Success, Support, & Sushi
Hey everyone! These past few days I’ve been obsessed with making sushi. Obsessed. (To clarify, only the veggie rolls. I don’t have the guts to do raw fish yet!) The first time I did it, February 22, it looked so… bad. I’m talking three-inch diameter and falling apart. I needed a fork to eat those… monstrosities. When I first saw them, I wanted to throw in the towel, fall to the floor, and cry. Why did they look so awful? That guy in the video made it look so easy! I was disappointed, and I just stared at them for a good five minutes before continuing.
My two little sisters, Tiger (7) and Kitty (9) strolled into the kitchen with their stuffed animals and peered at my creation. I expected them to tease me about it, or say something along the lines of, “Whoa, what is that?!” So I stood up straight and prepared to defend myself. But they didn’t have any snarky comments. Tiger looked at the plate, then at me, and said, “Wow, Leah. That sushi looks great! Especially for your first time.”
“Yeah, Leah, good job! Can we watch?” Kitty wondered.
Seeing their bright and kind faces lifted my spirits, and I let them pull up stools and sit and talk to me while I spread rice onto the nori, laid avocado, carrot, and cucumber on top of that, and rolled it up. They were truly amazed by the process, and by my skills. (Awful though they be.) I got better and better as I continued making more, and they helped me taste test.
“Mm,” Tiger moaned as she put a bite into her mouth. “That’s so good.”
“Wow, those are better than from Sushi Maki,” Kitty remarked, flabbergasted.
I rolled my neck, a smirk pulling up at the corners of my mouth and heat rising in my cheeks. “Thanks, girls. You know, I think I need to roll them tighter, because those ones came out good, as opposed to that…” we all stared at the large, ugly, falling-apart sushi rolls.
“Hey, Leah,” Kitty said, “since you’ve gotten better at it, I think we should tell you- those ones look really bad.”
“Yeah…” Tiger nodded, an apologetic look on her face. “Sorry.”
I laughed. “I know, girls. It’s fine.” With my heart full— and my stomach even more so— I presented the final sushi to my mom and older sister and watched as my family scarfed them down. My heart swelled with joy as I thought back to the first roll. It was awful, and ugly, and unpresentable, but, thanks to my little sisters, I hadn’t given up. And I’d gotten a whole lot better.
So, making sushi has taught me a few things. One: How to make sushi (obviously).
Two: It’s reminded me to never give up, even if I don’t instantly get it right. It’s also shown me that I am my biggest critic, so… yeah. I can be a little hard on myself— but aren’t we all?
And three: My family will always support me, no matter what I do. Whether I’m writing or starting a blog—cough cough— or trying out a new recipe, they’ll always have my back. So, if any of you read today’s post, thanks for being you! Leah, out.
(Tip: don’t use old rice to make sushi. It loses its stick and then your sushi will fall apart. And yes, I am talking from experience. [Unfortunately])