Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Miami Beach Sushi Orgy


So, Lucy and Edie and I spent the day in the hotel pool, which was warm, like bath water and the girls played in the tanning cabanas and jumped into the 3 foot roof top pool with nothing but their nudey little bodies and there was laughing and some cajoling so that I would take them far out into the deep end, which was like all of 4 feet, and Edie slept in the shade while Lucy and I splashed each other and I pretended I was a friendly shark and then a terrible shark, until the screaming of little girls, mine and other people's, was too much for our ears to bear, and I became a friendly shark again, much to everyone's relief.

That was my day in a nutshell. Pretty freakin' fantastic, huh?

Poor David was stuck in the theatre working. He was stressed. I was a shark. With a tan. There you go. Life isn't fair.

So, it's not always easy feeding all of us when we travel. There are always situations we can't predict or plan for, like that first meal after we get to a destination or before we do the first proper grocery shop or if we are laid over unexpectedly, so sometimes it's a challenge to get everyone eating the way I want them to.

I'm not the type to carry a neatly wrapped wad of organic, grass-fed bison in my brassiere for that "just in case" moment when the children cry out in hunger, nor can I butter poach a lobster with nothing but a hot pot and a bag of M&M's from the mini-bar.

So, I want to share with you the sushi orgy that occurred on our first night here. I particularly loved this dinner because we were all ferociously hungry and we gourged ourselves. There is a sushi restaurant and "Sakatini Bar", whatever the hell that is, in our hotel and so we stumbled down there before unpacking and settling. And we went a little nuts.

What I think is important about this meal, that you will see in the pictures (below), is that Lucy really went to town on her sushi and maki. This is important because although she has played at eating sushi - she's tried it, ate a little here and there, rolled it around her mouth, but never really made a meal of it - this time something clicked and she really indulged lavishly on her sushi. And mine.

This means that the old food wisdom about kids is indeed true - sometimes you have to put food in front of kids time after time - while they turn up their noses or spit it out onto the table or shout "That's disgusting!" at the top of their lungs - before they come to accept it and eventually love it.

This meal reminded me that it's all worth it. See for yourself...

xxoo YM


PS: Notice that my children started out the meal clothed. And ended up topless before we got to the entrees. That's my girls...

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16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, man. Yet, another example of why I love your site! Pictures of American kids eating sushi. And they like it. Who'd a though? I should stop leaving these gushing comments and just start a Yummy Mummy Cooks Gourmet fan club. Enjoy the rest of your trip.

YM#2 (actually, MD in Toronto).

Anonymous said...

The pink flip flops would really come in handy in Miami. I will continue to put sushi in front of my 5 year old and wait for that magical moment ...

Lorelei

Anonymous said...

I was 29 before anyone pushed sushi at me, my wife may have been 40 before she tried a piece.

We both now love it.

Anonymous said...

MD - You make me smile. Thanks for the really supportive words.

Lorelei - What a great name you have! Love it. Yes! Yes! Keep trying! I mean if NTSC didn't have it until he was nearly 30 there is still hope for a 5 year old, right?...

NTSC - And to be honest, I never had sushi until I was dating this Dutch guy, when I was also around 29. The guy loved sushi and he introduced me to it on a date. I ate it because I wanted to appear worldly. I probably didn't look very worldy, now that I look back on it, and the Dutch guy turned out to be a real fool, but I did end up loving sushi.

All's well that ends well.

xxoo Kim

SaintTigerlily said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
SaintTigerlily said...

Mmmmmm. Your kids are too cool. My small sisters (3, 6, and 7) are basically on all carb and sugar diets until I get to town. I can have them eating pate and mussels in mere moments using my cool older sister influence. (Not ACTUALLY cool, just cool by virtue of being older and...erm...sisterly and, I suspect, not a parent)

Also I told them the pate was hotdogs.

I also find being really selfish with my food works wonders to expand their little jealous palates. (Very Fantasticks: "They did it cause we said no")

Kim! Did you see I put the totally safe for work boobie shot back up for you? My internet pals are such puritans!

Anonymous said...

Hey Kim:

Your babies eating Sushi??? I'm impressed. I know adults who have never tried it.
Sorry I missed you when you were up. As you know we were at the Jersey Shore.
I spoke with y our Mom the night before she planned on moving. Hope all went well. We're going to get together for lunch when she's settled in. xxxRita

Neen said...

I'm giggling at the topless movement. Your daughters really get Miami! Lucy is holding up the wrong finger in one of those shots, but I'm sure she'll have figured that out in ten years or so. :) I'd never had sushi until right before college, but Do grew up on it and Dim Sum. I only hope that our kids will be equally adventurous eaters. I'd pull my hair out if we were confined to PB&J for ten years.

Melissa said...

Sushi is my faaaavorite. I got spoiled by a really good omakase on my birthday this year and now my standards have gone up. Dammit. :)

Kim, your girls are seriously, impossibly adorable. Like ugh, they're so cute, are you kidding me??

I'm so glad whatever clicked, clicked and she enjoyed the meal. I have a friend whose 5 year old will sometimes eat it, even sashimi. Hooray for adventurous eaters!

MommyLisa said...

So my 2.5 year old nudist is not alone?

ib said...

You are making me miss theater and you only mentioned the stress it was causing your husband... That's so awesome that you're kids eat sushi. I hate how adults usually assume their kids won't like something so they never make them try it.

Familia said...

what fun! yes, it sounds like you have a very good job being a shark and getting a tan.

Izzy's Mama said...

Come one Kim, no grass-fed beef in your purse? You need to bring a cooler next time!! But then again, if you had, you would have missed out on your fabulous family's sushi moment!

Now you will have to start grappling with sushi-obsession which is what Izzy has been plagued with for the past year.

http://izzyeats.blogspot.com/2007/05/newest-plea-continues-unabated-i-want.html

http://izzyeats.blogspot.com/2007/07/octopus-and-sushi-preschool-uproar.html

krysta said...

i think there's a trade off... you can be a tan shark and your husband goes out and meet movie stars. oh such is life! i hope we don't see your girls on 'girls gone wild' in a few years. it looks like they are practicing for their big debut. (joking)

Anne Stesney said...

THIS is why you're my kids and food hero! And why I call YOU when my kid eats poop.

PS: I'm glad I actually read through the comments because I almost made the same "Girls Gone Wild" joke that Krysta made. Great minds...

Miami Hotels said...

Very pretty girls, You are lucky! I love sushi too. I was in Miami before 2 years, I think, thorough last minute travel. I ate sushi in restaurant, I think it's very cool idea to make sushi on the beach with your family.