Sushi-making

In the Japanese kitchen, “temaki” means to roll with your hands. It’s a fitting word to describe a fantastic new hands-on sushi class at Cook Culture with chef Akemi Akutsu. The first ever class, held recently, was an inspiring introduction to the authentic way of preparing and cooking Japanese cuisine.

Chef Akutsu is a personable and knowledgeable instructor who has been classically trained in French cuisine. But as a young girl, she grew up on a rice farm in Japan, running around the rice field, catching bugs. Traditional Japanese cooking is in her soul. She started by showing the class her favorite chef knife and sashimi knife, which has a long thin blade for slicing fish. “In Japan, you pull or drop to cut and the French cuisine teaches the method of push to cut.” It was delightful to listen as chef Akutsu pulled from both her background and training to share some of the many regional differences in cooking.

During the class, we learned how to make basic sushi rolls such as tuna and green onion and the popular California rolls with nori (seaweed) rolled around the outside. We made temaki sushi, also known as cone sushi, which was created outside of Japan by the influence of the western kitchen. One of the best parts of the class was the miso soup. When you go to a Japanese restaurant, you’ll invevitably start your meal with a warm bowl of miso soup. The version chef Akutsu made for us was one of the best bowls I’ve had in years. It was incredibly fresh tasting and simple, made with a handful of ingredients: quality shiro miso, tofu, dashi and green onions.

At the end of the class, everyone got to take home their own sushi making kit with a mat and paddle, and I know I’ll be putting it to good use soon. Sushi is great for kitchen or house parties – get everyone involved in rolling their own, sharing laughs and perhaps while enjoying some Sake!

To see pictures from this and other classes, please visit us on Facebook.
Upcoming sushi-making classes are Nov. 2 and 23.