Sushi Rolls Anonymous

“I’m Joe and I’m addicted to sushi rolls.”

There… it’s out in the open! I cannot get enough of these delectable ovals of deliciousness. Maybe it’s because they are the perfect delivery device for wasabi and soy…? Not only are they tasty, they are healthy too! Thank goodness I learned how to make them on my own… they can get a little bit on the expensive side when buying them from the deli at the grocery store. But making them yourself is VERY economical after your initial investment in a bamboo mat, some high quality sushi soy sauce, a tube of wasabi, a jar of sesame seeds, and a big bag of sushi rice. Tonight my sushi roll filling consisted of salmon, avocado, cucumber and asparagus…. all rolled up in a seaweed wrap with sticky rice and sesame seeds. I’m not going to go into the techniques of making the sushi rolls…. instead I recommend going to youtube and searching for “California sushi rolls”. There are so many good videos demonstrating how to assemble sushi rolls that I’m not even going to try to compete with them. I will share my recipe for sushi rice though. The rice is probably the most complicated thing about sushi rolls… and it’s not that difficult once you find a recipe that you trust.

SUSHI RICE

2 cups short grain rice (go to a oriental market and ask if you don't know what kind to buy.)
2 cups water.
2 T. rice vinegar
2 T. sugar
1 T. 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 saucepan and place over high heat. Bring to a boil, uncovered. After 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 non-metal 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 rolls.