Finally, here’s my last post of milking my 40th birthday.
I gave it away in the title, but my gift from Michelle at the end of the secret girls’ weekend birthday outing was a sushi making class.
Monday night, after all that walking we’d already done, we trekked over near Columbia University to the apartment of Misako “Misa” Sassa, a Japanese cooking instructor who does individual and group classes for both adults and children. Check out her website here.
Her apartment was a super-cool pre-war, with high ceilings, big windows, hardwood floors and this strange connecting hallway between the main hall and the kitchen that she turned into the most excellent pantry I’ve ever seen and which I covet greatly.
Misa was down-to-earth, funny, and a really good cook, in addition to being a great teacher. She also has a son who struck me as being a somewhat quieter version of my #5.
This is his artwork:
If there is a unifying theme to making sushi, it is to always begin with exactly the right ingredients.
The first thing Misa taught us is that sushi is all about the rice. People think it’s about the fish, but really it’s the rice– rice and presentation.
You have to start with the right kind of rice, and then there’s a lot of work involved– not in the actual cooking part, but the before and after part.
I already knew that this was going to be way beyond me to recreate at home.
Misa demonstrated how she doesn’t need to go to the gym because she works out with the rice. She polished it first, which is basically scrubbing the crap out of it in a giant pan with all your might, rinsing, and repeating, over and over.
My sister (the nurse) asked, “Don’t you lose a lot of the nutritional value of the rice by doing that?”
Misa looked her in the eye, said, “Yes,” and kept on polishing.
When the rice is prepped, it goes in the rice cooker. It doesn’t take up a burner and it never screws up the rice. Once it’s in, you don’t have to think about it.
While the rice was cooking, she prepped some fish. In line with our theme, she told us the most important thing about the fish is to get the freshest possible sushi grade fish you can. The guys at her fish market know her now and are a little bit afraid of her.
“This is good,” she said. “Now they see me coming and just run to the back to get the freshest piece of salmon they have. I don’t have to threaten them anymore. Saves time.”
She pointed out something that I’d heard but never really integrated: truly fresh fish has no odor. It doesn’t smell fishy. I practically buried my nose in the salmon she had and didn’t smell a thing.
When we made Ebi (shrimp) I learned two things: stick it on a skewer before cooking to keep it straight, and remove the mud vein after cooking, not before.
Isn’t she beautiful?
We made Unagi (eel), one of my favorites.
Misa buys it pre-prepped and heats it in her eel oven:
I love that her toaster oven is the eel oven. It’s the only thing she uses it for.
Prepped eel is super, super sticky from the sauce that comes on it.
The last dish Misa demonstrated in the kitchen was Tamago (egg). I used to order it when I went out for sushi but it’s cold, often oversweet and rubbery. I never order it anymore. Misa said in Japan, Tamago is truly the measure of a sushi restaurant. If you order it here in the US, pretty much always the restaurant is buying it from a distributer and not making it themselves which is why the quality is so low.
This Tamago is something else entirely.
There’s a special Tamago pan. The mixture is egg with a bit of sugar and salt and whatever subtle secrets the chef wants to include, and it is cooked in layers. One thin layer of egg goes in, bubbles, cooks and then is rolled to one side. Another layer goes in and cooks the same way. Then the layers are rolled together. Another layer goes in. It takes a while.
We ate this Tamago right away and it was like nothing I’ve ever had. Maybe a combination of crepes, omelettes, popovers, and unicorns.
If I could get Tamago like that, I would order it every time I went for sushi.
The rice came out of the cooker and was seasoned with a blend of sake, sugar and vinegar. Then the fanning began– the other reason Misa doesn’t need to go to the gym.
Even though I do go to the gym, I did not fan well. I was relieved of my responsibilities in short order.
We went to the table to assemble our creations.
Here’s another one of the coolest things ever that we did.
We made a roll that Misa said in Japan is the palate cleansing roll. I’ve never seen it on the menu here, although it is possible that I’ve missed it.
Rice, a flat Japanese basil, radish sprouts, and a pickled plum in bits.
I had never had any of those things before. Well, except the rice.
Misa helped us make spicy tuna hand rolls and instructed us on how to assemble our sushi. Then she disappeared into the kitchen and whipped up a few other dishes for us while we were making this:
There was dessert:
When Misa learned it was my birthday, she gave me a gift:
It was most definitely a multi-win night.
