I was very excited to attend my first temakizushi party. The idea was novel to me, I did not even know what temakizushi was. Turns out temakizushi are hand rolled sushi usually in a cone shape. Sushi was something that I always thought was impossible to make for someone like me. Yes it did not require cooking; but how was I going to get the rice just right and create a roll that would not fall apart? Making my own sushi always seemed like way too much hassle.
Two of my friends, and one of their friends a Japanese woman named Koko, shed new light on sushi for me. First they purchased a long wood board (purchased from a lumber supply shop), which they used as a Japanese style table. I'm not sure what they used to elevate it from the ground, perhaps crates. The wood was covered with a long white table cloth and tea lights were placed down the center and viola - the perfect atmosphere for a sushi party. Guests sat around the long table on big pillows reminiscent to my favorite sushi restaurant. We were served buffet style. The seaweed was cut into small squares ready to be filled. The fish was cut into small strips. Veggies (avocado, watercress, carrot, etc) were also julienned in sushi ready size. The rice was hot and already seasoned with vinegar. There were also various sauces on the table. I am still not sure what they were (even after ample explanation) to provide some extra heat.
I asked Koko to demonstrate how to roll the sushi. Working our way down the table we took a square of seaweed, topped it off with some rice, and than added the fish/veggies of our choice. Once we had our base we added some red paste which was pretty spicy and some roe. Fold in one of the corners to create a cone and it's ready to eat.For those who did not want to eat the sushi (one woman was pregnant), the hosts served chicken wings, salad, and noodles. I asked Koko how she prepared the chicken and she said very simply, just marinate with soy sauce, wine, garlic and ginger. The noodles were a thin rice noodle, my personal favorite. The rice noodle dish was also kept simple and prepared with mixed vegetables. Their was something for everyone. Fish platters kept coming out of the kitchen and since the food was cold it was easy to maintain the buffet. Everything was prepped before time and the hosts could mingle and eat with their guests.
I wanted to share my experience of my first temakizushi party because I thought it was a great idea. Sushi had always been about perfection but I learned it doesn't have to be. Food can be fun and tasty at the same time.