Apr
15
Sushi Handrolls
My favorite; Otoro tuna, fatty tuna.
I also love Ikura (salmon eggs). They are mostly sold as loose eggs, but they also come in a sac that you have to wash and prepare yourself. The latter option tastes better but of course it takes a little more work.
Washed and loosened eggs.
Fresh Wasabi.
Previously displayed otoro steak turns into ground tuna, for tuna tartare or spicy tuna handrolls. Kewpie Mayo, sriracha (cock) sauce, sesami oil, and diced scallions.
Toro Tuna Tartare.
How to prepare sushi rice; rice wine vinegar, sugar, salt all mixed in when rice is hot. Exact recipe here.
Hand roll “roll it yourself” platter, Uni (sea urchin), fresh cucumber, Ikura (salmon eggs), Tuna Tartare, and sheets of Nori (dry seaweed sheets). Pickled rice sits in cylindrical wooden box. Good for a group of people who want to make their own sushi but don’t know how to cut sashimi.
Uni and Cucumber.
Quail eggs for Ikura handroll pieces.
Rolled with a 1.5 inch strip of nori with rice inside, topped with Ikura and quail egg. Very easy!
Uni rolls. Rolled, again, individually as I eat with nori, rice, and uni tongues placed on top. You can add a quail egg yolk to this too but
too many quail eggs and I can get nausea.
Took the pre-made toro tartare and rolled it with rice and cucumber into a cone-like shape. The nori was cut into a rectangle first. Usually shaped like this. I prefer making them as I eat- the nori sheet doesn’t get too soggy from its interaction with the moist rice morsels.
Lastly, grate “as you eat” fresh wasabi. Before grating shave off its exterior with a knife
Sashimi may look easy to make. I could have just sliced the toro steak and placed it on some rice but actually slicing toro or any piece of raw fish is incredibly difficult unless you are a trained sushi chef, its really not one of those things that you just learn by watching. Sure you could just slice it whichever way you know how, but the way in which you cut sashimi affects the flavor a lot. A piece of sashimi sliced haphazardly is just not worth eating. These hand rolls are much more casual and easy to do since most of us are not trained sushi chefs.
you blow my mind, every single time. love the photography and the dry ice effect too
now i’m craving for some sushi. the uni looks AMAZING. where did you get the ingredients from?
Luv these photos.
The dense, icy fog in the pictures is just great.
It’s 9:48 here and I’m already drooling over your sushi rolls!
Shame on you!!
I love making sushi too but at a much more amateur level. Wow, yours on the other hand are incredible! So incredibly proffessional!
OMG THAT LOOKS AMAZING! your skill with a camera is very impressive. makes me hungry!!!
i thought i couldn’t love sushi any more. but evidently i can (:
I was just wondering if your clothes are available to purchase in a boutique somewhere or online? If not do you have any plans to make them available it the future?
That slab of fish is making me drool. Would spicy tuna for breakfast be wrong? Also, is that dry ice you used in the photos? Brilliant and beautiful!
Hahaha the fog! Killing me it’s too good. Gives the photos a sweet creepy indulgent 70′s vibe. You must have had a grand time ‘arranging’ the fog, it looks fun to play with.
its actually dry ice! You can’t get this effect with fog.
Redefining fine dining.
looks delicious! and your photos are so artistic and beautiful, stunning as always
x
I check this website everyday hoping that you’ll have something new up. Today I was prepared to send you a message, begging you to post something. But here we are! The presentation of the sushi is stunning. I’ve never had quail egg on sushi before — is it the raw yolk?
You never disappoint.
I gave you a little shout-out in my blog’s (http://gigabiting.com/) article yesterday on food and fashion websites.It hit Salon’s front page- I hope some new folks found you.
I’ve missed your posts!! Glad to see you back
This is fantastic! You are a phenomenal photographer!
beautiful images! everything looks so delectable!
Simply amazing and fantastic! Your photos never cease to amaze me!
http://flashfashfash.blogspot.com
ooooh this looks amazing.
I have not tried uni yet.
i learn a lot of photo techniques from u. nice misty effect!
this is so amazing, i loooove your photos. dry ice im guessing? i am amazed by the wasabi stick!!x
http://ohdearcharlotte.blogspot.com
My favorite thing to eat is sushi so this post has a special place in my heart =) Great photography too. x
Oh my gosh, serious salivating going on right now! This all looks delicious!
