Sushi For Dummies
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Some of the ingredients you use in sushi need to be refrigerated — and not only the fresh, raw fish that you can use to create sushi magic. Look for these refrigerated sushi ingredients in your local Asian market:

  • Pickled ginger: Sweet and tart at the same time, sliced pickled ginger plays a major role in sushi. Look for naturally beige or pink pickled ginger, often called sweet pickled ginger, to eat as a condiment.

  • Wasabi paste and powder: Wasabi paste (made with wasabi powder or purchased in tubes) has a fresh, hot taste that complements and highlights the taste of raw seafood and all kinds of sushi.

  • Deep-fried tofu pouches: Puffy little squares or rectangles of golden fried tofu, usually sold two to four to a package in the refrigerated section of Japanese or Asian markets.

  • Barbecued unagi (freshwater eel): Butterflied, precooked glazed eels are sold in cellophane packages in the freezer section or fresh fish section of Japanese and Asian markets.

  • Kani kama (imitation cooked crabmeat): Usually made of cooked pollock (a white-fleshed, mild fish) and crab flavoring.

  • Miso: Miso (fermented soybean paste) is deeply rooted in Japanese cuisine. Miso comes in light and dark colors, and its taste varies from nutty to complex, from slightly salty to very salty. Its fragrance is a bit like ale.

  • Tofu: High-protein, lowfat soybean curd. Tofu is sold many different ways, including packed in water and vacuum-packed.

  • Quail eggs: Dainty, one-bite-sized quail eggs are such a kick to serve and eat! Japanese markets stock fresh quail eggs, usually ten to a 5-inch-long plastic package.

About This Article

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About the book authors:

Mineko Takane Moreno, born and raised in Tokyo, received her degree in French literature. Her love of food has inspired a lifelong education in many cuisines, including Japanese, Chinese, French, and Italian. Moving to San Diego in 1973, she began teaching Japanese cuisine, with a specialty in sushi. She currently teaches dozens of sushi classes a year at seven culinary schools, including Macy’s, Williams-Sonoma, and Sur la Table. Mineko consults with restaurants wishing to put sushi and other specialties on their menu. Her culinary work has been featured in numerous print publications and on television and radio shows. She is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals.

Judi Strada has a bachelor’s degree in Russian studies, which led her to study other cultures through their foods. She was the food consultant and spokesperson for The Sheraton World Cookbook and The Culinary Festival Cookbook and coauthor of The Best of San Diego. She is a frequent cooking guest on television and radio shows on both coas ts. Judi, an award-winning writer, is currently food editor of San Diego Magazine; kitchen garden editor of Garden Compass Magazine; and a member of the Authors Guild, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the International Association of Culinary Professionals, and the James Beard Foundation. She is founding president of Les Dames d’Escoffier, San Diego.

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