California Roll

As long as you have the right tools these are really easy to make! Take a visit to your local Asian Market and get a bamboo mat for sushi roll making. While you're there get some of the good authentic ingredients for this recipe and they will be perfect every time!

4 sheets Nori (dried seaweed)
4 cups sushi rice (Japanese short grain rice)
5 tblspn rice vinegar
5 tblspn white sugar
1 avocado
1/2 lb crab (imitation crab works just as well)
1 tblspn mayonnaise
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp orange tobiko (seasoned fish roe) or 2 tsp sesame seeds

Cook rice as directed on packaging. Add vinegar and sugar to rice (heat the vinegar in the microwave so that the sugar dissolves). Set aside to cool to room temperature. Peel avocado and cut into strips or mash. Put crab in a bowl and mix with salt and mayonnaise. Cover a bamboo mat with plastic wrap. Put a sheet of nori on top of the mat shiny side down. Spread sushi rice on top of the seaweed and press firmly leaving a small edge uncovered on the bottom. Sprinkle tobiko or sesame seeds over the sushi rice.

Turn the sushi over so the rice is on the outside. Place avocado and crab lengthwise on the seaweed (sometimes I also add strips of cucumber). Roll the bamboo mat forward, pressing the ingredients inside the cylinder-shaped sushi. Cut the sushi roll into bite sized pieces.