nine cool things on a tuesday

May 23, 2017November 14, 2017 ~ jama ~ 10 Comments

1. Check it: alphabet soup made with Rice Krispies! This crunchy bowl of fun was created by NY-based food artist Jessica Siskin, a.k.a., Misterkrisp, who spends her days crafting all things wonderful out of Rice Krispies, my favorite childhood cereal. 🙂

Several years ago, she was asked to bring a dish to a potluck birthday party. The only thing she knew how to “cook” was giant heart-shaped Rice Krispie treats. Discovering she could add food coloring to the treats recipe, she was inspired to make a giant cheeseburger. Of course everyone loved it, so Jessica continued to experiment — creating portraits of cartoon characters, famous people (including Kim Kardashian’s rear end), animals, designer bags, and different foods all made with Rice Krispies.

In 2013 she started Misterkrisp, and this summer her first book, Treat Yourself, is being published by Workman.

She shares her creations at her Instagram account and takes custom orders through her website. Talk about snap, crackle, pop!

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saturday sushi

June 12, 2010 ~ jama

Okay, how cute is this? A sushi costume for your dog!

You don’t have a dog? What about some sushi slippers for yourself?

These are available for purchase on Etsy.

or a little munchkin?

You have your choice of toppings, and if you like, a different one for each foot.

Of course, nothing better to top off a sushi-inspired outfit than a cucumber salad bib. Just wish they made one in my size ☺!

If you like sculpture, check out these Paramodel trucks created by Japanese artists. They combine toys with plastic food models (like the ones found in Japanese restaurant windows). These come with signed certificates of authenticity.

No surprise, now I’m hungry. What’s your favorite sushi?

photo: apc33.

Enjoy your Saturday!

Bunny Sushi by barron.

♥ Thanks to Bridget at BB-Blog for the sushi links!

♥ Click here to go to the Sushi Booties Shop. They also have fortune cookie slippers!

two scoops rice: hiromi suzuki and sammy lee

May 26, 2008November 22, 2017 ~ jama ~ 4 Comments

For this last Nonfiction Monday of Asian Pacific Heritage Month, here are two exceptional picture book biographies. First up is Hiromi’s Hands by Lynne Barasch (Lee and Low, 2007).

This is my favorite PB biography from last year. Sure, I might be a tad partial to a book about food. But the story of how Hiromi Suzuki became one of the first female sushi chefs in New York City touches on so many inspiring themes — the value of hard work and determination, respect for tradition, family love, and the importance of progressive thinking in realizing goals.

Told from Hiromi’s point of view, we see how her father, Akira, trained to be a sushi chef in Japan, working long hours for three years before he was even allowed to slice the fish. He is hired by a restaurant in NYC, and shortly thereafter opens his own restaurant, Akasaka. This is rewarding but demanding work, and Hiromi misses her father. When she is eight, she begs him to take her to the fish market where he purchases for the restaurant.

Recognizing her desire to become a sushi chef, Akira allows Hiromi to help in his restaurant when she is 13, even though the profession has always been dominated by males. Like her father, Hiromi works long and hard for 3 years before she is given her own yanagi (sushi knife), to truly begin her apprenticeship. The first person point of view will engage and endear readers, young and old alike.

Lynne Barasch’s ink and pastel watercolours are light, airy, and just detailed enough for depicting the bustling fish markets in Japan and NYC, trays of colorful sushi, and the warmth of father and daughter. There is an excellent glossary and pronunciation guide listing all kinds of sushi, as well as an author’s note about Hiromi, who was a childhood friend of the author’s daughter. Did I already mention the mouthwatering pictures of sushi?

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wake up little sushi!

May 20, 2008 ~ jama ~ 43 Comments

Ohayo gozaimasu (Good morning)!

O genki desu ka (How are you)?

Say this very fast: Sushi Chef Sushi Chef Sushi Chef!

Quite a mouthful! And so is sushi, one of my favorite Japanese foods. It’s a snack, a side dish, a main dish, a work of art, and an international sensation. From its humble beginnings as a way to preserve fish over a thousand years ago, to its modern day form originating in the 18th century (Edo period), sushi is king (or should I say, emperor), a veritable calling card for Japanese cuisine.

We gotta get something straight, though. There are people (not you) who think sushi means raw fish. The term, sushi (“it’s sour”), refers to the vinegared rice. Raw fish by itself is called sashimi. Moving on . . .

Confession time: rumor has it that I’m Korean. But I prefer Japanese food. Probably because of its emphasis on fish. Koreans are into hot and spicy and red meat, quite the carnivores. Anyway, I remember many a potluck and holiday dinner in Hawai’i with its requisite platter of sushi — alongside Chinese noodles and roast pork, three kinds of kimchee, ham, turkey, Korean kalbi, namul and taegu.

Futomaki with vegetable filling is my favorite!

Another confession: I only like cooked toppings or fillings with my sushi. Nothing raw for me. I’m a makizushi girl all the way. I’ll take futomaki (large rolls with 3 toppings) or hosomaki (smaller rolls), with cucumber, avocado, or carrots. I guess I find the nori and rolls comforting somehow. And I like to know my fish isn’t going to swim away before I bite into it.

Hungry yet?

I know (gasp), that some of you out there don’t like/won’t eat/haven’t tried/won’t try sushi. I sense my brother-in-law in New Hampshire might fit this description.

No way!

Don’t worry. I’m not here to convince you otherwise. Instead, I’ve prepared a special sushi platter today to cater to all tastes. The goal is to learn a little, have fun, and celebrate the wonder of sushi in a virtual way. So nibble on a few pieces, or devour the entire platter.