Due to my husband's insatiable appetite for sushi, I've had to resort to making it on my own.
To get started, I had to get a few things. A bag of sushi rice, a bottle of Rice Vinegar, a container of sushi ginger, a package of roasted seaweed wrapping sheets, a container of roasted sesame seeds, soy sauce, an avocado, cucumber & if spicy sauce is to your liking, a bottle of hot chili sauce & a container of mayonnaise (low fat is good as well!). I was lucky enough to find all of the ingredients at my local Super Stop & Shop, on the isle that sells all of the Asian ingredients. Lastly, I had to find sushi grade fish. Luckily I have an excellent fish market close by & the owner's are always honest enough to tell me if they have sushi grade fish available or not. I usually buy (3/4 lb each, for 2 people) tuna & salmon & ask them to remove the salmon skin. If my husband & I are feeling especially indulgent, we order scallops & sea urchin a couple of days in advance.
Once I've gathered all of the ingredients, it's time to prep. First, cook the rice (adding 1-2 tbsp of rice vinegar w/water before hand) of rice, following the directions on the bag. Let the rice cool completely (1-2 hrs or stick in freezer if in a time pinch). Cut up the avocado, cucumber & fish into strips. Get a bowl & add 3 parts mayonnaise, to 1 part chili sauce. Mix & taste. Add more chili sauce if you'd like it hotter. Get a bowl of cold water. Lastly, get a cutting board.
Lay the seaweed sheet on top of cutting board. Dip (clean) hands in the cold water, then grab a hand full of rice & place at center of sheet. Work the rice (alternating dipping hands into water, to minimize rice sticking to them), spreading outward in all directions, until it's spread out evenly onto sheet, leaving a 1" border on each end, uncovered. Lay 2 pieces of avocado 1st (closest to you), parallel to 1" border, then tuna, parallel to avocado & spicy sauce on top. Sprinkle on sesame seeds. Dampen border closest to yourself (by dipping fingers into water & tap onto sheet), fold onto food evenly & start rolling, keeping it tight. Keep rolling. Once you've rolled to the border, stop. Dampen border at end, roll again. Let sit, w/dampened border on bottom. Wait a minute to dry. Use a good sharp large steak knife, run under cold water & cut quickly into 1.5"/2" pieces gently on slant. Repeat w/cucumber & salmon. If you're feeling really ambitious, finely chop fish, add spicy sauce, mix & place where sliced fish was placed instead. Plate & add a tiny dollop of spicy sauce on top of each piece & sprinkle on sesame seeds. Pour a bit of soy sauce into tiny bowl. Dip piece of sushi in and enjoy!
