RE: Why can't I make a California Roll?

[Guest guest]

Bear in mind that you can also just mix the ingredients together in a

bowl and make " sushi salad. "

On 5/6/09, melodylubart1 <eliz7212@...> wrote:

>

> Okay, I have been trying ALL DAY to duplicate what they

> do on youtube. I youtubed " How to make a california roll " and

> watched very carefully. I got the Bamboo Mat, I encased it in

> plastic (didnt' work, the Nori Wrap stuck to it " .

When I've watched them make rolls at Fred Meyer they don't put plastic

on the bamboo mat. Have you tried it without the plastic?

> Oh, and because the rice would not stick to the nori,

Your rice was not wet enough. Oh, and I see now why the plastic,

because you were making the kind of roll with the rice on the outside.

I've seen those but never eaten one.

> I just made it with the rice INSIDE and not outside.

Nothing wrong with that. That's how I always make nori rolls.

> My neighbor came in, started laughing and gobbled it right up. She said " I

don't care how it looks, it's absolutely delicious " . I put low-sodium teriyaki

in a little bowl and when I cut up the " california roll " , we dipped the pieces

in.

>

> EVERY THING FELL APART.

Did you wet the knife before cutting? Did you wet the nori edge before

sealing? Your rolls might have bene too big to hold together. Was your

rice wet enough to be sticky and hold together?

> Yeah, the taste is exactly like the Japanese Restaurant, but it doesn't hold.

>

> Any suggestions would be MOST welcome. This stuff is not fattening, is

> delicious, and I WANT TO LEARN.

Hopefully I've made a helpful suggestion or asked a helpful question

above. If you're really married to the idea of rolls, keep working at

it and you'll get the hang of it over time. If you just like the food

and the flavor but the form is not as crucial, consider just tossing

it all together like a salad. That's what I do when I'm feeling lazy

or don't have the time to roll everything up. It makes an awesome

salad, in my opinion.

Sparrow

[Guest guest]

But they make it look so easy! LOL

_____

From:

[mailto: ] On Behalf Of

melodylubart1

Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 6:23 PM

Subject: Why can't I make a

California Roll?

Okay, I have been trying ALL DAY to duplicate what

they do on youtube.

[Guest guest]

Yeah, my first time it was too fat to roll up, too! I found I needed to use

less rice. It really takes very little. Also, I have never used brown

rice, but it might be less sticky! Is the rice sticking well to itself, as

in it clumps together well? If yes, then I am not sure why it would not

stick to the nori. But if your rice is not sticking to itself, then it

likely will not stick to the nori either.

Thia

On Wed, May 6, 2009 at 9:22 PM, melodylubart1 <eliz7212@...> wrote:

>

>

> I used brown rice instead of white rice but that shouldn't have made any

> difference.

>

> I make FAT rolls. I don't know why, I just do. ...Oh, and because the rice

> would not stick to the nori

>

[Guest guest]

Clarificaton: I have cooked brown rice, but have never used it for sushi.

When I have cooked brown rice, it was way less sticky than sushi rice. But

maybe someone here knows how to make brown rice cook up more sticky? Like

perhaps over cooking it? Might work.

Thia

Thia wrote:

> Yeah, my first time it was too fat to roll up, too! I found I needed to

> use less rice. It really takes very little. Also, I have never used brown

> rice, but it might be less sticky! Is the rice sticking well to itself, as

> in it clumps together well? If yes, then I am not sure why it would not

> stick to the nori. But if your rice is not sticking to itself, then it

> likely will not stick to the nori either.

>

> Thia

>

>

>

>

> On Wed, May 6, 2009 at 9:22 PM, melodylubart1 <eliz7212@...>wrote:

>

>>

>>

>> I used brown rice instead of white rice but that shouldn't have made any

>> difference.

>>

>> I make FAT rolls. I don't know why, I just do. ...Oh, and because the rice

>> would not stick to the nori

>>

>

>

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[Guest guest]

On 5/6/09, Thia .... <bipolyf@...> wrote:

>

> Clarificaton: I have cooked brown rice, but have never used it for sushi.

> When I have cooked brown rice, it was way less sticky than sushi rice. But

> maybe someone here knows how to make brown rice cook up more sticky? Like

> perhaps over cooking it? Might work.

