Best California Roll

Instructions

1. Make 1 batch prepared sushi rice. Prepare a small bowl of tezu by mixing a tablespoon of rice vinegar into a cup of water. If you are using a bamboo sushi mat, you'll need to wrap it in plastic wrap. If you don't have a sushi rolling mat, follow the directions above to shape your sushi without a mat. Lay one sheet of nori towards the bottom edge of the mat. Lightly wet your hands in the tezu and grab a cylinder of rice about the size of a potato. Stretch the rice cylinder from one side of the nori to the other to form a mound of rice along the top of the nori, leaving a ¼-inch border along the top. Make sure your fingers stay moist and use one hand to guide the shape of the rice along one side of the nori while you use the fingertips of your other hand to spread the mound of rice towards the bottom edge of the nori. Be careful not to smash the grains of rice. Repeat on the opposite side before spreading the rice in the center to the bottom of the nori. When your nori is evenly covered with rice, sprinkle on toasted sesame seeds. Flip the rice and nori over from top to bottom (so the nori border is closest to you) Stagger a few wedges of avocado so the thin ends overlap in the center of the nori. Place a strip of cucumber on the avocado slices. Add some pieces of crab or sticks on top of the vegetables. If you use sticks of imitation crab, you may need to split the sticks in half lengthwise to fit. Don't add too much filling, or your roll won't seal shut. To roll the sushi, lift the bottom edge of the mat with your thumbs while using your fingers to keep the fillings in place. Roll the mat forward until the rice contacts the nori on the other side of the fillings. If they're not meeting, unroll it and remove some fillings. Squeeze the roll to compress the rice, then continue rolling it until the seam is on the bottom. Use your index fingers to apply even pressure to the top of the roll while you use your thumbs and remaining fingers to press in on the sides of the roll. This ensures a tight roll that will hold its shape even after you cut it. To cut the roll into slices, use a sharp, wet knife. This prevents the rice from sticking to the blade and ensures a clean cut. Unlike sashimi, where you want to cut it in a single stroke, it's best to cut rolls using a backward and forward motion with the knife while supporting the sides with your fingers. This keeps the roll from getting stretched out.