My first attempt at making California Rolls...

[scheelimama]

Was a dismal failure. DH and I still ate them, falling apart, laughing, scooping it all up and stuffing our mouths. It was really funny actually!

So, I love California rolls, I treated myself to them once a week last pregnancy, I seem to really crave them when pregnant. I figured I should learn how to make my own since they're pretty pricey. So, I bought all the necessary supplies only forgetting one essential, the rice wine vinegar. I made them like you traditionally see them in the store, with cucumber, avocado and imitation crab. Then I read a few "how to's" and watched a video. The guy on the video made it look easy enough and I didn't figure leaving out the rice wine would be that big of a deal, so I figured I'd go for it. Oh my goodness, the mess. The video says "wet your hands so the rice doesn't stick". Yeah, it totally didn't help. He put big slices of crab and veggies on his, so I figured it would be fine if I did too. Nope, they turned out much wider than they should have. Rolling went okay, I used a large ziplock bag to do it since I didn't have one of those fancy bamboo thingy's that they roll with. But cutting, that did not go well. I used the biggest, sharpest knife I have, but it all just squished out instead of cutting smoothly. And I tasted the seaweed. And it did not bite through easily. Two things I've never noticed as all when I ate the storebought variety.

So...

What special equipment might I need to make this work better? (knife, rolling thingy, etc.) What can I get away without?

What type of seaweed is best? There were 3 varieties at the store and they all cost about the same and looked the same. I just picked one. The commissary has a decent selection of Asian stuff since many men marry Korean women in the Army. There's a demand I guess in most commissaries.

Do I need to let it sit awhile before cutting and/or eating?

Any other tips/hints you all can give me?

I think I'll cross post over at MDC and see if I might get some good advice over there.

[rebirth]

hehe! Sounds like a fun date night

When I make sushi I try to make everything less full, and that really helps with the bulk factor.

A serated knife will really help you get better slices, cause a sushi knife is super sharp. Slicing slowly as if it were bread helps.

I buy a seaweed package that says it is good for sushi- so no help there.

The rice wine vinegar will really help them stick together better.

The mat for me is a must have tool. You can get it for under 10$- so if you make it 3x at home it'll have paid for itself. I wouldn't buy a special knife or anything else.

If you keep everything super cold it'll be better imo, and probably hold together better as well. If durring construction it gets a little warm from your hands then you could put it in the fridge for a few before sliing. That'll keep it super fresh too.

A hint that really helps me is too give myself a lot more edge room then I think, and to not be afraid to give it a good squeeze as well! Molding it into that shape takes some decent pressure.

Good luck! It took me about 5 times making sushi to get them to hold together properly! Oh well, tastes the same, and it's good for some funny convo durring dinner!

[cristeen]

Don't be afraid to squeeze it. The rice should be packed together pretty well so that it sticks to itself. Pat it down as you're putting the rice in, and then squeeze the roll before you slice it.

For a knife, use a bread knife (serrated) and treat it like a saw. Cut it immediately because the longer it sits the harder it is to cut.

As for the seaweed, you want nori. I've never seen a sheet seaweed that wasn't nori, though.

You can get away without buying any special equipment - you just need to work a little on your technique.

How hot was your rice? Your rice should be room temperature, and at room temperature, wet hands should work pretty well to prevent sticking. It should not be cold and it should not be hot.

[scheelimama]

Thanks ladies. I think I'll get the mat. My rice was not fresh, but only a day or two old and still fairly moist, so I heated it 30 seconds or so in the microwave (it was cold from the fridge). Next time I'll make it fresh with the rice wine vinegar and let it cool to room temp., I'm sure that will help the whole equation.

I do not have a good bread knife, I really need one, I've only got a bagel cutter that I use often on my homemade bread, but I don't think it would work for this. I do really need one of these though, so I'll look into getting one. I used a very sharp flat edge knife and it obviously did not work.

Thanks for all the tips!

[WC_hapamama]

1) make sure you're using the proper rice... medium grain Calrose types are best. Brown rice is a pain in the tush to use in sushi.

2) use toasted nori... you can buy it already toasted, or you can toast it yourself.

3) cut with a serrated knife, and dip the knife in water between slices.

4) when you are rolling, make sure you're packing the rice tightly.