California Sushi Rolls

By Deanna Cook
Photographs By Carl Tremblay
If your kids are craving sushi for dinner, skip the Japanese restaurant and show them how to roll up a batch at home.
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California Rolls

Photograph by Carl Tremblay
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Perfecting the technique takes a bit of practice, but the process of making sushi is fun to learn and the mistakes are just as appetizing as their perfectly shaped counterparts. The Asian sections of larger grocery stores carry the various specialty ingredients you'll need, such as nori (seaweed pressed into sheets), sushi rice, pickled ginger, and wasabi, as well as the key piece of equipment, a bamboo sushi-rolling mat that costs around $2.

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Set Up Your Sushi Station

Photographs By Carl Tremblay

Arrange the nori, cucumber, crab strips, and avocado on a platter. Put the sesame seeds, sugar, and salt in small bowls and fill a medium bowl with water. Cover both sides of the rolling mat with plastic wrap.

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Prep the Rice

Photographs By Carl Tremblay

In a small bowl, stir together the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Pour the mixture over the rice and stir to coat it.

*Consider making the rice the night before as it will need at least a few hours to cool completely.

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Prep the Nori

Photographs By Carl Tremblay

Lay a sheet of nori on the mat, shiny side down. To keep the rice from sticking to your hands, dip them in the water. Cover the nori almost to the edges with rice. Scatter on the sesame seeds. Flip the nori over (the rice should stay adhered to the nori as you do this).

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Add the Filling

Photographs By Carl Tremblay

Arrange avocado, crab strips, and cucumber on the nori about an inch from the edge closest to you.

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Roll It Up!

Photographs By Carl Tremblay

Roll up the ingredients by slowly folding the mat over the filling. Tuck in the ingredients as you work. When you've formed a log, use the mat to press and shape it. Use the remaining ingredients to make more rolls.

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