So my husband and I spent 5 wonderful days in Cancun for my birthday and our 25^th wedding anniversary this last week.  We love heading south whenever we can; Mexico is not usually on our radar ever since our first visit in 1989; however a couple of years ago we were desperate to get away and money was tight. We don’t usually look for all-inclusive resorts either but we wanted something simple and inexpensive.  We found Live Aqua an adult only all-inclusive with great reviews.  We decided to try it out; it was WELL worth the trip.  The place is very clean, the staff if very nice, and the food was excellent.  This trip was no exception; we will definitely go back again.  We did notice s few differences this trip from last; they have more options of places to eat and we loved them all and there were definitely a lot more people this time around; I think the word has leaked out!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My hesitation with Mexico was because in the late 80’s you couldn’t walk off your resort property without being harassed by very persistent people trying to sell timeshares.   I was also 3 months pregnant with my first; so that might have had a little to do with my dislike.  They were also still recovering from hurricane Gilbert that hit in 1988.  The beaches were pretty much non-existent in 1989. We were supposed to go to Cancun for our honeymoon but Gilbert put a kibosh on those plans; we ended up in Barbados – which is one of my top 5 islands to visit.  On our 2011 trip I do recall asking my husband while walking on the beach “was it this nice last time we were here”? They have come a long way and have converted my opinion.

I never in a million years thought that I would be able to take a sushi class while in Mexico.  We were sitting out by the pool and the one of the activity staff was asking if anyone wanted to learn how to make sushi; I signed up immediately.  I have been asked to have a sushi class; my daughter is living in Japan and I made a vow to try to learn to like sushi.  Here was my first chance; and I was excited to try.

The rice was beyond sticky; I couldn’t get it off of my hands to save my life. It was relatively easy to make; I will definitely need to practice the rolling technique but I think it is attainable. I know that California rolls are not a raw fish variety of sushi; but you’ve got to start somewhere.

 

 

 

 

 

California Roll

1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted, and sliced into 1/4-inch thick pieces
4 sheets nori
1/2 batch sushi rice, recipe follows
1/3 cup sesame seeds, toasted
1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into matchstick-size pieces
4 crabsticks, torn into pieces
Pickled ginger, for serving
Wasabi, for serving
Soy sauce, for serving

Cover a bamboo rolling mat with plastic wrap. Cut nori sheets in half crosswise. Lay 1 sheet of nori, shiny side down, on the plastic covered mat. Wet your fingers with water and spread about 1/2 cup of the rice evenly onto the nori. Turn the sheet of nori over so that the rice side is down. Place 1/8 of the cucumber, avocado and crab sticks in the center of the sheet. Grab the edge of the mat closest to you, keeping the fillings in place with your fingers, and roll it into a tight cylinder, using the mat to shape the cylinder. Pull away the mat and set aside.  Cut each roll into 6 pieces. Serve with pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce.

Sushi Rice

2 cups sushi or short grain rice
2 cups water, plus extra for rinsing rice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Place the rice into a mixing bowl and cover with cool water. Swirl the rice in the water, pour off and repeat 2 to 3 times or until the water is clear.

Place the rice and 2 cups of water into a medium saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, uncovered. Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cover. Cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 10 minutes.

Combine the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl and heat in the microwave on high for 30 to 45 seconds. Transfer the rice into a large wooden or glass mixing bowl and add the vinegar mixture. Fold thoroughly to combine and coat each grain of rice with the mixture. Allow to cool to room temperature before using to make sushi or sashimi.

Yield: 4 cups

We had some very good friends of ours were staying down the road with a bunch of their friends; totally unplanned;  we all met up for a very nice dinner at La Cappilla which was in the Marriott Hotel about halfway between our hotel and theirs.  We were one of 6 couples and 5 couples ordered the same meal Chateaubriand for two.  I just had to show you the pictures; it was simply AMAZING