Happy New Years Eve!!! I'm here at my computer when I really should be preparing for the party I was
voluntold to host. Yup, Kikukat Mom did it again, and I'm the sucker.
A month ago, Mom told me that it would be nice for me to host the family new years party. She informed me that the main party would be dinner on new years eve, with partygo-ers returning new years day for lunch and, very likely, dinner. Being terrified of Mom or not, I had to make like General Travis and draw the line in the sand. I told her I would be
willing (I'm quite sure I didn't use the word "glad") to host a party on new years day ONLY. At the time of the offer, Mom informed me that my offer was not acceptable. I breathe a sigh of relief because I thought I was off the hook.
A few weeks after that, some of Mom's family members met (without me...I was invited, but refused to attend, figuring my services were rejected=my help not needed). It was decided there that the party would be on new years day and that I would indeed be the host. If I had bigger balls, I would've told Mom that the statute of limitations regarding my generous-yet-originally-rejected offer had expired and to find another family member to shove on the responsibility. Alas, I don't have big balls, and when you add my heightened sense of fear of the temper, I decided I would just shut up and oblige.
 |
| Suisan poke assortment: spicy ahi, mixed plate poke, salmon nori wasabi |
You see, its not that I don't like my family. I DO like my family, or at least most of them. Some of them drive me crazy, but I still like them. What I don't like is the idea of having to prep my home for 50+ people. There is a crazy domino effect here...if I invite this one asswipe (okay, I don't like him), it means having to invite another dozen people (due to his ties and familial proximity). In fact, my late, beloved Uncle Ray, just before his tragic, sudden passing, had been lobbying hard to ex-communicate this guy (and others with equal familial proximity) from future family parties. Some family members have since betrayed his wish, but I intend to keep his flame lit to the best of my ability. Anyway, Mom assured me that asswipe was not going to be included on the guest list (around 25), so it was another reason to just shut up and oblige.
 |
| BLT fixins |
For the party tomorrow, I was asked to made dessert, save for a pineapple upside down cake, which some idiot requested AE to make. I told Mom I'd make it, but Mom said that it was a direct request to AE. Whatevers, I can't be responsible for bad taste. Since most of my day is going to be spent making desserts for tomorrow (layered jello, brownies, banana bread), I will have very little time to prep for dinner tonight. This is where the Build-Your-Own-Sushi comes in handy.
 |
| cucumber and kaiware (daikon sprouts) |
The pictures in this post are from the last time I did the B-Y-O-Sushi thing. The main prep is to cook and season the rice...totally simple if you use a rice cooker and the seasoning packet. The only other mandatory thing to have is nori sheets (cut in half). Everything else can be done to suit your own taste. D1 and I enjoy poke as a filling. The best place in town to buy poke is Suisan. D1 says the spicy ahi poke there is consistently good. That's her favorite. I like the mixed plate poke (marlin, ahi, opihi) or nori salmon wasabi. The Help isn't big on poke (although he has no problem forking out the benjamins at an omakase sushi bar), so his B-Y-O-Sushi mainstay is the BLT fixins...bacon bits, crisp lettuce and diced tomatoes (seeds taken out by me so that I can eat it too). D2 is happy with imitation crab, so I'll put out ingredients for a California-ish roll: cucumber, kaiware, honey mayonnaise. When I've made this for parties, I've also done the following: cooked shrimp, fried egg strips, avocado, tobiko, ikura, unagi, seasoned kanpyo, neri ume. I'm sure D2 would've loved to see Spam and beef teriyaki strips too.
1 c mayonnaise
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp sesame oil
Combine all ingredients. Chill until ready to use. Can be made a day ahead.
See you in 2013!
Happy New Years Eve!!! I'm here at my computer when I really should be preparing for the party I was
voluntold to host. Yup, Kikukat Mom did it again, and I'm the sucker.
A month ago, Mom told me that it would be nice for me to host the family new years party. She informed me that the main party would be dinner on new years eve, with partygo-ers returning new years day for lunch and, very likely, dinner. Being terrified of Mom or not, I had to make like General Travis and draw the line in the sand. I told her I would be
willing (I'm quite sure I didn't use the word "glad") to host a party on new years day ONLY. At the time of the offer, Mom informed me that my offer was not acceptable. I breathe a sigh of relief because I thought I was off the hook.
A few weeks after that, some of Mom's family members met (without me...I was invited, but refused to attend, figuring my services were rejected=my help not needed). It was decided there that the party would be on new years day and that I would indeed be the host. If I had bigger balls, I would've told Mom that the statute of limitations regarding my generous-yet-originally-rejected offer had expired and to find another family member to shove on the responsibility. Alas, I don't have big balls, and when you add my heightened sense of fear of the temper, I decided I would just shut up and oblige.
|
| Suisan poke assortment: spicy ahi, mixed plate poke, salmon nori wasabi |
You see, its not that I don't like my family. I DO like my family, or at least most of them. Some of them drive me crazy, but I still like them. What I don't like is the idea of having to prep my home for 50+ people. There is a crazy domino effect here...if I invite this one asswipe (okay, I don't like him), it means having to invite another dozen people (due to his ties and familial proximity). In fact, my late, beloved Uncle Ray, just before his tragic, sudden passing, had been lobbying hard to ex-communicate this guy (and others with equal familial proximity) from future family parties. Some family members have since betrayed his wish, but I intend to keep his flame lit to the best of my ability. Anyway, Mom assured me that asswipe was not going to be included on the guest list (around 25), so it was another reason to just shut up and oblige.
|
| BLT fixins |
For the party tomorrow, I was asked to made dessert, save for a pineapple upside down cake, which some idiot requested AE to make. I told Mom I'd make it, but Mom said that it was a direct request to AE. Whatevers, I can't be responsible for bad taste. Since most of my day is going to be spent making desserts for tomorrow (layered jello, brownies, banana bread), I will have very little time to prep for dinner tonight. This is where the Build-Your-Own-Sushi comes in handy.
|
| cucumber and kaiware (daikon sprouts) |
The pictures in this post are from the last time I did the B-Y-O-Sushi thing. The main prep is to cook and season the rice...totally simple if you use a rice cooker and the seasoning packet. The only other mandatory thing to have is nori sheets (cut in half). Everything else can be done to suit your own taste. D1 and I enjoy poke as a filling. The best place in town to buy poke is Suisan. D1 says the spicy ahi poke there is consistently good. That's her favorite. I like the mixed plate poke (marlin, ahi, opihi) or nori salmon wasabi. The Help isn't big on poke (although he has no problem forking out the benjamins at an omakase sushi bar), so his B-Y-O-Sushi mainstay is the BLT fixins...bacon bits, crisp lettuce and diced tomatoes (seeds taken out by me so that I can eat it too). D2 is happy with imitation crab, so I'll put out ingredients for a California-ish roll: cucumber, kaiware, honey mayonnaise. When I've made this for parties, I've also done the following: cooked shrimp, fried egg strips, avocado, tobiko, ikura, unagi, seasoned kanpyo, neri ume. I'm sure D2 would've loved to see Spam and beef teriyaki strips too.
1 c mayonnaise
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp sesame oil
Combine all ingredients. Chill until ready to use. Can be made a day ahead.
See you in 2013!
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