I've always had a thang for sushi. I didn't always though, well not the raw stuff anyway. But that quickly changed once I got over my fear, and I've never looked back.

I've watched Jiro Dreams of Sushi probably six times. I've sat at the bar over a dozen, watched countless YouTube videos, and still found it hard as hell to mirror. But practice makes perfect right?

preface: we decided to stick with tuna, salmon, and riffs off the California roll

Supermarket checklist:

sushi rice (it stands up to more water! - hence the sticky quality)
nori (seaweed)
rice wine vinegar
sesame seeds
patience
vegetables : cucumber, avocado
crab sticks (they're usually frozen)
seafood: assorted fish, shrimp, scallops, clams, anything is possible ::KG voice::
practice

One crucial thing to keep in mind when shopping for fish at the supermarket is freshness. If it smells fishy, don't buy it. Fish should never smell fishy when raw, ironic I know. It's really important to stick to farm-raised fish because of the strict regulations, which usually prevent worms/other nasty parasites and things from making you sick. You can usually physically see the worms in these fishes, but to be safe and not sorry you can freeze your fish before using. Both heat and frost help kill bacteria/parasites.

Now that the safety measures are out of the way...When it comes to picking tuna, any kind will usually do, you can't go wrong with wild. If you're picking salmon, you wanna ask if they have Scottish or King, ask for the fattier portion of the fish always (they'll know what you mean), and ask to have them remove the skin for you! I forgot this time, and although it wasn't extremely difficult, their knives are probably at their sharpest/it'll make your life easier.

Rice Prep:

you wanna get your rice started first! as it needs time to cool down.
measure your rice out, and be sure to wash it thoroughly (at least 3/4 times) before adding heat to it.
the water should run clear!!

while your rice is going on the stove, feel free to start peeling/slicing your veggies and marinating your fish.

For the veggies, the cut all depends on your personal preference. I like my cucumbers julienned but on the other hand I like my avocado cut pretty thickly.

RINSE THE FISH OFF FIRST!

For the vinegar marinade, we just stuck to 2 parts rice wine vinegar to 1 part water. Lay the fish on each side for about 5-7 minutes. For mackerel, feel free to leave it in for much much longer.

Once your fish has sat for a bit, pat dry with paper towels.

To cut the fish, you wanna make sure your fish is 1.5-2 inches wide, and .5-1 inch thick.

do it at a 45 degree angle (something I'm working on) or flat (straight down like if you were to slice bread) each slice should be up to 1/4 inch thick. It's important to wipe your knife on a damp towel in between slices. Refrigerate for up to 4 hours if you don't use em right away.

Any good sushi, starts with the rice that's why I'm spending so much time on it. After the rice is done cooking, you want to add a su (vinegar solution).

For the vinegar su , you want 1/4 of a cup per every cup of rice.

4 cups sushi rice
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup sake or mirin

Once your rice is done, you wanna transfer it into a mixing bowl, preferably wooden, and add your su by folding it into the rice.

After everything's folded in, put a damp towel over it and keep the rice warm until it's ready to use.

Once you've got everything ready you want to put about a handful of rice onto the nori. Make sure the nori's rough side is the side touching the rice. Evenly spread out the rice by picking it up, as opposed to smushing it down! You should be able to see little holes down to the nori. Add sesame seeds and your ingredients and you're ready to rock and or roll.