ROLLED SUSHI (MAKIZUSHI)

LIST OF INGREDIENTS TO SERVE FOUR

5 sheets dried seaweed

For the rice:

2 cups uncooked  Nishiki brand rice

2 cups water

5 T. vinegar

2 T. sugar

pinch of salt

For the egg omelet:

4 eggs

1 T. sugar

1 T. water

pinch of salt

For the marinated mushrooms:

8 oz. sliced button mushrooms

1 T. sugar

2 T. soy sauce

pinch of salt

4 T. Mirin (sweet rice wine)

For the marinated carrots:

2 grated carrots

4 T. rice vinegar

For the other vegetables:

1 cucumber, seeds removed and sliced into lengthwise strips

pickled red ginger

1 avocado, peeled and sliced lenthwise and sprinkled with lemon juice to prevent browning

1/2 package alfalfa sprouts

For the seafood:

sushi grade tuna

smoked salmon

imitation crab

fried soft-shell crabs

condiments:

soy sauce

wasabi powder

To make the rice:  Place rice in rice steamer and add cold water.  Stir once with hands and cook according to steamer directions.  When rice is done, allow it to sit covered for 10 minutes before finishing.  To finish the rice, make a sauce in a pan on the stove by heating the vinegar, sugar and salt together, stirring until solution is hot and sugar is dissolved. 

Place rice in a big wide bowl so steam can escape quickly.  Use a fan to blow on the bowl while rice is cooling.  Spread rice out with a rice paddle without mashing it.  Stir in the heated solution to season and make rice shine.  Continue to toss rice until it reaches room temperature and then spread it on a flat sided cookie pan covered with a towel until ready to use.  Rice will keep about 6 hours this way.

To make the sweet omelet:  Mix together all the omelet ingredients and cook in non-stick frying pan, one layer at a time rolling as it cooks into a tight cylinder.  When omelet is cool, slice lengthwise into thin slices.

To make marinated mushrooms:  Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat stirring until mushrooms are tender.  Drain off any remaining moisture.

To make marinated carrots:  Peel carrots and grate.  Stir in rice vinegar and allow to sit at least 1/2 hour before using.

Final Assembly:  Place a bamboo mat on a dry surface.  Lay a sheet of Nori Seaweed with shiny side down.  Take a handful of sushi rice, and spread evenly on nori, leaving a 3/4 inch space on the top.  (To keep rice from sticking to your fingers, have a bowl of cool water with vinegar ready to dip your fingers as necessary.)

Arrange the fillings a little off the center toward you on the rice.  Lift up the bottom edge of the mat with thumbs while holding in the filling with the other fingers.  Roll it over once to bring together bottom and top edges of rice and press firmly.  Roll to end and place seam side down until ready to cut.  With a moistened knife cut into 7 to 9 slices.