First, make sure to get short grain brown rice because it's stickier

than long grain brown rice.

Second, use more water. three cups of water to one cup of rice. You

will have to cook longer to get the water absorbed.

Third, when the rice is done, add about 1/4 cup of rice vinegar, stir

well, let the rice sit to cool.

This should give you rice sticky enough to roll in nori.

Sparrow

[Guest guest]

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If you like the taste, you're a

winner!

ew

Why can't I make a California Roll?

Date: Thu, 07 May 2009 01:22:45 -0000

Okay, I have been trying ALL DAY to duplicate what they do on

youtube. I youtubed " How to make a california roll " and watched very

carefully. I got the Bamboo Mat, I encased it in plastic (didnt'

work, the Nori Wrap stuck to it " . I used brown rice instead of white

rice but that shouldn't have made any difference.

I make FAT rolls. I don't know why, I just do. I watched the

tutorials over and over. Oh, and because the rice would not stick to

the nori, I just made it with the rice INSIDE and not outside.

My neighbor came in, started laughing and gobbled it right up. She

said " I don't care how it looks, it's absolutely delicious " . I put

low-sodium teriyaki in a little bowl and when I cut up the

" california roll " , we dipped the pieces in.

EVERY THING FELL APART.

Yeah, the taste is exactly like the Japanese Restaurant, but it

doesn't hold.

Any suggestions would be MOST welcome. This stuff is not fattening,

is delicious, and I WANT TO LEARN.

lol

Melody

Home grown tomatoes: the ultimate taste of summer

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Get a Free Account at www.mail.com

[Guest guest]

They're Asian, they have hereditary genes.

ew

Why can't I make a

California Roll?

Okay, I have been trying ALL DAY to duplicate what

they do on youtube.

[Guest guest]

I just made California Rolls for the first time a few months ago. My first

attempt kind of fell apart, but the rest were fine. It does sound like from

what you were saying, that your rice was not wet enough. It has to be

cooked a certain way, and then I followed instructions telling me to spread

it out on a cookie sheet lined with foil. You want to season your rice,

with a rice wine vinegar and sugar. Basically you drizzle some of it over

the rice and you fluff it with a fork with one hand, and at the same time

you want to fan it with something stiff like a manila folder to help it

cool. The gradual drizzling/cooling/fluffing technique results in perfect

sushi rice. It should look shiny and glossy. Also, did you be sure to use

sushi rice? Any other kind of rice won’t do, it has to be sushi rice.

Once the rice is cool and ready to work with, you need a small bowl with

water in it so you can wet your hands to prevent the rice from sticking to

them. I lined my bamboo mat with plastic wrap and it worked fine. You want

to lay the nori sheet on the bamboo mat, then wet your fingers and grab a

small ball of the rice (I would say maybe about the size of a golf ball).

Spread it in an even layer all over the nori, except for about 1/2 inch from

one of the long edges. You leave that strip so that when you fold it over,

more rice will stick and seal it shut. Someone said about spreading that

edge with water, but I don’t think you need to if you are making the type

with the rice on the outside. It makes sense if you are making the type

with nori on the outside, and rice and other filling on the inside. Anyway,

it doesn’t take much rice, just barely enough to cover the nori. I would

say not more than ¼” thick, maximum. Then sprinkle the rice with some black

or regular sesame seed that have been toasted. The sesame seed helps

prevent the rice from sticking to the mat also. You can sprinkle it all

over the layer of rice, or just in a strip down the middle that will wind up

being the top of your finished California Roll. Some people put roe (fish

eggs) on at this point, but I skip it.

Next you flip the whole thing over so the sesame seeds are facing down and

the other side of the nori is facing up. Put your small strips of crab,

avocado or cucumber (carrot, or whatever filling you’ve chosen) in a

straight line (longwise) on the nori, at one end. The strips need to be

small and if you can cut them kind of triangular so they fit together, that

really helps. If they’re too big it doesn’t work well and wants to fall

apart. They should be even with the ends of the nori, and not sticking out,

so they should be trimmed to the right size before you put them in. Once

you have that all lined up right, you just position it so it’s near one end

of your bamboo mat, and you roll the end over. You kind of want to press

firmly all along the length of the roll, and then just continue rolling. I

kept pressing firmly on it with each turn and again at the end when I was

done rolling. Then take the mat away, and you should have your beautiful

California Roll. It should be perfectly assembled with your filling

ingredients inside, the layer of nori, the rice on the outside and the

sesame seeds on top of the rice. Be sure and use a really sharp knife that

is wet, and cut the roll into however thick of slices that you desire.