Beautiful – are you using dry ice for the smoke effect? It’s lovely. Sushi is my favorite food so of course I’m salivating over all of these pictures.
Beautiful food! Cutting sashimi correctly is something that takes years of training and practice to get the grain just right.
An alternative to the sushi rice recipe you have linked is to use mirin for the water and eliminate the sugar.
Wow! Fantastic as usual.. Dying to try the Ikura and Quail yolk roll! Just imagining the flavour as they burst in the mouth, must be special! Never had uni either, wondering how it tastes like..
That shot of the fresh wasabi is amazing, it looks metallic purple, never seen fresh wasabi!
These pictures are beautiful! And so tormenting, right at lunch time.
Tuna tartare… every time I see pictures I crave it.
I think I just came.
So happy to see a food post, and wish I could partake of this greatness.
Absolutely divine, I love love sushi and all things related – best food in the world and this does it some justice, thank you
i don’t know if you know this BUT YOU’RE MENTIONED IN ELLE UK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
congratulationssss
Thanks but in all honesty I have no idea what issue I’m in, and I don’t even know what it says in the magazine!
Ikura/quail egg has been my favorite since the dawn of time. Thank you for giving it some love!
I know, the egg on egg combination is too rich not to love. Its the best.
Lovely post! What camera do you use?
Hi, that looks great, in fact every picture looks very good, what camera do you use??
byeªªª
Nikon d90
You have an incredible eye for detail. People can cook. People can stitch. But investing so much time and effort (don’t forget the incredible eye for detail!) in one single post is just brilliant!
Have you ever been to O Ya in Boston?
Inspired sashimi dishes and named the best restaurant in the US by New York Times. Can’t go wrong!!
Congratulations, you have succeeded to make me drool.
Live Love LA
WOW! beautiful photography..did you get a new macro lens? Thse roe pictures are amazing..what did you use if you don;t mind sharing.
I saw the post above by Ellie…congratulations on the mention in ELLE UK. Thats awesome
ooo your entries make me drool so much!
you are amazing.
and i am hungry
xo
LOL! LOOOOVVVVVEEEEEEE the dry ice effect. It’s so grand and exaggerated… it makes me giddy. So cool, so cool. When I was a kid I used to buy dry ice and put it in buckets of water just to watch the smoke from it!!! Those sushi looks good… although I only eat the basic ones. I know, I know, shame on me.
Yea you know this post was so fun because I got to throw buckets of hot water into Dry ice. Now I just want dry ice for the sake of watching liquid smokey effects crowd my space… Its so pleasurable for some reason!!!!
OMGosh! This post is UNBELIEVABLE!!! I haven’t made sushi in ages, but I have definitely never made such amazing sushi! Especially with Ikura! (don’t think it is available where I live)…
You are A M A Z I N G ! ! !
where do you get fresh wasabi? i hate the powdered kind most sushi restaurants use.
http://www.wasabi-city.com/Products.html
OMG, LUXI YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY HAS REACHED THE POINT OF PROFESSIONALISM AND PERFECTION. A-MA-ZIIIING!! (THE FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY PARTICULARY)
MY SISTER IS 23, AND AFTER FOUR YEARS OF STUDYING FINANCE, SHE DECIDED TO MOVE TO ITALY AND PURSUE HER TRUE PASSION, CULINARY ARTS. I TOLD HER ABOUT YOUR BLOG, AND HOW AMAZING IT IS, JUST LIKE OU ARE.; AND SHE HAS BEEN CHECKING THE WEBSITE AND OLDER POSTS, EVERYDAY SINCE LAST WEEK. I’LL LET YOU KNOW IF YOU BLOW HER MIND! WHICH I’M SURE OF.
wow wow wow wow wowwowowowowowwwwwwwwwwww
What kind of Nori (seaweed) do you use?
i’m starving, this was a bad idea. TORO is my favorite thing everrrrrrrr. I knew instantly it was Toro from that first huge main photo, it made my day. Now to go and get some…..
oh my i love this study on sushi. did you take the uni out yourself like last time?? your post reminds me of when my mom used to have handroll nights for dinner. it looked just like your set-up minus the dry ice
where did you buy your wasabi?? and how do you store it? i would really like to get myself a root.
http://www.wasabi-city.com/Products.html here is the wasabi link, they ship internationally but the prices are in Yen.
