{ Monday, January 5, 2009 }
Having recently been taken to task by a house guest for having low thread count sheets -- when she had actually been sleeping on high thread count sheets -- my suspicion that thread count was a false virtue finally found some proof by way of textile expert Mark Scheuer:
That Sferra's Grand Hotel's 200-count collection feels better than a 1,500-count case that we tested from Linen Source. Some people perceive a 1,020-count sheet as feeling heavier than sheets with a lower count.
Then what does make a great sheet?
The finest sheets start with a longer staple of cotton fiber, usually around 1.5 inches. The longer the staple, the more the cotton can withstand the force of spinning without breaking. Egyptian cotton is considered best because it produces the longest, smoothest threads. It's based on a longer fiber and is softer and more durable. But other factors also contribute to quality and feel: the spinning process that produces the yarn, how the yarn is woven into a fabric, and how the fabric is finished.
Which is why those old but good sheets whose thread count was never advertised feel better than the Bed, Bath and Beyond squillion thread count sandpaper sheets I got on sale.
Another de-pretentionizer gleaned from yuppie guidebook San Francisco Magazine is that nigiri is meant to be eaten with your fingers. Hooray!
LINK | 4:03 PM | TB
This is fantastic advice, which I will follow as soon as I next find myself facing down some nigiri. I feel totally pro already.
Caterina | January 5, 2009 7:28 PMClearly we need to go to Sushi Yasuda when we are both next in NYC. They will disabuse you of any pretensions other than imagining life, and lunch, could not be more perfect.
Marc Hedlund | January 5, 2009 7:29 PMBeing taken to task by a guest (this is not something guests are supposed to do, where I come from) who wants a better set of sheets: that's a tough thing to wrap my head around. Did said guest know how lucky they were just to be in your house; even more so, in your company? Yeesh. Such behavior. That's what my mom used to call "looking a gift horse in the mouth." (I'm sure the guest was still a marvelous person, as they are, surely, your friend. Perhaps they just need to spend their next vacation with Emily Post's grandchildren.)
Also, would like to commend you on your most recent post (no comments allowed). Beautifully said, and critically important: our daughters have to live in this world, don't they? Women's issues aren't something that disappeared with Betty Friedan's last hat. Bravo. Thank you.
victoria thorne | January 6, 2009 8:55 PMAh, but it was a guest who is and old and very close friend, and so can gripe about the sheets to her heart's content. Of course the way it was said was, "you have good towels, now let me get you some high thread count sheets as a gift" -- I said "those are high thread count sheets!" I didn't tell the tale very accurately!
Caterina | January 6, 2009 9:47 PMThat makes the story even better. A sweet ending, a dear friend. Maybe even a beribboned box from sferra bros? (But no wide-mouthed gift horse, clearly.)
And they all snoozed happily ever after.
victoria thorne | January 6, 2009 11:25 PMThat makes the story even better. A sweet ending, a dear friend. Maybe even a beribboned box from sferra bros? (But no wide-mouthed gift horse, clearly.)
And they all snoozed happily ever after.
victoria thorne | January 6, 2009 11:26 PM{ Post a comment }
Hi Caterina,
More important than with what nigiri should be eaten is how it should be eaten. I see most people dip the nigiri rice in soy sauce and then eat it rice side down. This is completely incorrect. The rice is acting like a sponge and in essence, you're eating a lot of salty soy sauce followed by a wad of bland rice, and lastly the fish. It's the equivalent of dumping a large scoop of mashed potatoes on top of a perfectly grilled USDA Prime steak and then pouring half a bottle of A1 steak sauce on top of it. Doesn't make sense right?
Nigiri sushi should be eaten "upside-down". That is, you should turn the nigiri on its side with your hands or chopsticks, dip a corner of the fish in the soy sauce taking care to avoid touching the rice to the soy sauce, and then turn it completely over and put it in your mouth, fish-side down, so that the fish is sitting in your tongue. The soy sauce provides a bit of flavor enhancement to the fish (like putting a pinch of salt on your food). So your tongue tastes the fish with soy sauce first, followed by the dab of wasabi, and lastly the rice as a starch to mellow the flavor. Turning nigiri sushi over without breaking it up is also a bit easier if you're using your hands, hence the traditional way of eating it with hands instead of chopsticks.
Give it a try next time and I guarantee your sushi eating experience will never be the same again.
Patrick | January 5, 2009 6:48 PM