Guest Author - Sherry Van Der Elst

Maki, or "rolled," sushi typically is strips of vegetables or fish rolled in rice and wrapped in thin sheets of seaweed called nori. This is a great recipe for the beginner sushi chef, and makes about four servings.

Hint: You can find toasted seaweed sheets and pickled ginger at most grocery stores and at any Asian or Japanese market.

Sushi Rolls (Nori-maki)

1 1/4 cups sushi rice
Cold water
1/3 cup + 1 tbsp rice vinegar
2 1/4 tbs sugar
1 3/4 tsps salt
1 3/4 cups water
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cucumber, peeled, seeded and julienned
1 small carrot, peeled and julienned
2 tsps white sesame seeds (shiro goma)
1 firm, ripe avocado, julienned
3 sheets toasted nori (seaweed)
1/2 cup water
Pickled ginger slices
Wasabi paste

1. Place rice in large bowl and cover with cold water. Stir gently several times until water becomes cloudy. Drain rice in colander and repeat washing and draining process several times until water runs clear. After final rinse, let rice drain in colander for one hour.

2. Combine vinegar, sugar and salt in a small saucepan; set over medium heat and stir until sugar is dissolved. Immediately remove from heat; let stand until cool.

3. Combine drained rice and 1 3/4 cups water in a medium saucepan with fitted lid. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until all water has been absorbed.

4. Remove saucepan from heat and let stand, covered, for 15 minutes. Do not lift lid.

5. Spoon rice into a shallow pan in an even layer. Drizzle with cooled vinegar mixture and white sesame seeds; toss gently with a dampened wooden spoon to blend. Continue tossing gently until rice cools. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside. Do not refrigerate.

6. Cut carrot, cucumber and avocado into fine strips about 1/8-inch square and 1/2-inch long.

7. Using scissors, cut nori sheets in half cross-wise. In a small bowl, mix 1/2 cup water and 1 tbsp rice vinegar to make tezu (hand vinegar), used to moisten fingertips while handling rice to prevent sticking.

8. Place one half sheet of nori, shiny side down, crosswise on a bamboo sushi mat and one inch from the edge of the mat closest to you. Moisten fingertips with tezu and place 1/2 cup of rice on nori, spreading in an even layer to cover all but 3/4-inch of nori sheet farthest from you.

9. Place several strips of carrot, cucumber or avocado--or any combination—-on top of the rice. Slowly fold the mat over, tucking the end of the nori to start a roll. Continue rolling using a medium pressure.

10. Remove roll from mat and slice into six or eight pieces with a sharp knife, dipping the knife in tezu before each cut.

11. Turn the pieces on end and arrange on platter. Garnish with pickled ginger and serve with soy sauce and a dab of wasabi.