It definitely does take practice, so keep working at it and you’ll get

better and better. Or, like someone said you can throw it all into a salad.

I have tried this and it’s okay, but I really prefer the rolls. There is

something about that compact little package that is part of the appeal for

me. The salad is not the same sensation in my mouth as the rolls. There’s

something about biting into the crunchy little sesame seeds and followed by

the sticky rice, then the “pop” of the nori, and the flavors and textures of

all of that along with the crab, creamy avocado, and crunchy cucumber. When

it’s all loose in a salad, it just doesn’t have the same appeal for me.

But, everyone is different.

I have an awesome ginger soy recipe that the California Rolls taste

fantastic when dipped in (even better than Teriyaki, I would think). I will

share it below in case you are interested. . .

These are the videos I learned from:

http://video.about.com/japanesefood/Prepare-Perfect-Sushi-Rice.htm (how to

prepare perfect sushi rice)

http://video.about.com/japanesefood/Sushi-Video.htm (how to make a

California Roll)

Ginger Dipping Sauce

* 1/4 cup chopped green onion

* 1 small piece fresh ginger root (remove outer skin by scraping with

a spoon)

* 1/2 cup quality brewed soy sauce (such as Kikkoman’s, I would NOT

recommend LaChoy!)

* 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in blender.

2. Process until smooth.

Enjoy!

~Deanna

From: [mailto: ] On

Behalf Of melodylubart1

Sent: Wednesday, May 06, 2009 8:23 PM

Subject: Why can't I make a California Roll?

Okay, I have been trying ALL DAY to duplicate what they do on youtube. I

youtubed " How to make a california roll " and watched very carefully. I got

the Bamboo Mat, I encased it in plastic (didnt' work, the Nori Wrap stuck to

it " . I used brown rice instead of white rice but that shouldn't have made

any difference.

I make FAT rolls. I don't know why, I just do. I watched the tutorials over

and over. Oh, and because the rice would not stick to the nori, I just made

it with the rice INSIDE and not outside.

My neighbor came in, started laughing and gobbled it right up. She said " I

don't care how it looks, it's absolutely delicious " . I put low-sodium

teriyaki in a little bowl and when I cut up the " california roll " , we dipped

the pieces in.

EVERY THING FELL APART.

Yeah, the taste is exactly like the Japanese Restaurant, but it doesn't

hold.

Any suggestions would be MOST welcome. This stuff is not fattening, is

delicious, and I WANT TO LEARN.

lol

Melody

[Guest guest]

Melody, I was about to suggest that!! Sushi restaurants call it a " hand

roll " when it is shaped like a cone. Easy to do, and traditional to boot!

No, apple cider vinegar is not what is used, get some 'rice wine vinegar'.

Enjoy your " hand rolls " !

:~)

Thia

On Wed, May 6, 2009 at 11:25 PM, melodylubart1 <eliz7212@...> wrote:

>

>

> Hi All!

>

> And thanks for all the good info.

>

> I used whole grain brown rice, that cooked for 30 minutes. Because I read

> somewhere that vinegar was used, I bought a small bottle of apple cider

> vinegar (wrong kind, right??) lol

>

> The rice DID NOT STICK TO ITSELF. I waited until it was cooled down, I

> added a bit of the apple cider vinegar but nothing worked.

>

> but it tasted amazing.

>

> Know what I'm going to try tomorrow (because it's easier? I'm going to make

> the mixture and place the nori wrap on top of the bamboo mat. I'm going to

> roll it up like a cone. Then I'm going to put whatever dressing I feel like

> putting (maybe low sodium teriyaki, or soy, or maybe even that lovely ginger

> recipe that was given.

>

> I mean, if the darn thing tastes the same, who cares if it is cut into 6

> pieces, or ROLLED UP, right?

>

> tomorrow is another day.

>

> Thanks much

>

> Melody

>

º