This time I bought the Uni instead of picking them out fresh myself.
the dry ice is a lovely touch for this ethereal post. side note: i saw elles at centre pompidou in paris a couple of weeks ago. a series of photos by gina pane (azione sentimentale) really reminded me of your style. i love the details and seeing the idea followed through to the end so meticulously. werk.
ps link to pane’s piece plus others from the exhibition is here if you are interested.. about halfway through the post. http://dtangled.com/2010/04/15/elles-centre-pompidou/
It’s one thing to be creative, but actualizing part is so meticulous!
I’m always amazed by your creativity and craftmanship,
I once heard that the exterior shouldn’t be shaved off if you want to really understand the fragrance and true taste of wasabi.
omg f u i love this
ok hi its me again you’re in the elle uk may 2010 issue and you’re mentioned by jane aldridge as “the blog” in her list of favourite things. I quote: “This blog is not like any other personal style blog. She stays anonymous and its more about the clothes she creates. I expect in the long run she’s aiming to start her own label. Her photography and food is amazing, too and she inspires me to be a better blogger, ti raise my game.”
so she pretty much says what we all think of you!! amazing work
(hope my posts weren’t too stalkerish, i just thought you’d be happy to know)
Thanks so much Ellie! Jane is too nice, and no you’re not stalkerish!
I never knew that how you cut the fish affects the flavour for sashimi!
Just a behind-the-scenes question; do you ever eat these photography-purpose food with your friends after you shoot them?
And are they occasions where you like to whip out these recipes? (Like the very cool encrusted avocado crab salad)
delicious to eat and to watch !
Amazing!!!
You pictures blowed me away… again!
What kind of lightning equipment do you use?
do you take your own pictures? these pictures are fucking amazing!
So hate Sushi – rubbery and raw, eww! – but I absolutely love the photography and artistry on this one. Fantastic as per usual. And when is this new site/shop coming on stream. Au Courant Daily is uber-curious!
May I inquire to where you get your seeming endless supply of dry ice and how do you recommend handling it? I was told one should never let it get in contact with skin, is that true?
First-time commenter here…have been reading for some time and continuously in awe of what you do…
I was wondering what kind of lens you are using for your shots?
Pure artistry.
xoxox
Carly
love the combo w the dry ice. bet it kept nice and cold. looks amazing. especially the roe.
Oooh, I always remember Alton Brown mentioning fresh wasabi and he said it was extremely rare. I’ve never had it. I remember him saying that it doesn’t really taste like the paste stuff at all and it’s more subtle as far as the spicyness goes.
That dry ice kills me, that shit is voluptuous and luxuriously spilling all around the place. Thats a world I wanna live in. + the toro just looks like glistening jewels…
its rare but not too rare. You won’t find it at whole foods but you can order it off the internet if you like. Its expensive (25-45$) for one bar of Wasabi but it can be used many times before it runs out.
My God! These photos are killing me! Congratulations. I’m food journalist in Brazil and became a fan of this beautiful site.
Phenomenal pics-. Dry ice…oh, yeah! Fun stuff.
I love quail eggs. Alas, we can’t get them here.
Beautiful presentation, as always.
Oh so cool!!! I don’t think that I’ve ever seen fresh wasabi. You learn something new everyday
Truly amazing. I lived in Japan and I never saw sushi quite like this. So unique and wonderful.
you seem to be incredibly rich, to use cold ice just for making some sushi!!
really? Dry ice costs 10$ per 10 lbs. The dry ice for this post cost $20.
Lovely looking rolls. I have to ask, where to you buy your unagi?
xx
Tiffany
You mean Uni? You can buy them here. http://www.catalinaop.com/SearchResults.asp?Cat=70&Click=2&gclid=CP6QkLafjqECFQuB5QodGiqZRQ
mmm it looks so delish!!!
I love your food posts~!
hey do you know exactly why the way you cut fish affects the flavour ? that is the most bizarre thing i have ever heard! who knew. i really want sushi now. the food you make looks so complicated but inspiring.
I just want to start by saying that I love your blog, and everything you do is fantastic. A concern that I had with your post is that you used Toro Tuna. I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but if it’s either Bigeye, Bluefin, or Yellowfin, it’s caught by long-line, which is a really destructive fishing practice, and is doing a lot of damage. It’s not hard to find or buy ocean-friendly seafood, and if you’re interested there is a list of recommendations at http://www.seafoodwatch.org
I always keep a list in my purse when I go for sushi.
