Sushi Rice

Sushi is a Japanese dish with a variety of small cold rice cakes traditionally filled with fish or vegetables, wrapped with Nori seaweed,. The taste of this little rice cake is sweet and sour because after the rice is cooked, it is then flavored with vinegar solutions, which is called sushi-zu in Japan. Sushi is gaining in popularity around the world. Surprisingly, very lillte equipment is needed to make sushi – a bamboo mixing bowl, a wooden spatula and the sushi mat is really essential – and these can be found in any Asian grocery. Sushi is made with both raw and cooked fish. If using raw fish, it is important to know where the fish is supplied because raw fish has more bacteria and parasites than cooked fish. Leave this kind of sushi for the professionals. Instead buying sushi in the grocery store, I have a few simple sushi recipes that require very little effort to make at home. The recipe below will guarantee to make you happy and proud to serve to guests.
Sushi rice is the most important ingredient for making sushi. There are several brands of sushi rice identified as sushi rice; however, if these brands are not available, the short-grain glutinous white rice can be substituted.

Sushi rice ingredients:
2 cups of short-grain rice or sushi rice (it sells in most grocery stores)
2 cups water or Kombu stock*
Pot with cover or Electric cooker (using an electric rice cooker is easier)

Vinegar seasoning ingredients:
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup mirin (Japanese cooking wine)
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp salt

Directions:
Wash rice under cold running water until the water is completely clear.

 Drain rice in a colander for at least 1 hour. Place the rice and water in an electric rice cooker. Press start.

Prepare the vinegar seasoning while the sushi rice is cooking. In a small saucepan, heat the rice vinegar, mirin, sugar and salt. Just as the solution begins to boil, turn the heat off.
When the rice is done, remove it from the rice cooker. Place the hot cooked rice in a mixing bowl and pour the sushi seasoning evenly over the rice. Using each hand separately, pour the vinegar seasoning and select fan the sushi rice to cool it down as quickly as you can. Lightly mix the vinegar in carefully, trying not to break a single rice grain.
The sushi rice should look shiny and be at room temperature when ready to use.

*Kombu is a type of kelp or seaweed comes in long sheets or strips. Only a small piece of Kombu is needed to make stock any time a recipe requires mi so soup or flavored rice.
1 piece Kombu about 4-inch length
5 cups of water
1/2 tsp soy sauce
Clean Kombu with a wet paper towel. Place in stock pot with 5 cups of water. Soak this Kombu for 30 minutes. Turn the stove on low heat. Bring stock to a boil, then turn the heat off. Remove Kombu, and drain the stock. Add soy sauce.