"A kind of pleasant stupor was stealing over me..." ~ Jane Eyre

Last night I was in a sushi stupor thanks to my samurai-esque sidekick, my twin sister.

I had been craving slabs of slimey raw fish over starch for a good week, and I needed a fix badly. I am very fortunate that I can depend on my family members for anything, especially my twin. While at work yesterday afternoon, my itch for iciban was getting worse. I called her for help.

There was no time for formalities. I said hi and immediately presented my problem: I was in a bad hamachi maki withdrawal. She had informed me that she already ate sushi the night before at Sushi-Ya. I had a brief moment of sadness; I did not want to eat sushi alone in my apartment - it is the only food that I love that needs to be eaten right where it was made. However, being the amazing sister that she is, she understood. Considering the help she has given me in the past, this assistance from her in the present was easy! So, Homura Sushi it was at 7:30pm. I already felt better, kind of like the way a little wasabi makes soy sauce taste better.

Robin was the first in this Armenian family to eat sushi. She started cautiously with California roll, but she has since become a sushi aficionado. With coaxing from her and J.Sarah, I, too, became a sushi aficionado. Robin is definitely a Spicy Tuna Roll and Sake girl, but she branches out quite nicely. Of late, I think I have one-upped her with my fondness for unagi. Yes, that would be eel. I am still too chicken to try the octopus raw. Then again, she one-ups me in the Japanese beverage department because I can't handle sake very well.

My sister Missy and my brother-in-law have also developed a palate for sushi, so we have some take-in nights together which are always quite enjoyable. My mother does not like the fact that her three children and son-in-law consume raw fish with pleasure. Lectures have come up, but they are quickly ended. Still, I did buy baby Jack a book called, My First Book of Sushi just to get her riled up. She gets upset when I tell her Jack could start eating sushi when he is around five years old. "Four years to make sure he won't," she quips.

At 28, my sisters and I don't really listen to my mother anymore, so last night I picked up Robin from the train station and we went straight to dinner. I love the sushi restaurant experience of getting a nice hot washcloth to wipe my hands on before dinner and the awesome Asian elevator music that plays in the background. Homura is actually pretty funky and has some great decor, but at least the towel and the music are classic sushi spread.

I love my conversations with sis over sushi. We always have fun and enjoy ourselves, but the conversation always leads to discussing being single and dating. Cliche Sex and the City, but there is a reason why that show is so popular! Since I am on a dating break(whew!), I got to hear Robin dish last night about dating. Its kind of hard being objective as a sister. I basically feel that if the potential male does not treat her like the Queen of Sheba and isn't perfect in 99% of the ways, he has no business with sis. I think I am more harsh than my father is. And I like it that way.

I thanked Robin profusely for having sushi again, because I was so excited to be in that chair at that table watching the sushi chefs make my plate. The waitress came and I gave her the biggest smile I had.

Nothing goes with a nice, buttery textured yellowtail piece than a niece buttery textured chardonnay. When I crave sushi, it is always either with a glass of white wine or with a Kirin Light. I had the chardonnay last night; it is a perfect pairing for fish. I ordered Sushi Regular, and it came with miso soup. I love miso soup and can eat it even on the hottest night in the summer and feel good. Sis did a mix of sushi and sashimi, but we decided that we were not hungry enough for edamame, are other usual order when dining out at a Japanese restaurant.

The only thing I regret about sushi dinners with sis is that they don't last long enough, because after sharing a room as kids I feel we still don't spend enough time together, but at least there is always the next week go back out again for some excellent Tekka Maki!

Some Sushi Sundries
~ I have a major crush on Iron Chef Morimoto and in my dreams he teaches me how to make sushi.
~ My favorite roll is yellowtail and scallion.
~ I place only a dab of wasabi in my soy sauce and I do not use ginger.
~ I have mad chopstick skills.
~ My first visit to Nobu was wasted on me (this was pre-sushi me) and I had chicken teriyaki. A shame, isn't it? I have made up for it since.
~ One of my favorite restaurants in the city is Japanese, but it does not serve sushi. It serves small plates (kind of like tapas gone Japanese). It is called Kasadela.
~ I always say I will order Chirashi because it looks so good and I never do.
~ I had a hard time when my friend Pops took me to Monster Sushi last summer. I don't care how big your mouth is, the sushi served there will not fit. It gets messy.
~ Green tea after sushi is a must in the wintertime.
~ One of the best episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm involves Larry being called "chicken teriyaki boy" at a sushi bar.

Sushi Sites (and Kasadela)
~ http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1582460507/103-0108382-5991013?v=glance&n=283155

~ http://kasadela.com/

~ http://www.chefmorimoto.com/

~ http://www.noburestaurants.com/

~ http://www.echopsticks.org/how-to-use-chopsticks.html