Sushi for Beginners

At the risk of sounding like an ass, I will say that I like to be ahead of the curve. For example, I loved arugula before it became the new romaine. I had a red handbag years before everyone started carrying purses as accessories and not pocketbooks. And if I'm not on the cutting edge (you do get that I'm making fun of myself, right?) I like at least to be au courant. I try anyway. Not always successfully.

Take sushi. I admit it took me a while--until this past year, honestly--to get on the sushi board. I know. Countless friends tried and failed in decades past to get me to eat sushi. My old friend Deb, who had lived for some time in California and came back to Boston craving sushi, took me to a place on Route 1 once so she could get her fix. I think I ate tempura. Tamara and her first husband took me to a sushi place in Portland, Oregon the weekend of their wedding and again, I probably ate tempura. I've seen five year olds eat hand rolls like they're chicken McNuggets while I sit at the bar all proud of myself that I'm going to try a raw fish roll. Because let's be honest, I'm still eating sushi for beginners; I have not graduated to real sushi or sashimi. I may never.

But I do love California rolls, Boston rolls, and spicy crunchy tuna rolls-- perfectly uniform, pretty, bite size packages of yumminess. Addictive edible art. And I can use chopsticks to eat them. Finally.