The Complete Guide to Sushi and Sashimi

Cook, an executive sushi chef at N.Y.C's Morimoto restaurant, pools his talents with Elliot, a chef turned marketing executive, to create this wonderfully practical guide. Many home chefs love eating sushi and sashimi in restaurants but are daunted by the idea of trying to make these dishes in their own kitchens. The goal of this book is to dispel the fear and teach sushi lovers how it's done, using 625 color photos and step-by-step instructions. It includes a brief history of sushi; a description of the tools and ingredients required; tips on buying, storing, and butchering fish; and a comprehensive how-to section for sashimi and sushi. The authors explain how to make sushi rice, what knives to use, how to clean a bamboo roller, and how to prevent sticky rice from sticking to your hands. They also provide an assortment of recipes ranging from easy cucumber rolls to more complex dragon rolls, California rolls, and rainbow rolls. Each recipe contains useful tips, ideas for variations, and a list of equipment and ingredients required. These clear directions, coupled with numbered photos depicting the sushi crafting process from start to finish, make a sushi meal at home seem tantalizingly possible. (Oct.)