Raw Fushi

Despite the fact Sushi has been around since the second century A.D., this little curly personage has yet to set foot inside a sushi restaurant. Perhaps it's the idea of raw fish contaminating surfaces in the kitchen, or mental flashbacks from Shark Tale, or not being able to figure out what a roll of rice, crab, and avocado has to do with my home state, but for some reason I've never had the urge to give it a try. However, when one of my bff's mailed me this video and an invite to join her for a little sushi action I had to give it a try.

Back home the next day I found myself trying to pinpoint the exact reason why I had so much fun. Seeing as I detest rice, don't do fish, and lack the finger-brain coordination to use chopsticks with any reasonable sense of efficiency, why was I so enamored by a food that did not appeal to my tastebuds? After a few bites of a brown rice, vegetarian roll I realized that real attraction of this form of cuisine was not, in fact, the taste. It is actually a primal instinct for us girls to respond to the round, circular patterns and incredibly gorgeous sushi chefs carrying large knives... Or, for this little personage, the attention to detail and overall attractiveness of the food. Food as art = Emily's kind of meal.

But something had to be done about the taste. And herein was the creative spark behind my latest creation. Behold the marvelous FUSHI! (Because F+ ushi = fake sushi)



Fushi

Large lettuce leaves (I used butter lettuce)
1 cup jicama (run through food processor until a rice-like consistency is achieved)
1/2 of an avocado
Various veggies such as shredded carrots or red bell pepper, broccoli or cabbage slaw

Tear the lettuce leaves into long strips. Spoon a scoopful of faux rice into the center and add a bit of avocado and other veggies. Repeat until you have a whole plate of sushi and are ridiculously sick of the whole idea.



I spent an absurd amount of time arranging, re-arranging, making, and re-making these faux sushi rolls, my dear friends. I'm talking hours of my highly valuable time. However, the sacrifice was worth it. By the time lunch was actually on my plate I was starving and everyone knows that in that state of extreme famishment even poo rolls would have tasted good to this hungry palette.

And what did I serve these little delicacies with? What happens when Pbu meets Mr. Soy Sauce and they have a delightful, sodium-ridden child? Pbu-Fu-Yu is born. (Just sub one part soy sauce and one part water for the almond breeze and add a touch of ginger).




Should you find yourself salivating over the idea of making edible works of art, or perhaps, in search of a meal to impress your sushi-crazy amigos, give Fushi a try.

Sayonara,

Emily