Cooking with kids: sushi version

My friend and colleague FF rolled into town last Wednesday; she's staying at our home until later today.  We've been having a great time thinking about projective geometry -- we think we've figured out something cool about geometric constructions of cross ratios.  Hope you're not too jealous!

Before she arrived, FF wrote to me,

Also, I would be happy to give you some extra time by hanging out with your kids - I can teach them how to make sushi or gyoza dumplings one night (if we can get the ingredients), teach them some Japanese (kids LOVE knowing how to write their name in Japanese), origami, crochet, etc.

I love sharing my friends with my boys.  I've written before about how important I think it is for my children to have friends across many generations.  I also love sushi.  Taking my friend up on her offer was a no-brainer.

The boys and I got a chance to take FF to check out our local Asian Market, a fairly impressive place.   FF talked J-son into trying some dried anchovies . . . little dried fish with the eyeballs staring right back atcha . . .

He loved them.

No, really.  He wrote them down on the grocery list again.  He's getting his calcium through fish this week.

Both boys got sushi lessons on Saturday as I got ready for my weekly Prairie Home Companion observance; they were delighted to be the experts on "where things are" in the kitchen.  I  peeked in just to take a few pictures, but other than that I stayed out of the way.  Here's how to make sushi.

J-son chops the vegetables

N-son fries the shrimp while the rice cooks.

When the rice is done, FF helps N-son spread it out on the seaweed.

Add whatever you want . . . maybe dried anchovies?  

J-son rolls up his anchovy sushi roll.  We did not ask him to share with us . . .

N-son prefers shrimp and crab . . . 

When you roll it up, it looks like this.

And then when you cut it up, you get this.  Delicious!