sushi

Sushi Bazooka blasts out sushi rolls with plunger power

My culinary life won't be complete until I have the raw, awesome power of a Sushi Bazooka in my kitchen arsenal. Want. Desperately.

I've made sushi before. It was an inglorious exercise in frustration and failure. That's probably why I prefer sashimi. It's also why I have such respect for talented sushi makers.

Finally, there's a kitchen gadget that panders to my lazy sushi-making skills. It's essentially a sushi extruder. Pack the tube full of rice and whatever ingredients you want to go in the middle. Close it. Push down the plunger. Roll up the resulting sushi log in seaweed. Instant apathetic sushi!… Read more

Robot cranks out 2,500 sushi pieces per hour

From a nearby shrine here in Tokyo, I can hear the jingling of a bell being rung by devotees of Inari, a Shinto harvest god. They're praying for prosperity, which may or may not come in the form of lots of rice.

Doubtless the deity would drool over the latest rice-packing machine from automation firm Suzumo. It's a sushi robot that specializes in inarizushi, a fishless sushi variety consisting of rice wrapped in pouches of fried tofu, which the god and his fox messengers crave big-time. … Read more

Rice Cube: Aussie gadget works like sushi Tetris

I have attempted to make sushi at home using a bamboo mat, seaweed, vegetables, sushi rice, and fumbling fingers. The resulting rolls bore a vague resemblance to the real thing, but they would have gotten me laughed off the set of any respectable cooking show.

The Rice Cube sushi maker promises relief for enthusiastic, but ultimately incompetent, home sushi chefs. This kitchen gadget looks like it was pulled from a game of Tetris and given 3D life in bright red plastic.

The small device squishes rice, fish, and other ingredients into perfect little squares that will make your potluck buddies envious. It works through a series of pushing and sliding motions. Check out the video below if you're having trouble visualizing that.

There's no reason to stop at sushi, though. Adventurous chefs can come up with all sorts of things to press into cubes. It's only a matter of time before someone slips some bacon in there.… Read more

Take rice up a notch

Plain white rice makes its way into plenty of meals, but it isn't exactly an exciting dish. The Inomata Sushi Mold Rice Ball Maker can change your opinion of that bowl of rice, though. By filling the mold with rice, placing the cover on top and pushing, you can create rice balls that look like hearts, stars or even bears. The options for what you can do with such adorably formed rice are endless: they can be decorated for bento boxes, filled for something a little more unusual than the average rice ball or even put a piece of … Read more

Good enough to eat?

Need a unique hostess gift or a great centerpiece for your sushi dinner party? Try this adorable sushi candle set. The candles are so realistic-looking that you'll have to remind yourself not to dig in.

The kit features four assorted pieces of sushi that look good enough to eat. Like yours spicier? No worries--you'll find that sides of wasabi and pickled ginger have been thoughtfully included. The whole thing is packaged in a Japanese take-out box for perfect presentation. Order online for $24.

Digital City 70: New MacBook rumors, Sushi-bots, and NYC's best laptop-friendly cafes (podcast)

On this week's Digital City podcast, we discuss new MacBook Pro rumors, and discover why New York drug store chain is using a sushi-making machine to bring raw fish to its shelves.

Then we lament how laptop users are no longer welcome in several big NYC coffee shops -- to counter this disturbing trend, we run down some of our favorite spots for computing on-the-go.

Finally, Heavy Rain hits the streets this week. Everyone's interest level is high, and Dan and Scott give some spoiler-free impressions based on their very different playthroughs.

Bonus: if you've ever wondered … Read more

Always pick the best seafood

The Seafood Guide is a free app from the widely respected Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch program that can help you make environmentally-friendly seafood choices. Basically, it's an automatically updated, location-sensitive, and more detailed version of their popular pocket guide (30 million distributed to date). The Seafood Guide gives you an A-to-Z list of seafood for your region, which you can browse or search, all with one of three color-coded rankings: Best Choice ("abundant, well-managed, and caught or farmed in environmentally friendly ways"), Good Alternative ("an option, but there are concerns with how they're … Read more

Save the sushi, save the world

You know how sometimes when you're eating sushi, you suddenly get word that the universe is being attacked and it's up to you to defend it? Well, get yourself some Chop Sabers from Kotobukiya, and you'll be ready.

The Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader lightsaber-style chopsticks are about 9 inches long. Their eye-catching translucent look is a nice complement to any table. For the younger Jedis, the Yoda saber is just 8 inches long.

Currently, you can preorder a set of two pairs--an adult and a child-size pair--for $20. And every set includes translucent Star Wars logo … Read more

Sushi made simple

I love sushi, but my wallet isn't so fond of it, which lead me to explore making my own at home. However, many of the kits out there aren't particularly easy to use, leaving you to figure out many of the steps on your own. The Sushi Magic Kit, however, focuses on making the process very easy. Not only does it include the tools to roll sushi rolls, but it also includes a rice press mold so that you can make nigiri as well. The directions cover every step and have photographs so that you know what your … Read more