Aside from that it was a fantastic post!
Thanks for the comment, I’ll check it out.
Beautiful photography! If I stick out my toungue, I could almost ttaste the sushi.
Wow, every single time, you manage to push the envelope. Keep up the dope work.
you. are. a. genius.
http://legiterally.blogspot.com
I’ve never seen sushi looking this good! Wonderful photography!
Yess. I’ve been waiting for the sushi post! Amazing!
im intrigued by your quail egg. what do you do with the white? and how different does it taste from a chicken’s egg?
your presentation is amazing!
That’s it. I’m going out right now to get sushi for lunch. I’m sure I’ll be disappointed though when it doesn’t look as beautiful as your photos!
I’ve been a long time lurker here, and I have to say every time that you post a food post I instantly become hungry. =) But this post was a little too delicious to bear and I immediately went out to my favourite sushi joint to satisfy my craving. Beautiful and wonderful job as always!
i’ve had to keep away from sushi during this pregnancy, and this post makes me want some so badly! exquisite photos luxi, i just adore your blog.
http://www.halcoholic.com
Uni is my favorite dish. My mouth watered on that close-up. I also love ikura. Have you been to Sakagura? It’s a bit out of the way but I think they have some very worthwhile dishes. They soak bits of uni in a cold broth with soft boiled eggs and ikura. MMM!
i like how we have to go through the fog to see the food.
so exotic
*fog-like dry ice effect*
your camera is sick
You consistently have good posts in your blog. Beautiful photography, layout, dishes and fashion….love love love all the hard work you put into making everything come together. I think this is my first time commenting here…but I just wanted to let you know I appreciate being able to view your work. Wonderful, fabulous, and I love that I can recreate your dishes!
The only thing I didn`t like about this particular post was it seemed like there was too much dry ice in the photos at time…I felt like it detracted from your main subject, but that is just me being picky! I still enjoyed looking at it and it was such a pleasure to see that you updated!
Keep up the fabulous work!
I linked this on my weekly wrapup. Hope you don`t mind!
Beautiful post. I saw this cake online and thought of you!
http://iammommy.typepad.com/i_am_baker/2010/04/mothers-day-garden-party.html
ONLY A KOREAN PERSON WOULD DO THIS.
BEHIND THE SMOKE, IT’S BANAL.
lolol
I think I would die of happiness if you did a food post on something wonderful with Kale, the holy grail of all vegetables.
I think I love the fatty tuna close up shot the very best – the cover shot. As I scrolled down, I first thought it was raw beef. Loved the suspense.
PLS GIVE US SOMETHING NEWWWW!!! i’m heading for 4 more days of exam torture and i’ve memorized every pixel of your last 5 posts already.. not that i didnt want to, but still.
ONLY YOU CAN SAVE ME FROM THIS MISERY!!
I wish I could but I am so…swamped..right now.
Do you prefer that grater over a sharkskin wasabi grater?
Your photography is incredible. It all looks so yummy! I love toro, definitely one of my favorites.
http://www.tishevangelista.com
wtf !
wtf ! why foggy—! (maybe dry ice…)
This is just so freakin’ awesome! I love how you simply say, “How to prepare sushi rice…” like it’s any old food blog then blow us away with…with amazingness! You are in a different category of “food blogging”, my dear.
P.S. Glad your mom is doing better.
YOU AMAZE ME!!!!!!!!!
e v e r y s i n g l e t i m e .
wow wow wow.
Always such beautiful images and thoughtfulness behind every move.
I love that you’ve gone back to the old format too. So much easier to read.
Hi,
I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.
Regards,
Jane
Stunning. I would love to see a post just on your photo process. I really dig the smoke in the presentation!
Thought you should check out a new “luxe” foodie site–Expedition East. It’s an inspiration board from the restaurant, Double Crown, and sort of a repository for things they come across on their eastward travels. Totally rad.
http://www.doublecrown-nyc.com/expeditioneast/
This sushi is unbelievable! i have never seen food look so beautiful and delicious. and i just had all my colleagues dying over the amazingness of truffle post. wow!
Heh. Hope you mixed up Chinese & Japanese items purposely for deco/photography purpose. That traditional bamboo container are for Chinese Dim Sums ^_^
DONE!
I AM IN……
WHERE DO I JOIN?
BB