Occupy Sushi- Chasing the Dragon...

Good cooking and preparation are an art, an elusive commodity.

 

Disclaimer: We never have, ever would or even remotely recommend experimenting with heroin. However, the use of heroin tends to lend itself to open expression euphemisms, analogies and anecdotal humor. Heroin is a serious drug and if you want to have a terrible life, try it. Otherwise- don’t do drugs.

I am a big fan of diners, WideEyes...not so much.  I can eat at diners nearly all of the time, because I know that I can get a quick, zero carb meal for a reasonable price. However, because of my proclivity for diners, I am also very particular. Perhaps my biggest pet peeve and of course the quickest way to ensure I will never come back, is if the diner (located in the middle of farm country) uses canned or frozen vegetables. That is just pure laziness and I find it unacceptable. Unfortunately this type of laziness, apathy, complacency is part of the social epidemic that is Central PA. However, if you wade through the haze of the status quo, on occasion, you'll find a real gem, a beacon in the dark or perhaps a little bit of optimistic hope because when you find it, it is usually exceptional.

I like to think of this as proof that Central PA is evolving. Younger people are staying or moving back into the area after experiencing some culture. Culture is moving to PA because they have discovered a population thirsty for evolution. Who knows what the reason, but I like it.

When we decide to dine out we tend to go for our staples: Thai or sushi and if we are feeling like something different we will head down to some of the local restaurants that we know always push the boundaries of experimental flavors, in Lancaster, Fenz.

But this post is about sushi. And somehow in the reference of sushi I am going to make another heroin* reference (see disclaimer). We’ve been enjoying Japanese food for quite some time. Actually, I should restate that, we have enjoyed sushi for quite some time. We very rarely stray far from that. Actually, the only time I really recall not going to a Japanese restaurant and eating sushi has been the times we have taken the kids for Hibachi. That’s a whole other experience in and of itself- six little kids around a Hibachi grill with roaring flames and steaming hot shrimp being tossed through the air. Insanity.

One of the challenges stemming from our fondness for sushi and living in Central PA, is finding a sushi restaurant that is convenient and delicious. We’ve tried a lot of them and found that there are now certain restaurants (usually chains) that we rule out by default. Soon you’ll be able to find a list and rating for these experiences on this site. Until then, you’ll just have to take our word on it.

What ends up happening when we go out for sushi is that we always over order. I would say that it’s one of those age old situations where your eyes are bigger than your stomach, but what I really think is that GOOD sushi is so delicious that you know if you don’t order enough you’ll be disappointed. (I know you can always order more, but that messes up the rhythm of dinner and that leads to other problems)

The good news is that when you over-eat sushi, you may feel full immediately following the meal, but within a short period of time you’re back to normal. No bloated, unbutton my pants, gluttonous, after dinner sloth with sushi.  The problem with this eating model however, is that sushi is generally expensive and if you over order and find that mid-meal the sushi at ‘this particular restaurant’ is not very good…..well, I think you see the dilemma. It’s a tough economy and there are a lot of people struggling right now. It would be Un-American to leave all that sushi uneaten. Occupy Sushi!

This is where the significance of living in Central PA comes into play. Yes, I am sure that there are bad sushi restaurants everywhere you live, but we have a unique challenge. A: there is a limited number of sushi restaurants to begin with. B: We have 6 children, we don’t get opportunities to enjoy a nice sushi dinner, sans kids, often enough. (thank you Nana & Pa for the nights we do get)

So we created a game that forces us to get our money's worth: Chasing the Dragon. And yes, this is the drug reference. Heroin junkies often refer to their lifelong addiction of always tracking down the high they get the first time they tried Heroin; the high that they will never get again, but the desire that drives the insanity of their addiction...IE: Chasing the Dragon. 

Our version of Chasing the Dragon is slightly different and it only becomes relevant when we are faced with the daunting task of finishing a tray of less than satisfying sushi. What we do is this:

We order an extra side of wasabi and ginger. We then evenly distribute a pea size ball of wasabi and a chunk of ginger onto the remaining pieces of sushi, except two. We then take the remaining wasabi and divide it evenly onto the last two pieces. Yes, this is a progression game. At first, you grab a piece, dip it in your soy sauce and eat. It’s different, but not too much to handle. However, as you progress your taste buds are becoming more and more sensitive to the wasabi/ginger combination. This continues to grow and compound until you reach the final two pieces that generally have a large marble size glob of wasabi on top. 

Grab, dip, eat.

Slowly chew, feel the initial burn and then prepare yourself for a full-body experience. Be sure to breath. In fact, breathing is the key to this working. Breath. The tingling burning rush will come up through the back of your throat, it will crash through your sinus cavity and send shocking tingles through your entire head. For me, being bald, sweat droplets immediately bead up on the top of my head. My eyelids start sweating and my subconscious mind becomes fully present in the moment. Which is fun with a partner since you’re seeing them go through the same experience at the same moment. 

After a few seconds, you slowly come back to reality. The burn dissipates, the sweat gets blotted with a napkin, you share a good laugh and after an exultation of excitement; you pay the bill and leave. 

Chasing the Dragon. Until the next time.

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