SANDWICHES OR SUSHI

Very few people are on the fence when it comes to indulging in Sushi. Those who do Sushi love it. Those who do not, won't go anywhere near it, and you can count on getting a curled upper lip in response to suggesting they try it.

I do do Sushi, and as often as possible, so when I saw these Sushi inspired sandwiches from Impress Your Kids.org, I couldn't resist.

Similar sandwich recipes are easily found on the Internet, mostly geared to children's meals for use in lunch boxes inspired by the Japanese bento box.

No question that Sushi is an acquired taste for the American palate, but the fact that some semblance of a sushi bar can be found in almost any town across the country tells me that plenty of people come down on the DO side. Novices associate Sushi with raw fish (Sashimi) and seaweed (Nori), a big turn-off for most. However, not all Sushi consists of raw fish or seaweed. On the contrary, sashimi and nori are just a small part of a typical Sushi menu.

Take the plate of "Inari" pictured above, a simple offering in most Sushi establishments with flavors that are distinctly Sushi-esqe without the use of raw fish or seaweed. I think anyone interested in acquiring a taste for Sushi could "ease into" it if they started with a dish like Inari.

Inari is simply small pouches of fried Tofu, filled with flavored sushi rice, served with pickled ginger, wasabi mustard and soy sauce. About 100 calories per pouch, and they're "Oishii", delicious!

Bluefin Tuna on Crispy Rice Sandwich! Boycott?

A documentary about the state of our world's oceans premiered last week in about 50 cinemas across the country. As a result, stores and restaurants are 86ing menu items that use bluefin tuna. Sandwich chain Pret a Manger has dumped it's tuna cucumber sandwiches and taken bluefin off the menu completely due to concerns about overfishing. Pret a Manger's owner says he will continue to sell skipjack tuna in his baguettes - but will use only fish caught by 'dolphinfriendly' pole and line. Canned tuna is usually yellowfin or skipjack - species not at immediate risk. But they are often caught in large nets which can kill dolphins, sharks and turtles.

The documentary "The End of the Line" alleges that intensive fishing is destroying the oceans and warns that most of the seafood we eat will have vanished within 40 years. That the Atlantic and Mediterranean have been all but depleted and stocks are on the verge of collapse. Also that most bluefin sold in Japan are undersized, suggesting there are very few adults to be caught, or to revive the population.

Chefs Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver and Tom Aikens have banned bluefin from their restaurants. Sainsbury's, Asda and Morrisons said all their fresh fish was 'sustainable'.
However, Nobu in Mayfair has refused to take it off the menu, prompting a boycott threat from celebrities like Elle Macpherson, Sienna Miller and Stephen Fry. That's show biz!

Here are tips:
Atlantic Bluefin
Critically endangered in Atlantic and Mediterranean. A favorite for sushi lovers.
Population down 90% since 1970s - on verge of collapse Advise: Avoid
Yellowfin
Fished at sustainable levels in Atlantic and Pacific. Use for canning and as replacement for bluefin Advise: OK - choose fish caught by lines, not nets
Bigeye
Endangered. A of the tuna family with large eyes. Second favorite of sushi chefs Advise: Avoid
Albcore
Moderately vulnerable. Also known as longfin. Overfished in N. Atlantic and Indian ocean, but S. Atlantic and S. Pacific is sustainable. Advise: Ok - if caught by line and from S. Atlantic & S. Pacific
Skipjack
Used in canned tuna called 'chicken of the seas' because it's common. Advise: Ok - choose fish caught by lines, not nets