"I'm not making art, I'm making sushi."

       These are the words spoken by Masaharu Morimoto, America's best Iron Chef. However, sushi really is an art, and it takes a lot of skill to do it well. Despite the fact that I am a woman, and I lack the many years necessary to become a sushi master, I enjoy making sushi (not to mention eating it too). Maybe it's due to my lack of experience (and maybe because the fish market can be so overwhelming), but I avoid making my sushi with raw fish. Instead, I make my sushi with a simple combination of cucumber, mango, and avocado.

Here's how I do it.
       First, gather your ingredients.  Some are not what you would normally have in your cupboard, so you might need to hit up the local grocery store. You will need:

The Ingredients

1. Rice vinegar - I used about a tablespoon
2. Sushi rice (I prefer Kokuho Rose) - I used 2 cups
3. Avocado - I used 1/4
4. Ripe mango - I used 1/4
5. Cucumber - I used 1 mini one
6. Water - I used 2 and 1/3 cups in the rice cooker
7. Nori paper (seaweed)

          Next, rinse your rice VERY well. I use a strainer so that I can swish it around with my hands under running water. When the water runs clear out of the rice, you're ready to get cooking.

         Cook the rice according to the package or rice cooker instructions. Make sure you add a bit of extra water because you don't want to have those delicious toasted pieces on the bottom.When the rice is finished cooking add a few splashes of rice vinegar and mix it well. Remove the rice from the rice cooker and spread on a cookie sheet to cool.

Delicious Filling

      While the rice is cooling, prepare your filling. You'll want to cut everything as close to a julienne as possible (like a matchstick). The cucumber will need to be de-seeded, as the seeds can make the sushi too watery, and, if you want, you can peel your cucumber too. I like the texture, so I leave the skin on. Once you have everything cut up and your rice is cooled, you're ready to start rolling.

Rolling in the deep

          When I was in Japan, I purchased a couple of sushi rolling mats. These are super handy, but, if you don't have one, don't fret, you can still do it by hand. Line the mat with plastic wrap (the pros use this too as it stops the filling from getting into the bamboo slats), and place a piece of nori paper on top. Wet your fingers a little, not so they are dripping, but so that they are coated. This will help the rice to not adhere to you. Wet them whenever the rice starts to stick to your fingers. Pick up some rice and spread it evenly over the nori paper, leaving about a 3/4 to 1 inch at the top (you can press it down tight if you'd like). Lay your filling over one end of the rice, and rinse and dry your hands.

Rocking and a Rolling 

         Starting at the filling end pick up the plastic wrap (and your mat if you have one), and curl it over the filling (this part takes some practice). Carefully, roll the nori paper, rice and filling into a cylinder. Using some water, (or use the fleshy portion of the mango peel) dampen the little strip of rice-less paper and finish rolling. Place the cylinder seam side down on a plate. Finish rolling all your others (you're last one will look the best, I promise).

Rolling on a river

         Cutting the sushi rolls you have worked so hard to prepare is the final challenge you must face. Make sure that you have a very sharp knife and a damp cloth or paper towel. Every time you make a slice through your roll, wipe off the knife to remove the sticky 'gunk' left by the rice. It works best if the knife is wet, so don't dry it off. You might find that using a firm sawing motion works best (I do) as it's very easy to squish the sushi rolls you've just painstakingly prepared.



         Serve with some wasabi and soy sauce.

                                                                                          Enjoy!
                                                                                              Mel