#143
February, 2012
This page is written monthly
by Harumi Okochi.
Sometimes Harumi's friends join.
We'd be happy if you look at
our previous issues.

#1 GREETING

Chirashizushi!


Happy Valentine's Day ! Happy Chirashizushi !

Cold winds are blowing outside.
But we will be warm in our kitchen, making Chirashizushi for our loved ones.

This is a report of a happy occasion, when a Korean Meditation and Tea Ceremony master
brought 12 Korean ladies to our place Yoyokaku.
They came to Karatsu to see Noh Play in Fukuoka, but at the same time they wanted to know something about Japanese culture.

I offered to make a very traditional Japanese family food together which the ladies can do by themselves in their own kitchen easily.

I believe everyone knows "Sushi". Sushi is world famous now, and everywhere in the world you will find Sushi Bars.
Do you know Chirashizushi? Well, you don't?
Then why don't you join us?

Chirashizushi

Chirashizushi (ちらし寿司, "scattered sushi") is a bowl of sushi rice topped with a variety of sashimi and garnishes (also refers to barazushi). Edomae chirashizushi (Edo-style scattered sushi) is an uncooked ingredient that is arranged artfully on top of the sushi rice in a bowl. Gomokuzushi (Kansai-style sushi) are cooked or uncooked ingredients mixed in the body of rice in a bowl. There is no set formula for the ingredients and they are either chef's choice or sometimes specified by the customer. It is commonly eaten because it is filling, fast and easy to make. Chirashizushi often varies regionally.





Our chef Motoda is explaining about what we are going to make now.
Ladies are Korean people learning tea ceremony and meditation for Mr. Kang.
I made aprons with a big towel and ribbon, because I didn't have enough aprons for 12 ladies.


Preparation of ingredients:
vegetables of many kinds, cooked or boiled
crab meat boiled
fish roe flavored with soysauce
eggs thinly fried like sheet and cut into threads
pink thing is dried powdered fish meat


Rice is cooked.
The big wooden bowl is Sushi-oke used when we make shushi.
Of course you can use salad bowl or anything if it is big enough.


Sushi-vinegar (rice vinegar, and sugar. a little salt warmed in the pan) is poured onto the rice.
Sushi vinegar is basically, vinegar 3big spoons, sugar 2 big spoons, and salt half small spoon.
for 2 cups of rice.
Generally, 10% of the whole rice is the quantity of sushi-vinegar.
Hoist the rice so that the vinegar flavors whole rice.


Chef shows how to make thread eggs.
First stir eggs well with a little salt, and in the frying pan, make thin sheets of egg.
The sheet is rolled and cut into fine threads.


Other ingredients are stirred with the rice.If the rice is still too hot to put raw things on top, we use fan to cool the rice.


On top you will decorate colorful ingredients.


Now you are invited to our Chirashizushi party.


Prepare ingredients as you like.
Salmon, raw fish, shrimps, scallops, eel, clam or other shellfish with variety of vegetables and herbs.
Cook rice and vinegar it.
Mix with the ingredients.
Decorate with eggs.

Isn't it simple?
You can make your family happy.

On the Valentine's day, you can do this instead of making chocolate!
Next time other people come to us from other country, we will do Sukiyaki, or, Miso-soup, or Okonomiyaki... Sounds interesting!

Well, I hope you will visit this page again next month.
 Mail to Harumi Okochi