Sushi and Pregnancy

Back in the days when I was pregnant with Evan and working and the economy was rolling, The Husband and I ate out about three dinners a week or more.  Our favorite was sushi.  We had a neighborhood sushi restaurant with the most amazing rolls like an awesome dynamite roll and my favorite a killer spicy tuna roll.  We probably went at least once a week from the grand opening on, and yes, we got to know the owner quite well.

But then I was pregnant.  And all those books and websites said NO SUSHI.  And that lasted about two weeks when I learned The Husband felt no moral obligation to give up sushi as well.  (Bastard.)  So we returned to sushi.  My beloved sushi, how I missed you.  For several months, we did well and only ordered the cooked stuff.  We feasted on crab, shrimp, scalloped and the occasional cooked fish.  But in time, my beloved spicy tuna handroll began to call me again.  I gave in to its spicy yumminess.

For The Husband’s birthday (when I was 36 weeks), I surprised him with a huge sushi party platter custom made from our favorite sushi place and a few friends.  As I indulged, I forgot that one of our friends worked for my OB/GYN.  Ok, I didn’t forget.  I just wasn’t sneaky enough.  She caught me.  And lectured me.  Damn.

So the next doctor’s appointment, The Husband felt the need to confess.  (Which is odd, because he’s not the Catholic one.)

Doctor: So any questions?

The Husband: Yes, one.  Well, and a confession.

Doctor: Oh?

The Husband: Well, um, we, Fae has been eating sushi, and we were told that was bad for the baby.

Doctor: The reason we don’t want Fae eating sushi is because of the danger of food poisoning.  If you go to a reputable place, there shouldn’t be any harm.

We sighed with relief.

Me: So, sushi tonight?

Evan’s sushi roll

I love spicy tuna hand rolls!  I would kill for a good one.  Mmmm.  Of course, they come second to a good hamburger, but I assure you, it’s a close second.  You can imagine my delight when we noticed Evan’s sushi set had a tuna hand roll.  Well, it’s not quite spicy, but we can make it work. 

If you don’t know what’s in a tuna hand roll, it’s tuna and cucumber or avocado with some sort of spicy herb that I can’t find the name of wrapped in rice and seaweed to make a cone for your hand.  With spicy tuna, the ground of the tuna with spices to make it nice and hot.  A great spicy tuna is heaven. *

 

Mmmm. Plastic hand roll.

Evan: This is a spicy hand roll.  The black is seaweed.  The white is rice.  The red is spicy tuna.  And the green is guacamole. 

Um.  Not quite the right ethnic group or continent.  But the right vegetable, so close enough.

 

*I understand not everyone can stomach or understand the delight that is eating raw fish, which I get because I would never have believed as a kid that I would eat raw fish and want to go back.  With that said, I have never got food poison from eating sushi.  That is usually fried shrimp.  And I believe you shouldn’t knocked until you tried it, but then I don’t think you’ll ever get me to try blood pudding or brains of any kind.

Sushi Names

For Christmas, Evan received an incredibly awesome gift, a toy sushi set.  He has played with it every day since he got it.  Evan is also in the phase of naming things.  He has named his sushi.  (We’re guess on what the sushi is since some of the pieces only look like real sushi from far away.)

 

Magurio (Tuna) is named Sushi.

Tamangoyaki (egg sushi) is named Juicy.

Sake (Salmon) is called Dooky.

Hamachi (Yellowtail) is called Hooky.

Hirame (Flounder) is called Sicky.

 

So we have Sushi, Juicy, Dooky, Hooky, Sicky.  And they all call me “Mom.”