Sushi Class

A week or three before all of my hospital/dome food drama, we set about to have some fun with C & J.  See, a while ago, C and I embarked upon an Italian cooking class at a smaller establishment and had a great time mainlining cheap white wine and trying to show off knife skills (me, ahem) and generally being the only people in the class with personality and a desire to learn (that was all C -- I was too busy with the wine). 

Anywho, we decided to try and add boys to the mix and since we all love sushi, why not take a sushi cooking class!?

As J was quick to point out, very little cooking was involved in the sushi course. As in none. It was really a sushi rolling course where we learned about how to cook rice, but didn't really participate. We also learned how to cut fish, how many colors should be a part of your sushi roll, and that if you want good seasonings for  your rice, you'd better find yourself a Japanese grandmother or you are SOL. 

While the more studious among us made the most beautiful wares (C's spicy tuna rolls above left), and Chef Beef was busy trying to entertain the obviously overwhelmed and alone girl at the end of our bench. I was basking in an earful of snark from the class pet, J "The Engineer" Sushimaker (seen above contemplating that hand roll with serious distrust). Seriously, it was probably more fun than any sober cooking class had a right to be but we were all tired little tunas when it was all over.  Tired little tunas lugging home two pounds of leftover sushi...

I think what we all can agree on is that sushi costs a lot and thats O.K. because its ridiculously hard work and requires a skill set and patience that is not really possessed by our little tuna posse. But we were glad we tried it.

The Little Muffin Under The Dome

You know what has fallen out of fashion in dining? Domes. You know why? They make your food all sweaty if they aren't taken off right away. And who really has time to polish all that silver. Well, I found a place that has solved at least the second problem. Its called the Hospital and its on my top ten places of 2009 "Where NOT To Eat" (complete list to be published in November or something). 

Ahhh, the Hospital where beeping, crying, and gagging are all the background ambiance you might need. Trying to finish that sandwich? They are going to need that arm to take your blood pressure so you can just forget it. Wanting to eat? Naaah. Testing of blood comes first, that is if you can even get enough sleep so that you aren't too nauseous 

to eat in the first place. 

Then someone comes to nag you about whether or not you've ordered breakfast yet. Miss 2 meals? Meet your nutritionist!

Now hospital food has come a long way. My hospital had  a menu....A MENU! They said it really helped them to eliminate waste because folks could just order what they wanted like room service. And while its an improvement (I think) over how things used to be, the food was still not fantastic. And part of the issue was the domes.

Now these domes were plastic. And these domes seemed to always cover A. a bread product or B. the "warm thing" (often those two were the same). Since nausea was a big part of my life at L'Hospital, I centered my meals on things like toast and cereal and tuna melts... though I did sadly venture into a taco salad one evening. But I digress. Does whole wheat toast really need a dome? It didn't keep the toast warm, instead made it chewy enough to be barely ingestible. And the muffin... the muffin came the morning I was due to be let go. Chef Beef and I got a big laugh out of the little muffin under the dome. 

Seriously, most of the people at the hospital were very nice and I wouldn't want them to feel bad about the food. Except for the nurse who teased me about eating tuna melts. And the evil phlebotomist. But thats another blog post for another blog....