eat it on top of sushi genmai as well. Warm (aburi), and dipped in a bit of soy sauce with wasabi, it tastes as good as otoro (fatty tuna), uni (sea urchin), ikura (salmon roe) or any other traditional sushi delicacy ever did!

So, if you think you can’t start a plant-based diet because you could never give up your favorite food, think again! There are infinite tasty plant-based alternatives if you will just start down the vegan road. I am not a nutritionist – just a guy with heaps of useful advice and encouragement to offer those considering eliminating meat and other animal products from their diets.

Until age 44, I’m certain my diet consisted of more eggs, milk, and red meat than the average American’s. I ate lots of chicken, too (especially liked parts with skin), low-fat yogurt every morning, and loads of cheese. While a plant-based diet may at first seem a sacrifice, I assure you it is not. Therefore, if you are contemplating it yourself, don’t let anyone discourage you. Give it a try and I assure you, you will begin to feel healthy and youthful. Take it from me – paying attention to the foods you eat (and don’t eat) is the best way to maintain good health, and a plant-based diet is a great way to begin. If you are interested in learning about benefits of adopting a plant-based diet, or attaining fitness through healthier diet and exercise habits, please check out my blog at http://www.VeganDietGuy.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Santoro

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Sushi Made Easy – Top 5 Tips to Making Authentic Sushi
By Maggie Tan

After all fattening ourselves with chocolates and bacon and lots of wine throughout the festive months, it is time to start thinking and eating healthy.

What better way than to try our palates on some sushi? If you are squeamish about raw fish, don’t worry. Sushi is much much more than raw fish. There are gorgeous California rolls, Avocado rolls and literally any kind of rolls that you can conjure which does not involve raw ingredients.

‘Credit Crunch’, I hear you say? Yes, indeed, I know just too well how expensive sushi is. I have been a victim to my addiction for sushi and had paid silly prices in sushi bars and restaurants. However, I have found a sure proof way to get around this problem.

I was lucky to be let into a little secret, which taught me just how easy it is to carve my own authentic sushi! I just have to share this secret with all Sushi Lovers.

It may sound unbelievable, but you are only 5 Steps away from dishing up an Authentic Looking and Tasting Sushi Platter.

5 Steps to the Perfect Sushi

1) Sushi Rice

This is the essentially the heart of sushi, so if you get this right, you are 80% to making the perfect sushi! It is therefore not surprising that Sushi Experts place so much emphasis on how to prepare Sushi Rice.

Unlike normal long grains, sushi rice grains are a lot starchier. Therefore, the rice grains have to be rinsed in clear water for about 5 times before actually cooking it.

Once the sushi rice has been cooked, loosen it with a wooden ladle and transfer it to a wooden (preferred) or glass bowl. Use a damp clean cloth to cover the bowl to prevent the sushi rice from losing moisture.

*Important* Never store sushi rice in the fridge as the sushi rice will lose its moisture and taste exactly like the hard and gunny sushi that you get from supermarkets or even some sushi restaurants and bars

2) Nori

Very often, we think of nori as just the seaweed sheet for rolling sushi. However, nori plays a very important role in delivering the flavour and aroma of sushi.

To get the most out of a nori, lightly toast it over the hob for 2 seconds. That will give it a crisp texture when you sink your teeth into the sushi roll. Toasted nori are also more aromatic.

Over handling of the nori is a mistake that many sushi amateurs made. Remember to wipe your hands dry before handling the nori and minimise touching the surface of the nori unnecessarily. This will prevent the nori from becoming damp and losing it crispiness.

3) Rolling the Roll

A pretty sushi looking sushi will whet a person’s appetite even before he/she bite into the sushi. Hence, care must be taken in rolling the sushi.

Rolling the sushi roll is actually not difficult. The key to this is not to overstuff the sushi with rice and ingredients. You want the sushi to look sufficiently pack, but not overflowing to the point that the nori is not large enough for all your contents.

A thin layer of sushi rice that covers the surface of the nori is sufficient. It may look very little when you spread the rice onto the nori, but once you add your strip of cucumber and carrot or other ingredients that you fancy and roll the sushi, the sushi will get its bulk.

