When the temperature soars above 90 degrees, as it did this weekend here in Rhode Island, I don't want to cook, but I still want to eat. Welcome to Vegetable Sushi Week, Day One: the rice. My local Asian supermarket is the second-most-dangerous place on Earth. At the Super 88 Market, whole aisles are devoted to dried noodles, dishes and chopsticks, spicy condiments, fresh greens like choi sum and long beans and chive blossoms, tofu, soy sauce, curry pastes, rice, frozen potstickers -- and cookware. I cannot resist the piles of woks, spatulas, skimmers and spiders (not the creepy-crawly kind, but the ones you use to remove food from a fryer), spice toasters, clay pots, dumpling rollers, bamboo steamers, cleavers, chopping blocks, sushi mats and ladles. I have had all of these in my pantry at one time or another, along with three -- yes, three -- rice cookers, each slightly different, that begged to come home with me. And because I love my rice cookers, I always have Nishiki rice on hand to feed them.

Nishiki, a California-grown brand of medium-grain rice (technically, it's a longer-than-average short-grain rice), is processed using a new milling technology called musenmai. The musenmai process blends heated tapioca with the rice kernels; when moisturized, the tapioca and bran stick to each other, rise to the surface, and both are removed, leaving behind a bright, fresh-tasting, cleaned rice which does not need to be rinsed again before cooking. Water-saving rice... what's not to love? Nishiki rice comes in white or brown varieties; the white rice is available in the Asian foods aisle in my local grocery store, but the brown rice is a bit harder to find. At the Asian grocery, a five-pound bag of white rice costs $4.59. Compared to long-grain rice, which takes two cups of water for every one cup of rice, Nishiki rice takes two cups of water for 1.5 cups of rice. In a rice cooker or on the stovetop, if left to steam (with the lid on) for 15 minutes after the cooking is complete, the rice becomes slightly sticky, which is ideal for maki, temaki, and inarizushi, but also perfect for serving with stir-fry dishes, because it's easy to pick up with chopsticks.

Oh, you're probably wondering ... what's the most dangerous place on Earth? A bookstore, of course. If you don't have a rice cooker (and you should -- you can buy one for under $15, and it will change your life!), prepare rice on the stovetop according to package directions. Makes 6 cups of cooked rice. 3 cups Nishiki or other medium-grain white rice1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar (Marukan brand is widely available)3 Tbsp sugar1 tsp kosher saltfood delivery n11 london Pour rice into a sieve, and rinse under cold tap water, gently swishing the rice around with your fingers until the water is almost clear, 1 minute. genki sushi menu sg(Do not overrinse, as you need to retain some starch in the rice.) sushi grade ahi tuna chicago

To dry, spread the rice up and around the sides of the sieve, exposing as much of it as possible to the air. Let sit for about 30 minutes, until the rice is completely dry.Place the rice and 4 cups water in a rice cooker, and set to Cook. While the rice is steaming, make the dressing: In a small saucepan over low heat, stir the vinegar, sugar and salt until the sugar and salt dissolve. sushi hong kong gennep(or, you can microwave on High for 60 seconds). get sushi lommeDo not let the mixture boil. yo sushi delivery birminghamSet aside to cool. jiro dreams of sushi berlinIf you’re making this ahead, pour into a screw-top jar and refrigerate.

When the rice is cooked, remove it to a sushi-oke or a large shallow wooden bowl, like a salad bowl, or large glass baking dish. Set the rice cooker insert aside -- you’ll be putting the rice back into it.Spread out the hot rice with the edge of a paddle, evenly over the bottom of the bowl, in a slashing motion. Holding the paddle perpendicular to the rice, drizzle the dressing over the back of the paddle evenly over the rice surface. With the paddle, slice and fold the dressing through the rice until the grains are coated and glossy.Place the dressed sushi rice back in the rice cooker and cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel to keep in the moisture. Click the cooker button on Warm. Sushi rice is easier to handle when it’s warm. It doesn’t have to be warm when you serve it, just when you’re forming the rolls. links in this post. Thank you for supporting this site when you start your shopping here. I like this recipe because it is pretty easy and I have gotten good results everytime I use it.

It is adapted from a couple of different recipes. (This makes almost 2 cups of seasoning, I put what I have left in a jar or bottle and refrigerate) For the seasoning cup rice wine vinegar 12 cup superfine sugar 14 cup sea salt (you can use regular salt, but sea salt seems to dissolve better) For the actual rice cups japanese rice (I use Nishiki Brand) tablespoons of seasoned vinegar 10 Things to Make With Instant Rice For the seasoned vinegar: Combine ingredients in a small sauce pan over med-low heat until sugar and salt are dissolved. Allow to cool and store in the refrigerator. For the rice: Put 3 cups of rice in a large bowl and rinse until the water is clear. Drain the rice and add the 3 cups of cold water to a pot with a good-fitting lid. DO not cover the pot yet, though. Over high heat, bring to a simmer. Once the rice is simmering, cover rice and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for 10 minutes without removing the pot lid at all.

Turn heat down to the lowest setting and cook for another 10 minutes. Now, turn off the heat and let the rice sit in the pot ON the stove for 15 minutes. Turn the rice into a wooden, glass, or stainless steel bowl and sprinkle with 6 tbsp of seasoned vinegar. Mix the vinegar with the rice with a cutting motion being careful to only mix for about 5 minutes Max. Cover rice with a damp towel and allow to cool to room temperature. This rice is easiest to manipulate while it is room temperature or warmer. If you refrigerate the rice it gets harder to work, but you could save it for leftovers--just keep it covered with a damp cloth. This makes enough for about 10 rolls of Maki-sushi or 60 pieces of Nigiri-sushi.This was so easy....who knew? I made sushi last night and this rice worked so good. I was nervous about making them but with this recipe, everything is so clear in the instructions that you can't screw it up. Thank you for helping me with my all time favorite food.