Quick and elegant sushi

By Kady Guyton
December 15, 2008

Vegatable sushi (top) and California rolls (bottom). Click for larger image.

Americans, being who we are, have cornered the market on "fusion cuisine". Fusion usually being defined as the taking of two - or more - different ethnic cuisines and smashing them together into something previously unheard of - but usually delicious. Barbeque chicken pizza and California sushi rolls being two examples.

This attitude is very freeing for all cooks because it means that the sky is the limit when it come to playing with flavors and ingredients. A careful look at most restaurant menus and you can see the influences from other regions. So let's take another look at that California roll: the presentation is, of course, Japanese. The filling is pure American. The California roll was created in the seventies in response to Americans aversion to raw fish. Thirty years later, sushi can be found in Wichita, KS and the California roll is a good introduction to sushi for a lot of people.

It's also a great appetizer to make when you want to be impressive and traditional sushi isn't an option. Making sushi rolls is surprisingly easy and one log will produce seven to ten individual rolls, so it's a fast way to feed a small crowd. The only special equipment required is the bamboo sushi mat, but they can be found locally for under $4.

The rice is a key part of sushi making. Long grain rice is too dry and won't stick together. Look for short grain or sushi rice. In a pinch, arborio rice will work as well. Cook according to package directions and be aware that it's a very starchy rice. Plan to use three cups of water for one cup of rice. Cook the rice and allow it to cool before beginning the sushi making. The rice will stick better when it's cool and life is hard enough without trying to grapple with hot rice.

Think of sushi as a sandwich. The fillings can be endlessly changed depending on tastes and finances. I made an all-vegetable version for a change and to feed some vegetarian friends. Curry, cooked chicken and finely diced egg would also be interesting. A friend of mine suggested an all-fruit sushi roll with mango, kiwi and chopped nuts. The idea sounds interesting and I'm thinking of giving it a shot.

There is a old tale in Japan that women can't be sushi chefs because we have higher body temperatures than men. The belief is that raw fish will cook in our hands, making it unfit for sushi. This misconception kept women away from being sushi chefs until fairly recently. Sometimes I'll make a batch of sushi just for the thrill of thumbing my nose at the Japanese patriarchy.

Go forth, roll sushi and enjoy being an American.

California Rolls
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups cooked Japanese medium grain rice
5 sheets or sushi nori (seaweed in big squares)
1 large cucumber, sliced lengthwise.
2 to 3 avocados, thinly sliced
Cooked snow crab meat or imitation crab sticks
Wasabi (Japanese horseradish)
Soy Sauce
Pickled Ginger

Equipment
Sushi mat
Cutting board
Sharp knife

Procedure
To begin, lay the sushi mat flat on a clean cutting board with the bamboo running horizontal. Sprinkle a little water over the mat and place a sheet of nori on top.

Wet your hands and grab a ball of rice, baseball sized is a good start. Press the rice on the nori and press out until the rice is in a thin, even layer. Leave a half inch margin on all sides.

Take a 1/4 teaspoon of wasabi and spread a thin layer across the bottom of the rice. Place your fillings on top.

Grab the bottom of the sushi mat and roll it over your ingredients, taking the nori along with it. Pull the rolling mat towards you, taking care not to roll it into your sushi. Roll as tightly as you can, loose sushi rolls don't work.

Gently squeeze the mat to smooth out any bumps. Unwrap the mat from the log and place it on the cutting board. Using the sharp knife, slice the log into even rolls.

Arrange on a platter and enjoy with wasabi and pickled ginger.