A Blog Post, in which John Learns to Make Sushi &Then We're Inspected by the TSA

Thanks to wonderful Aki and Company, we're still on a sushi rampage. After my own newbie indoctrination and practice, my next step was to teach John how to make it. For a couple of weeks before all this traveling started, we had "sushi Friday" (remember, Friday is Sunday here). The first time, I got everything set up, and then we rolled the sushi together. The second time, John did lots of the setting up, too. I'm pretty sure these are pictures from the first round.

We made the rice balls with salmon and shrimp on top as well as two different kinds of maki (rolled sushi): one with crab and the other with spicy tuna.  Both with veggies. Sitting around with a "project" where we could work and talk was really fun...but then eating it was even more fun...

Some how, some way, we had procured a bottle of Tabasco brand spicy soy sauce.  Several years ago, we started buying this at the HEB in Texas, and oh heavens is it delicious...a nice little Tabasco kick but nothing overwhelming, and that soy saltiness makes a perfect friend for the pepperiness.  Unfortunately, HEB stopped carrying it, and we hadn't been able to find it in Texas since.  I think John brought this bottle from the actual Tabasco factory in LA--he made a trip to NOLA about six weeks ago.

So not only did John become a sushi hero, but he also devised a little concoction of wasabi paste and Tabasco soy sauce for dippin' those little rice buggers in.  And the funny part is watching him consume these fire balls from heaven...every once in a while, that wasabi peppernaciousness goes up the inside back of his nose and he sort of jumps and yelps or gasps in pleasure.

So then came my turn for my first trip back to the USofA, and what did I do?  I ordered a "case" (8 bottles) of Tabasco soy sauce from the factory...delivered to my wonderful in-laws' door, packed into my suitcase, and hauled back to Doha.

When I got back to our desert home, I was relieved to see that all my treasures had arrived unscathed.  In fact, only one bag had a "hey, we rummaged through your stuff" notice in it...the bag with the soy sauce.  Then I looked at the box...

Glad to know the TSA is keeping us safe.