Nori rolls

As a child, I generally avoided dirtying my hands in the kitchen, preferring instead to eat everything that came out of it. I got away with this for years because my mom is such an amazing and willing chef, happy to chop and saute and knead for hours when she has an appreciative audience. It wasn't until my senior year of high school, in anticipation of moving away for college, when I realized that I needed to learn to cook for myself.

One of the few things I would try my hand at and loved making with my mom were nori rolls, the all-veggie sushi roll. I would stand on my toes to see what my mom would pull from her paper bags of groceries, and when the package of nori sheets emerged, I would immediately make myself a snack: toasted nori sheets (passed over the gas flame) dipped in tamari. We would also make incredible nori rolls, with seriously sour and salty umeboshi plum paste (that I could eat by the spoonful), spread on the edges to seal in the sticky rice filling. We would slice the finished rolls on the cutting board and marvel at how perfectly formed the little swirls were, like watching a Fimo bead take shape from a lumpy roll of clay. I would devour each piece, standing over the counter top with a small dish of tamari and my favorite floral chopsticks until I cleaned the final grain of fallen rice from the dish.

Last night, I decided to try my hand at the delicacy and they were a huge success! Alex has only recently tried and enjoyed sushi, so his approval means the world. I made a variety of combinations from our five fillers, but you can use whatever you choose. Our local sushi restaurant makes peanut-avocado rolls, so I attempted a couple of those. I also made mushroom-carrot-avocado, my favorite, and an "everything," as well as simple cuke and avocado rolls. Play with your favorite fillings, get creative. Other options include green beans, soy beans, and bell peppers. When it's all done, as long as your ingredients are good, you can make a mess of the roll and still enjoy every last bite.

Sushi rice
Yields about 4 cups cooked rice
2 cups white sushi rice, rinsed until water is clear (this is necessary to clean off the starches so it will be the right consistency when cooked)
2 1/2 cups water

3 T rice vinegar
1 T sugar
1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp tamari (the wheat-free soy sauce)

1. Cook water and rinsed rice over high heat. Once boiling, reduce to the lowest setting and cover for 20 minutes or until all water is absorbed, stirring several times to prevent sticking to the pot.

2. When rice is done (taste for cooked but chewy texture), remove from heat and let sit, covered, 10 minutes. This helps keep it moist.

3. Turn rice into large bowl and combine with vinegar-sugar mixture. Cut in sauce, as with pastry dough, until rice is thoroughly coated.

4. Spread rice across sides and bottom of bowl to cool. Cover with a damp cloth to keep it wet until you're ready to use it for the sushi.














Momma's Nori Rolls
Makes 8 rolls, with some leftover veggies

4 cups cooked sushi rice, seasoned as above

8 sheets nori, toasted VERY briefly over a low flame (just pass it over quickly until it turns bright green but before it starts smoking)

Filling of your choice:
5 shitaki mushrooms, reconstituted with boiling water for 20 minutes (reserve the liquid)
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into matchsticks, blanched briefly over boiling water
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced into matchsticks
1 avocado, sliced thinly lengthwise
1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts

Bowl of water to moisten the edge of the nori.

1. Using the back of a wooden spoon, spread about 1/2 cup of the rice on a sheet of nori (rough side face up). Press the rice onto the sheet, creating a thin coating up to the last inch of nori, being careful not to tear the wrapper. (Keep the damp cloth over the remaining rice to prevent drying.)

2. Line up your chosen filling along the bottom edge of the nori (on the rice end), placing just a few pieces of carrots, cucumber, or mushrooms stacked onto each other. You don't want to add too much or you will burst your nori.

3. Starting at the edge with the filling, wrap the nori over and roll tightly up to the non-rice end. Moisten the dry part with water and complete the roll, resting it seam-side-down on the counter. Slice at 3/4" intervals or so, to your desired thickness, and dunk in sauce (below).

Dipping Sauce
Makes enough for 2 rolls, if you cook it down
This sauce has a pleasantly sweet, woodsy flavor, thanks to the shitaki "juice" which is made from soaking the dried mushrooms in hot water for 30 minutes prior to use.

Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes:
1 cup shitaki soaking water
1 Tbsp tamari
dash of toasted sesame oil

Cook down to 1/3 cup, remove from heat and pour into small dipping bowls. Toss in some sliced scallions and go to town on the sushi.