Food

Everyone loves sushi. Okay, not everyone, but everyone should! Unfortunately, it can get very expensive if you are satisfying your sushi cravings by going out to eat at sushi bars often. Luckily, it's actually very easy to roll sushi at home! Plus, at home you can use whatever ingredients YOU like, so there are many more options. Not to mention, it's infinitely cheaper than going out for sushi so often. It takes a bit of practice to roll sushi perfectly, so don't worry if you don't get it right on the first try! (I sure didn't!) Just keep trying, and keep in mind - even if they don't look so great, they are still edible!! Mistakes taste just as good as perfectly rolled sushi! :)

Rolling the Maki:

Lay a piece of nori (toasted seaweed) on the rolling mat, shiny side down. It's best to cover the mat with plastic wrap, like shown here, to minimize clean-up.

Place about 1/2 cup of sumeshi (sushi rice) on the nori. Wet your hands with water so the rice won't stick to your hands. I find it's useful to have a small bowl of water mixed with a little rice vinegar sitting next to my work area so I don't have to keep running between the sink and my work area to keep my hands wet. Spread the rice over the nori with your hands, leaving a 1/2 inch strip of nori uncovered at the bottom.

Place your desired fillings along this strip of uncovered nori on the edge closest to you.

Using the rolling mat, begin to tightly roll the sushi. Start at the side nearest to you, and roll away from you. Make sure you don't roll the rolling mat into your sushi! I can't imagine that would taste very good!

When the sushi is completely rolled, use the rolling mat to squeeze the sushi so it does not unroll when you are trying to cut it.

Using a very sharp knife, cut the sushi into six or eight pieces, depending on how thick you like your sushi. It helps to have your knife freshly sharpened; otherwise it's pretty easy to squish your sushi when you are cutting it. This can cause the sushi to fall apart when you are eating it, and become kind of a pain. Also, it helps to wet your knife before cutting the sushi, so the rice and fillings won't stick to it.

Enjoy your sushi!