cover image Sushi Made Easy

Sushi Made Easy

Kumfoo Wong, Noel Cottrell. New Holland Australia(AU), $12.95 (79pp) ISBN 978-1-85974-436-9

Preparing sushi is intimidating to most Americans, not least because it requires meticulous attention to presentation, as well as an intricate and subtle understanding of textures and tastes. In Sushi Made Easy, Michele Gomes and Noel Cottrell demystify one of the urbanite's favorite foods, outlining the necessary utensils, equipment (yes, readers should get one of those cool bamboo rolling mats) and main ingredients, and explaining how to cook the sticky rice exactly right and how to buy and cut the fish. They guide the reader through the process of preparing nigiri-sushi (fish served over balls of rice), then explain how to make sushi rolls, inside-out rolls (rice outside the seaweed), hand rolls, California hand rolls, rolled sweet omelets and clear soups, concluding with the all-important setting of the table. Fittingly, the book is a beautiful aesthetic experience; sensuous, tactile color photographs appear on almost every page. ( June)