Nori sheets and rice vinegar for sushi making - need them safe for pa and tna.

[Jessica]

My son wants to try making sushi. Is Eden still considered safe? Or is there another brand that is? I can order them online if needed. Need the sheets of nori and the rice vinegar for making the rice part.

[PurpleCat]

Jessica, there is a safe one and Whole Foods was selling it about 2 years ago.  DD was having Sushi at a party and I brought Nori, a rolling mat and tools for her.  I can not remember the brand but a call to Whole Foods might help.

I use Nakano Rice Vinegar all the time that I can buy at any grocery store.  My DD has multiple allergies.

[twinturbo]

Yama Moto Yama for nori. Marukan for sushisu (seasoned rice vinegar). If you buy unseasoned rice vinegar make sure to put the right portion of sugar and salt in for sushi making. You should be be able to buy it at any Japanese or Korean owned market or possibly regular grocery store. Not too many Chinese or SE Asian markets will have the preferred brands.

For temaki (hand roll) you don't need a mat, only for norimaki (nori rolls) or any other ~maki (roll). I don't always use a mat even for rolls. Have him watch some Youtube vids for technique like making sure the filling and roll is tight, having a wet cloth for cutting, small bowl of vinegar/salted water for hands to avoid 'rice mittens'.

Hanamikai is in April. BYOB bring your own bento. ヽ(=´▽`=)ﾉ

[CMdeux]

^ 

That's the same set of brands we use.

Oh-- and once you open a package of Nori, be sure to reseal in a freezer bag for storage, as it will otherwise go stale in a hurry.  Also-- leave the dessicant packet in with it.

[twinturbo]

^ 

That's the same set of brands we use.

How terribly convenient. #bento&samurai

Oh, I noted to myself a month or two ago that Hormel Natural Honey Deli Ham would make the perfect surimi substitute.

[Jessica]

Thanks everyone-I'll start looking online. We have no whole foods and no ethnic stores here so my choices are regular grocery stores and internet. He just wants to make kappa maki so all we need for the filling is cucumber.

[twinturbo]

Uwajimaya or Amazon. I trust the former more than the latter for warehousing to avoid third party merchant. For better or worse I've been to every single Uwajimaya location but I'm very sure it's gonna ship from Washington. They're good I've shipped hard to find perishables from them across the country before as well.

Third choice is CM or I send to you. Bonus there is we can also send Guittard stocked by our local stores. I'm gimped for next 24 hours but should be ok after.

[Jessica]

I can't figure out how to order from uwajimaya. Sometimes it would be nice to live in an area with some actual stores. I'll get a list and let you know-maybe a food fairy is what i need right now. I'll at least check local stores for the sushisu first (and maybe even the nori-maybe they'll surprise me).

I should have paid attention when my mom used to make this stuff.

[twinturbo]

For nuts I would use about any brand of sushisu Mizkan/mitsukan, Kikkoman, Marukan, etc. Same for nori *in sheets*. Obviously not in furikake or arare/senbei all bets are off there. Most of the seaweed is farmed in China/Japan seas then processed in Japanese factory. I'm just brand loyal. Like will I eat Yamasa? Yes, but Kikkoman is what I grew up with.

I can throw in some botan ame for you too. Here it's in regular grocery store.

[Jessica]

Do you consider botan ame safe? I buy myself some limited things at a japanese grocery that's about an hour away. I usually buy natto there, so I only go if we're going straight home (although dh is sure nothing worse could happen to natto). I buy yokan too (none with chestnut) and my mom sends me instant (horrors) zenzai, premade curry rice packets, and umeboshi and regular ochazuke on a regular basis. I don't let dd try any of this though.

[twinturbo]

I'd let DS1 eat botan ame and probably ochazuke, because those are pretty set standards. Natto no one but us moms and grandmas are going to eat kinda like umeboshi.

Yokan... I'd be a little concerned only because it crosses the dessert line and while peanuts aren't native to cuisine it's sure become a welcomed addition to desserts, too welcomed. Although plain packaged US made Japanese style daifuku would be worth looking in to. Def not Taiwan or Chinese spin on mochi dessert it's almost always peanut.

Curry is one I only trust homemade. One brand is thickened with PB. The instant packets you're using are a different brand.

But before any of those packaged items there's so many other things to try that would be more under home control like oyakodon, sukiyaki, tempura, zarusoba. I think memmi would be safe for pa tna and that's the mother sauce.

Hey, hit your mom up for Yama Moto Yama and Marukan. She'll get so excited the grandkids are into it.

[Jessica]

LOL. That would get her excited for sure. Unfortunately she would insist on subbing her own favorite brands. She does not get it when it comes to dd's allergies.

The curry is S&B brand. I know House brand is not safe. I honestly prefer my mom's made-from-scratch curry rice but I'm not that ambitious and I know my kids wouldn't like the flavor anyway. Same with zenzai. I can make it from the dry beans but my kids don't like it and I questioned the safety of the shiratama (I use this brand for myself http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1021/645107680_68ec00a161.jpg ) so I don't bother.

I'd love a recipe for oyakodon. That was one of my favorites as a kid but danged if I can remember how my mom made it. I only remember eggs, onions and chicken and since I didn't like onions then she somehow made it without them but still managed to get the sauce going. She always complained though, saying the onions were what made the sauce. Zarusoba too. Do you trust any brand of noodles for those or just certain ones?

[twinturbo]

LOL. That would get her excited for sure. Unfortunately she would insist on subbing her own favorite brands. She does not get it when it comes to dd's allergies.

Dude. I so, SO know what you mean. I took a chance yours wasn't like mine but, they are what they are.

I'll find and post the oyakodon. Nummy.

[CMdeux]

The noodle brand that we use is Australian, I think, Jessica.

They even make a matcha soba.... {swoon}

[Jessica]

Australian is the name of the brand?