Mixed Sushi Bowl Recipe

1. Prepare SUSHI RICE.
2. For specific amounts used in preparing all items (except nori seaweed) in this step. Mushrooms and gourd ribbons: Wash and soak mushrooms in 2 1/2 cups warm water until soft (about 1 hour), keeping them submerged by covering with drop-lid, flat pan lid, or saucer. Reserve liquid. Rinse gourd ribbons and scrub with salt. Rinse. Soak in 2 1/2 cups cold water until soft (about 30 minutes), reserving liquid. Rinse mushrooms and discard stems. Combine mushrooms and gourd ribbons with 2 cups soaking liquid from mushrooms and 2 cups soaking liquid from gourd ribbons. (Add enough water to make 4 cups, if necessary.) Stir in sugar, soy sauce, and mirin. Cook over medium-high heat with drop-lid until liquid is absorbed (about 30 minutes). Thinly slice mushrooms and chop gourd ribbons. Horse mackerel: Without skinning, sprinkle with salt and set aside for 1 hour. Rinse. (This purifies and firms flesh.) Rinse in 2 Tbsps rice vinegar, add about 5 Tbsps vinegar to barely cover, and set aside for 20 minutes. The skin is then easily removed. Cut fish into thin diagonal strips.
Fish: Cut into thin diagonal strips.
Lotus root (optional): Slice into paper-thin rounds. Reserve 10 whole slices for garnish. Slice remaining lotus into quarters. Place all in glass bowl and add sugar, salt, and vinegar. Drain just before adding to sushi rice.
Egg: Combine egg with sugar and salt. Beat well. Cook egg. After sheets cool, roll up and slice crosswise into fine threads. (Trim messy edges before rolling, if desired.)
Bamboo shoots: Wash thoroughly and remove any white residue. Cut into 1/2-inch (1 1/2-cm) long julienne strips. Combine bamboo and remaining ingredients. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until liquid is nearly absorbed.
Carrot: Peel and then cut crosswise into paper-thin rounds, stack slices, and cut into slivers. Add carrot, sugar, salt, and enough bonito stock to cover. Cover and cook over medium-high heat until just tender.
Shrimp: Shell and devein. Break off tail. Add vinegar, sake, pinch salt, and enough water to cover. Boil shrimp until it turns pink.
Tuna: Drain well. Flake with a fork, then wrap in cheesecloth, bring up ends, and twist to squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Turn out into a saucepan and add sake, sugar, and pinch salt. Stir constantly over medium-high heat until dry and flaky.
Snow peas: Remove stem and strings. Cut lengthwise into fine slivers. Cook in boiling salted water for 1 minute. Drain. Sprinkle with mirin.
Nori seaweed: If not pretoasted, toast by passing shiny side over an open flame several times. Cut into fine shreds with scissors or wrap in a dry cloth and crumble into small pieces.
3. To assemble: Use a large, shallow serving bowl. Reserve all of shrimp, nori, red vinegared ginger, and sesame seeds. In addition, set aside 10 lotus rounds (drained), half of egg, and a small amount of other ingredients. With a wooden spoon, mix remaining ingredients (including egg trimmings) into sushi rice. Sprinkle reserved egg over top, then add other toppings. Finish up with lotus, shrimp, red vinegared ginger, sesame seeds (to taste), and nori in that order. (An alternate method calls for about half of egg to be sprinkled over rice, then all of remaining ingredients. Finish up with shrimp, sesame seeds, egg, and nori.) Mix well before eating.