The other trick is to always remember to leave 0.5 inch border on one length of the nori when you spread your sushi rice i.e. there should be a 0.5 inch border on one length of the nori that is not covered with sushi rice. This will allow the nori to sealed easily when you roll it

4) Cutting the Roll

Have you ever been amazed at how clean cut each piece of sushi looks in restaurants? If you drive a knife through a sushi roll and try to cut it, you will find it very hard to complete your sawing motion. This is because sushi rice is sticky, so the knife will not be able to move smoothly through the roll.

What you need is a sharpen knife so you can avoid excessive sawing motion and more critically, you need a slightly wet knife so that it will run smoothly through the roll. The knife needs to be lightly wet for every single cut.

5) Garnish & Decorations

When it comes to packaging, Japanese is King. It is no different when it comes to their local delicacy. What makes sushi so attractive is not just the colours in the sushi, but also the garnishing and decorations that goes with the sushi platter.

Of course it helps if you are an expert at vegetable carving, but in reality, how many of us are that proficient? That’s where play dough cutter comes into play. Just use small vegetable cutters to cut out flower from carrots and cucumbers. To give it more colours, you can use red, green or yellow capsicums as well. Even just strips of these colourful vegetables will spice up your platter tremendously.

Sushi is a very neat dish, so don’t scatter your garnishing all over, but place them neatly along side the sushi.

Just remember these tips and tricks and you can most certainly present a platter that’s of restaurant standard.

To find out more about how to make sushi, watch a video demonstration of making sushi and obtain more information about The Art of Sushi Dining and get more Sushi Recipes, visit http://www.HowtoMakeSushi.co.uk

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maggie_Tan

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Beyond Sushi – 3 Delicious But Lesser Known Japan Food Items
By Shane A Jones

If you’re a lover of Japanese food, you’re undoubtedly familiar with sushi, tempura, teriyaki, and other common Japanese food fare, but in this article I’d like to introduce you to three delicious Japan food items that you might not yet have heard of. All of these foods are both common and popular in Japan (not to mention delicious!), but have not yet found their way to the masses overseas in the same way that sushi has. Trust me, though, it’s just a matter of time before they do!

1. Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki Japanese pancake is a popular food item in Japan at restaurants, festivals and home parties. Translated literally as “cook what/as you like,” okonomiyaki is especially fun to eat at restaurants and home parties, where participants gather around a flat grill, mix up the ingredients, and have fun cooking the pancakes themselves.

The okonomiyaki pancake batter consists of flower, eggs, water, grated yam, and cabbage. Fillings include pork, assorted seafood, vegetables, kimchi, cheese, mochi, and yakisoba. Toppings and seasonings include nori seafood flakes, katsuobushi (fish flakes), pickled ginger, mayonnaise, and a Worcestershire-like sauce.

2. Takoyaki

Japanese Takoyaki is a snack of grilled octopus balls consisting of a pancake-like batter and a little piece of octopus as a filling. The dumpling batter is poured into a special pan molded into rows of little semi-circles and grilled for a few minutes on one side. Then the balls are flipped over with a toothpick or chopsticks and grilled on the other side until golden brown.

The takoyaki are then served up, usually in portions of 8 or so, in a plastic or paper container and topped with a sweet soy-based sauce and ingredients like green onion, pickled ginger, green onion, mayonnaise, and katsuobushi (dried fish shavings).

3. Onigiri Rice Balls

Onigiri rice balls are a favorite picnic and snack food in Japan. Onigiri is a popular carry out food item in Japanese convenience stores, and is a common item found in bento boxed lunches. Simple to make and delicious to eat, onigiri is a staple food item in Japan.

Popular onigiri fillings include tuna salad, salmon flakes, seafood salad, konbu (a type of sea vegatable), umeboshi (a sour bright-red pickled Japanese plum), and shrimp tempura.

If you’re planning to travel to Japan, make sure to keep an eye out for these delicious Japan food items and give them a try!

Discover more delicious and uncommon Japan food items at the http://essential-japan-guide.com

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