Sushi in the South of France

Today is a beautiful Saturday. Everyone was busy rushing around last night and today people are sleeping in a bit. I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast and then met up with everyone. I accompanied Ann to the store, where she told me how they are a bit more expensive but if people stop going and it closes, people will move out of the village; which is what is happening all over France. It is sad to hear but I understand wanting a grocery store to go to that is not 1 hour away. Ann got her supplies and then we headed home.

Auriane has been all about sushi and Ann picked up some rice when we were in Arles for her hair appointment. I explained how difficult it is to make sushi and I tried with Justin and his parents once. I would rather spend the crazy money and buy it when I can (not in New Mexico, it is bad there, but in Atlanta where it is good mmmmm MF Sushi how I miss you!!). Ann said that it is very easy so I was curious to see how they made it “easy.”

The made the rice like regular rice and then added some rice vinegar to it. They did not know how much to add so they just put some in (Already this is 100 times easier then when I made it. The rice was the hardest thing to make and we spent a long time making it, adding the vinegar to the précis measurements and then keeping it warm). Then they cut up some cucumbers, they were cut into half circles and not thin so Ann took over. I was in charge of the avocado. Next they took out the seaweed and Ann cut it in half (wtf?). Then Auriane went to pour some wasabi powder onto the seaweed, I explained it was powder and she needed to add water to it. She said I was wrong but Ann talked her into giving it a try. Auriane was happy to see that it turned out looking like the picture in her book.

Next we needed to make the rolls…Auriane laid out the half of seaweed and then added rice to it. It was sticking to her fingers and she was eating the rice that could not get off of her fingers. I showed her that she could dip her fingers in the rice vinegar to keep the rice from sticking, she tried that for a majority of the time but still enjoyed the extra munchies. She filled the seaweed in the middle and did not spread the rice. She put two thin slices of cucumber and then worked very hard in rolling the seaweed with one turn. Now, this was a relaxing way to make sushi, I mean I just sat smiling and let her enjoy; it was great fun for Auriane. (I had done rice on the inside and the outside of the seaweed, we filled the seaweed with grade A fish and the veggies, and we used the whole sheet of seaweed working very hard to make it look like real sushi; here the goal was to get something edible).

We made a cucumber and an avocado roll. Then Ann saw how small they were and she cut the seaweed into a bigger part. I asked about this and she said that the whole sheet makes sushi that is too big for them. Auriane finished two more rolls, one with tuna fish, and then began to cut. No wonder why the whole sheet makes sushi that is too big, she was cutting them for a giant! I told her what size to make them and then she altered it to a bigger size, it was funny to watch. It is great to see her willing to go in the kitchen and try to cook and make things! We enjoyed our lunch and then hung around for a bit. I went onto the terrace for a bit while Ann drove Alain somewhere and then headed in.