| Makizushi is the stereotypical "sushi roll" that | | | | middle of the nori. Spread it gently with your |
| everyone always pictures when they thing of | | | | fingertips to cover the entire sheet except for |
| sushi. It is a round disc, about an inch and a half to | | | | about an inch at the top. The grains should not be |
| two inches in diameter, with fillings in the center | | | | mushed or packed down, and should have a |
| surrounded by rice and wrapped in a thin sheet of | | | | "loose" look to them. |
| dark green dried seaweed. This is one of my | | | | Step 4 - Add the Ingredients |
| absolute favorite ways to eat sushi, with a wide | | | | I personally like to make a thin finger-width trench |
| variety of flavors, textures and ingredients that | | | | in the approximate middle of the sheet, by gently |
| can be used. It's also very easy to improvise and | | | | pushing the rice aside until there's only a 1-grain |
| make up something of your own, even if | | | | deep layer, which I then spread lightly with a |
| traditional sushi chefs would turn over in their | | | | smear of wasabi paste. This is not strictly |
| graves if they could see it. Makizushi is very easy | | | | necessary, it's just what I do. Either way, you'll still |
| to make yourself at home, which saves you | | | | layer your ingredients in parallel rows in the middle |
| money and makes a sushi habit much more | | | | of the nori. |
| accessible in general. Here are the basic steps to | | | | Step 5 - Roll the Roll |
| making makizushi. | | | | (Note that the follow procedure is only if you're |
| Step 1 - Prepare the Rice | | | | not using a makisu; if you are then just roll it up |
| I won't go into this step in depth, because the | | | | and press lightly to seal.) Dry your hands and |
| correct technique for preparing sushi rice is | | | | moisten your fingertips only with tezu. Gently |
| another article in itself. If you don't know the | | | | place your thumbs underneath the bottom of the |
| procedure I've written a separate article that | | | | nori near the center while simultaneously lifting and |
| covers it, or you can look it up via Google or | | | | rolling away from you. Make sure to hold the |
| Yahoo. | | | | ingredients in with your fingers while you roll. Once |
| Step 2 - Ready the Ingredients | | | | you've completed one revolution everything |
| This is personal preference, but I like to cut up | | | | should stay together; continue rolling until you've |
| any vegetables and fish I'll be using in my sushi | | | | sealed the bottom of the nori with the open |
| rolls beforehand so I don't have to stop once I | | | | space on top, and that the seam is located on the |
| get in the zone. This also includes taking lids off | | | | bottom. |
| sauces and preparing tezu (vinegared water.) | | | | And that's basically all there is to it. An additional |
| Step 3 - Line the Nori | | | | tip is to refrigerate the rolls for fifteen or twenty |
| Nori will often have a shiny finish on one side and | | | | minutes after you roll them and before you cut |
| a matte finish on the other - make sure the shiny | | | | them into pieces. And remember, cut the roll in |
| side is down. Moisten your hands with tezu then | | | | half and cut each half into three pieces -- fourths |
| grab a heaping handful of rice and plop it in the | | | | is bad luck! |