“I’d like to get my grand-daughter a sushi-making kit. Do you have one?” a customer called to ask. Yes, we have the sushi mat and rice paddle available.

“I want a kit that has everything in it,” the grandmother said.

To make sushi, all you really need is the wooden mat for rolling up the ingredients.

“But don’t you have a kit that has the ingredients in it? I need all of the ingredients.”

Do you mean the rice and fish? Raw fish in a sushi kit?

“Well, you can make sushi with vegetables, can’t you?”

Don’t you want fresh ingredients in your sushi? Maybe you would like to just buy your grand-daughter a package of ready-made sushi?

“No, my grand-daughter wants to make the sushi.”

Then come to a sushi-making class! Yes, we do freshly cook the rice and use fresh fish from Bob’s Seafood. We also provide the delicious pickled ginger that is not dyed hot pink.

What makes sushi delicious and why is premade, refrigerated sushi not so appetizing? Sushi is best when the warm sweet-and-salty sticky rice is topped with cold, recently cut fish. After the rice rolls have been refrigerated, they lose taste and texture. Part of the appeal of sushi is the voluptuous feel of the raw fish and warm rice. No “sushi kit” needed!

Eating sushi is not complete without a bowl of soup.

Miso Soup

• 1 piece of konbu (dried sea kelp)
• 5 cups water
• 1/4 cup yellow miso
• 2-inch piece of ginger, grated
• 1/2 cup bonito flakes
• 1/2 tablespoon wasabi powder
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1 cake of tofu, diced

Bring the konbu and water to a boil, then remove the konbu. Add the miso, ginger, and bonito and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain. Combine the wasabi, vinegar, soy, and sugar and add to the soup. Add the onions, spinach, mushrooms, and tofu to the soup. Serve immediately.