The first week of the year also happened to be a vacation week for Matt. We hadn't planned too much other than to do some small things around the house and mostly enjoy a quiet staycation. So, it kind of worked out that I chose that particular week to get sick since I had daddy as back up to wrangle Miss Molly and keep her occupied.
One thing we did have planned that week was a (non-refundable) Viking Cooking School class on Sushi Making. It was a Christmas gift from my grandma Marsh and was a 3 hour class which taught the basics of sushi making. Thank the Lord for steroid shots, Z packs, and cough syrup because they enabled me to drag my self to the class and still enjoy it. It was also a gorgeous, sunny day which made for a perfect date day!
I used a photo editor on that last picture and it turned out pretty well. Maybe I'll use it more often. It's called Camera+ and you can download it in the app store.
When we arrived at Viking, we browsed around in the retail store while we waited for the chef and her assistants to finish prepping the kitchen. They had all kinds of fancy, shiny things in the store but, alas, we weren't in the market for a $3000 custom wok or $6000 custom fridge. But it was fun to dream! Here is a view of the kitchen where our class was held:
Our class ended up being very small with only 8 students total, including Matt and myself. They had ice water, hot green tea, salt and pepper edamame, and piping hot miso soup waiting on us when we walked in!
After a brief introduction and some sushi history, we were ready to start our adventure. Each of us had our own individual station set up with the basics including the items below:
We rolled a couple basic rolls together as a class, including a cucumber roll and a vegetable roll. Then, once we were comfortable with the basic techniques, we were all able to free style and get as creative as we wanted for the remainder of the class! It was really fun. And delicious!
The above is what an inside out roll (where the rice is on the outside) looks like while you're making it. I liked the inside out style the best because it's easier to stick things on the outside, like smelt roe (fish eggs) and sesame seeds (the black ones are my favorite!)
The "crunch" is one of my favorite ingredients in rolls. It's made with tempura batter and is basically fried, crunchy breading pieces. You can also deep dry any roll by dipping the whole thing in the batter and then frying it up. I mean, what's not better when it's fried?! Paula Deen would be proud. The deep fried crab and avocado roll I made was my favorite.
I should note that frying the rolls and the rolls in general are not traditional Japanese sushi. Most of the rolls you see in restaurants, i.e. Dream Roll, Rock 'N Roll, Crazy Roll, etc. are all different and made up by each individual sushi chef. They are Americanized and what most of us think of when we think of sushi.
Lastly, we made a spicy salmon hand roll which was so unbelievably scrumptious. And, it's basically what it sounds like, a roll you fold up in your hand which makes a sort of funnel shape.
By the end of our 3 hour class, we had each eaten 4 or 5 rolls and were stuffed. The classes are a little pricey, starting at around $79 per person, but I felt like we got our money's worth in both the quality of food/ instruction and the quantity of food that we actually consumed. If you have a chance, take a class! I know we will again. It's fun, different, and an experience you won't soon forget.
And I can't post without a few shots of preshy.
PS The blog title is "thank you" in Japanese. I think.
That looks really fun!! I love sushi and would love to do something like that with robert!!
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