Michelle has taught me that the greatest gifts are experiences. I highly recommend Misa’s cooking class. Too often we think, “Oh, I’d love to do that,” and then never make it a priority. Time passes and we carry on, not trying that thing we’d love to do. Is there something you’ve always wanted to try? I just read an article about a woman who took a trapeze class. That sounds awesome, and terrifying. I wonder what Michelle would do if I got her that for her birthday.
JM Randolph, accidentalstepmom 
We are so cavalier about our food these days, there is no wonder we have an obesity epidemic! But in slowing down to really understand the preparation of the food, how much love goes into the food, we really gain a new appreciation for the earth and the people who feed us. This is the principle behind keeping kosher: always maintains a sacred connection between oneself and o d’s food. Sounds like you had a sacred little birthday! What a great thing! I’m so excited for you and all the wonderful things you are doing. I say milk 40 all year, baby! 😉
You make a very good point. And yeah, I guess I did have a sacred little birthday! I think I’ll take your advice and milk it all year.
You make a great point about the greatest gifts being experiences. After 45 years of riding western I decided to take English riding lessons. It’s fun and hard and very, very challenging, but I’m glad I finally got around to doing something I’ve always wanted to try. (Even jumping!) Plus, as an added bonus it meant buying some new clothes! (And boots and a helmet, which I now wear EVERY time I ride, no matter what style.) I mean, it’s like I discovered the mother lode of good stuff! So kudos to you for gettin’ out there and doing something new and havin’ fun with good friends!
Wow- that’s very cool! It must have been so difficult to completely change the way you’ve been doing something from the very beginning. Trying new things keeps it all fresh.
that sounds amazing! what a wonderful birthday!
Thanks- it was really fantastic.
I think your 40th sounds amazing! Thank god for good friends who adore each other and for friends who need guidance (or bullying) about gifts so you get a nice pen. What are we going to do for 50?
I’ll trapeze if you will.
You put it on the internet. That’s like, contractually binding.
I side stepped the trapeze, but I did take the pole dancing lesson!
Awesome! And how was the pole dancing? I was signed up for a class but something came up and kept me from making it, so now I can’t do the intro special again. Also, I find it hard to believe that somewhere in your career you haven’t been required to do trapeze work.
This is so, so, SO cool! I love that she does this in her house, so you feel like it’s even more special. (And I want to see that pantry!) What a GREAT gift, and the sushi looks amazing. I’ve never tried Tamago, but now I won’t unless Misa is making it! Eel might be my favorite, too. (The “eel oven” cracked me up.)
I’ve actually made ‘vegetarian’ sushi a couple of times, but compared to this, well…I don’t think anything compares to this. And I’m with Renee, – milk 40 all year!
I really wanted to take pictures of her son but I refrained. He was such a cutie. He was like a parallel version of #5, one who ate fish. Apparently there is an amazing Japanese market in Edgewater.
I don’t eat sushi because I don’t like fish. Or rice, for that matter. But I can appreciate the art of it. It’s one of the prettiest foods I’ve ever seen. You had a great 40th birthday! I hope mine’s half as nice.
#5 also doesn’t like fish. Taking him for sushi would be like his own circle of hell. It certainly is pretty though.
Experiences ARE great gifts. Love ’em!
It’s awesome that your friend gave you sushi making lessons. That needs to be added to my Life List for sure. I love sushi, and I find myself getting annoyed when I have to wait in restaurants. I catch myself thinking, “Seriously… They’re not COOKING it!” I may need to get a workout myself to appreciate it a little more. Thanks for sharing.
And HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONTH!
I know, right? I’ve gotten to sit at the sushi bar a couple of times and watch them making it in front of me, which is pretty cool. I am definitely not that skilled with a knife, and the rolling part is tricky.
Been hiding out for a while, but thought I’d stop by and get the latest scoop. “Happy Birthday!”
Looks like you had fun, but I gotta tell ya…I’m Midwest all the way and I’d prefer a slab of cooked meat over raw fish any day. Of course if liquor was included…..
Ah yes, you sound like my dad- teriyaki for you then! I am pretty sure my dad considers sushi to be bait.
What a great experience – thanks for sharing it! This was a fun one to tie up your birthday posts with. I have almost felt like we were there with you!
Wow! That sounds amazing. Your birthday experience made me feel like I suck at getting people presents for their birthdays. Man! Time to up my game!!!
I never realised it was such hard work!
Happy Belated Birthday! We just moved and I’m getting caught up with my non-essential but necessary reading. I love your blog! It makes me laugh. (Plus between Kaci and Milk, I feel like I’ve known you for years.)