california roll sushi: a westcoast holiday welcome back.

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I know, I know. I've been off the grid for the past month, cooking yet not blogging. However, there was so much to do!

I had to make a cookbook for Christmas presents (the one for everyone will be available soon!).

I sold an art piece and had to ship it.

And we had to go to Ziptrek before the Christmas holiday. 

T'was delightful.

Then, exhausted from all our adventuring, we came back and made sushi.

It was delicious. 

Though many think that the word 'sushi' means 'raw fish', it actually is translated as 'seasoned rice' -- less gross than many perceive. Traditionally, only the sashimi sushi is eaten with chopsticks, but in our North American culture, we have begun to eat each dish with two sticks of wood. For those who do not know sushi etiquette, the filling or topping should be the only thing placed in the accompanying soy sauce. Wasabi should not be used at all, or the chefs making the sushi will have added the appropriate amount for flavor when preparing them. However, ettiquette was not followed this night, not even social proprieties (as show by me trying to eat Stel's sushi).

California Rolls

1 package, sushi seaweed
Sushi rice, prepared according to the package and vinegar

Artificial crab, grated

Japanese mayonnaise

1 english cucumber, sliced

1 avocado, sliced 

1 red pepper, sliced

Sesame seeds

1. Place 1/4 cup (or more or less, depends how you like your sushi) on the piece of seaweed, which is placed on a rolling mat. Spread it about the seaweed, dipping your hands in water occasionally to keep the rice from sticking to it.

2. Set as much ingredients as you like down on the lower half, closer to you, of seaweed (the rolling mat should be set so the bamboo sticks are horizontal in front of you).

3. Roll over the ingredients, using the mat, and press down firmly when the have been completely covered with the seaweed. 

4. Unwrap the bamboo rolling mat and pull the half-rolled sushi to the edge of the mat. Roll it the rest of the way, pressing firmly. 

5. Cut with a very, very sharp knife, kept wet with rice vinegar.   

** These are my usual ingredients, but play around with others - great sushi is easily made with unusual ingredients. 

Eat. Pray. Enjoy the snow, and the holidays.