sometimes you just gotta roll with it.

oh the joy of sushi rolling! it really is pretty darn simple, even a bird can do it with a tiger watching. it's all about prep and a sharp knife, so if you've got a sous chef hiding around somewhere you are absolutely golden. otherwise, get ready to slice and dice - well, okay just slice and slice. and slice a little more. there are a few basic things to know about sushi rolling. first of all, you want to use sushi rice and you want to prepare it with the rice:water ratio on its package, it's too starchy to drain off excess water if you guesstimate quantities and use too much water and it becomes paste. the second key to rolling sushi is that once the rice has been steamed, you want to add rice vinegar immediately, while it is still hot. this will make it the right consistency to spread and use in your rolls. use plenty of vinegar, stir it in and coat all of the rice, and allow it to cool before you proceed with rolling. i allow it to cool on the counter before i transfer it to the fridge. the third thing you want to know is that a piece of plastic wrap between the nori and the bamboo rolling mat will make rolling easier and prevent the roll from ever sticking to the mat. when rolling your sushi, make it tight, don't be afraid to really put some pressure on it, you want the roll to be solid and tight so that when you slice it, it doesn't fall apart. and the most important thing about making sushi rolls is that you have to have a clean, sharp knife in order to cut. keep a small bowl of cold water next to you as you work. the duller the knife, the more likely you will be rinsing your knife and wiping it clean between each slice. if the blade is dull or has sticky starchy residue from the nori and rice, it won't slice through, your roll will tear, things will fall apart, it will be a messy situation. there will probably be cursing. quite possibly tears. definitely frustration. if you have a clean sharp knife though, it's easypeasy, you just slice right through the roll and leave a trail of perfect little pieces of maki.

what you need to roll sushi:

sushi rice

water

rice vinegar

bamboo mat

bamboo or plastic paddle or spatula (to spread rice on the nori)

sheets of nori

plastic wrap

sharp clean knife

pickled ginger (optional)

wasabi (optional)

soy sauce (optional)

things i like to roll in sushi:

cucumbers

asparagus (i blanch them first)

oshinko

red peppers

yellow peppers

baby corn

bamboo shoots

water chestnuts

avocado

kimchi

jicama

a basic bird's eye view to rolling sushi

prepare your sushi rice, add rice vinegar, cool

prepare the ingredients for your roll - clean and slice and anything else you need to do them

spread a sheet of plastic wrap over your bamboo mat

place a piece of nori on top of the plastic wrap

spread a thin layer of rice across the nori

line ingredients up across nori horizontally (in relation to you), starting in the center and keeping centered

before you roll, dab your finger in your water bowl and lightly wet the edge of the nori closest to you and farthest from you - this will help the nori seal to itself

now you are ready to roll - bring the side of the nori closest to you up and over the contents, apply some pressure and create seal where it meets the other side, then roll so it is closed entirely, make it tight and always roll away from you. once roll is secured, unroll bamboo mat, remove from plastic wrap, transfer to cutting board

using the sharpest knife you have, slice your sushi roll

enjoy!