Make-Your-Own Sushi Party

Last night, my former boss and the rest of my current department gathered for a wedding party/shower to celebrate my upcoming wedding to B. Sadly, B couldn't make it. In fact, he's in his first exam of the spring, a grueling eight-hour take-home. Prayers for B! As the sensitive, caring wife-to-be that I am, I carried on with my plight, enjoying the party to its fullest.

Because my boss knows that my friend group and I are planners (movie nights, Barbie parties, weekly dinner), she decided to do something different and threw a make-your-own sushi party. She provided all the goodies including seaweed wrappers, sushi rice, salmon, shrimp, avocado, wasabi, cucumber, carrot... need I go on? She (wisely) went for steamed shrimp and smoked salmon, as we did tend to linger on the back porch by the alcohol, but once we got rolling (pun-intended), it was fantastic and really easy.

Basically, you take your bamboo roller and wrap it in syran wrap (to keep the sticky rice from... sticking), then lay a seaweed wrapper on top. Depending on if you want rice on the inside or the outside of the roll, you put the shiny side up or down, then cover with sticky rice that's been slightly sweetened. Mash it into a fine layer, then flip the seaweed sheet over (don't worry, the rice will stay put) and fill it with everything. We mostly did a spicy cream cheese with smoked salmon, avocado, cucumber, carrots, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds on top.

Once you have your roll filled, start at one edge, roll it over the filling, and pull it back toward you, using the bamboo sheet to press it firmly together. Think burrito-- roll, tuck, squeeze, then keep rolling. If you think you're pressing too hard, you aren't. You want the roll tight!

The sushi was fabulous, but the company was definitely not-to-be missed. It was a great night, and the perfect way to celebrate a regular Thursday in Birmingham.

This afternoon, we're leaving for L's lake house for the weekend to celebrate her 25th birthday. Yea! I'm looking forward to 48 hours of relaxation and happiness before I get back and go for the final push on wedding planning, apartment organizing, packing, and my final 7 days of work in the Birmingham office. Crazy!