bikkuri breakfast sushi

“bikkuri” means surprise (please don’t mistake it for that other, similar-sounding japanese word).

these bukkuri sushi pieces are called thus named because there’s more to them than meets the eye!

yup, you guessed it. these nigiri aren’t sushi at all! they’re actually some of our favorite american-style breakfast foods in disguise. why? you might recall that last week, i was lucky enough to attend naomi moriyama’s lecture on why japanese women don’t get old or fat. one particularly good technique she taught us is that we can trick ourselves into eating healthier portions just by using smaller plates, like the japanese do. in the time it takes us to stand up, walk to the kitchen and refill our bowls, we might decide that we’re already full. those of us that are just too lazy to get up can finally use it to our advantage!

although i didn’t use a tiny plate for these sushi, i’m applying a related principal. now i know that breakfast is the most important meal, but i noticed that when i go to ihop or the diner for my bacon and eggs, i end up wolfing down everything in sight. everything just tastes so good and there is nothing healthy or low calorie to slow you down. japanese people often use rice to slow down our eating. we end up consuming only a little bit of the really fatty stuff and get full on rice which is a carb, but one cooked with no fat or oil.

you can make your own bikkuri sushi using makunouchi rice molds like the ones above, but you can avoid having to purchase one by lining a rectangular tupperware box like this one:

with plastic wrap and cooling it for an hour or so. then, just flip the rice onto a plate or cutting board, sprinkle with a little salt and cut into 1 1/2″ x 2″ rectangles.
i used scrambled egg, grilled low fat turkey spam (low calorie and so flavorful and light), toast with olive oil, peas with a little mayonnaise and a tomato mozzarella sandwich, but you can use whatever favorite breakfast foods or leftovers you’d like. the wasabi and ginger you see in the background are actually mashed wasabi-flavored peas and salmon lox. drool.

these are great to take for lunch too, and are quite filling - probably because you eat them with your eyes too!

does this city make me look fat?

as an urban piggy, it’s nice to see that our city (nyc) is so serious about helping us cut back on our calories. not only is the city’s dept. of mental health and hygiene requiring chain restaurants and fast food spots to prominently display calorie counts on those beckoning, backlit menuboards, they’ve gone a step further and have now launched a three-month subway ad campaign designed to remind us to moderate our intake. the ads, which feature calorie counts for favorites like huge apple bran muffins and chicken burritos, are in about 20% of city subway cars.

but wait, is it me, or is our city the least in need of such measures? overall, i think we’re a pretty skinny bunch, no?

apparently, we’re not even on the cnnmoney.com’s top 25 skinniest places to live list! the winner of that race is marin county, ca. i also clicked on most singles to no avail, although a shoutout to hoboken, nj is in order, youngest which we’re not on either, but congratulations for nabbing 25th place manhattan, ks, and hottest (don’t be fooled).

i’m just afraid that the ads will make me crave a burrito rather than worry about how many calories it is. anyone want to bet whether or not burrito and apple bran muffin sales go up this month?

why is this a site?

swyyne has always been an experiment for me. with all of the other super eco sites out there, i've been feeling like i want to contribute something just a bit different. so for now, here are my random musings.