Sushi. Food or Bait?

I don't eat it anymore. Many years ago I was out with a group of business co-workers and we all had sushi. We were in California and it was fresh. However, a couple of days later I developed cracks on the corners of my mouth that would occasionally bleed. It took forever to go away and my doctor said it was most likely a fungus from the sushi. I know... ewwww.
 
Internationally renowned sushi chef preparing and enjoying his culinary masterpiece...

Image result for golem eating fish gif


Image result for golem eating fish gif
 

I was in Campbell River British Columbia when I met a helpful restaurant owner who gave me a ride to find propane for my boat's stove. He was so nice and his establishment was close to the marina, so I had dinner there as a thank you. He saw me come in and waited on me personally. He gave me a menu, and I asked him what was good, and he recommended, "The Bucket of Bait which is quite popular."

This is not a joke. It was on the menu. It was an assortment of things from the sea, shrimp, scallops, oysters, and a lot of other I don't know what all, served in a miniature bucket as a thick tasty stew. And it was good. I went back and tried other things on the menu over the week, and it was all top notch.
 
My two cents from an old bird who used to call it “bait,” too 🙂


I’m with a bunch of you, raw fish never thrilled me. But I learned something: not all sushi is raw. And you can make a “sushi-ish” supper that’s fully cooked and cozy.


What won me over is a Cooked Salmon “Sushi” Bake. Everything’s baked, nothing raw, so it tastes like a warm California roll. It’s easy on the teeth, easy on the tummy, and easy on the cook.


How I make it (simple as can be):


  • Heat oven to 400°F.
  • Lay a 1–1½ lb salmon fillet on foil, dab with a little mayo (or butter), sprinkle salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lemon. Bake 12–15 minutes till it flakes.
  • While that’s going, stir together: 4 cups cooked rice (leftover works), a splash of rice vinegar, and a pinch of sugar/salt if you like it “sushi rice” style.
  • Flake the salmon and gently mix with 2–3 Tbsp mayo and a teaspoon (or none!) of sriracha.
  • In a casserole dish, press in the warm rice, lay 2 sheets of toasted nori (seaweed) on top (optional), then spread the salmon mixture.
  • Broil 2–3 minutes to get the top a little toasty.
  • Serve in squares with avocado, cucumber, a drizzle of soy sauce, and a few sesame seeds. Folks can add pickled ginger if they please.

It’s friendly for those of us over 65 who skip raw fish, and it still scratches the “sushi” itch. If you do eat sushi out, I stick to cooked rolls (shrimp tempura, veggie rolls, California rolls) and let the youngsters gnaw the raw stuff. 😉


If you want a tidy, step-by-step version with pictures, I saved it here on my recipe blog: Spoon Recipes, just look for my salmon bake/bowl.
👉 Easy & Delicious Recipes for Home Cooks | spoonrecipes
 
I love sushi. This has been true since I moved to California some 40 years ago. I like best the cooked forms--shrimp, REAL crabmeat, and recently I had a baked scallop roll that was out of this world. But always in a Japanese restaurant, never from the supermarket.
 
I have enjoyed eating sushi most of my life. My wife also loves it. We both grew up in Colorado. I lived in a small mountain town and sushi was not available. But when I traveled to Denver or Colorado Springs, I learned to enjoy sushi. I am careful where I eat it, but I have never had a bad experience with it.
 
Sushi is pressed rice, sometimes salted or lightly pickled. That's ALL it is.

Raw fish is sashimi. Sushi can have fillings or toppings - fish, meat, vegetables, even fruit - or even nothing at all, just rice!

Otherwise it's the equivalent of saying, "I HATE hot dog buns!" when what you really dislike is the hot dog itself.
 
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