I Wish They All Could Be California Rolls

By Ari LeVaux, Ilash In the Pan Columnist

and wasabi. The fifth and final basic taste, umami, is in the seaweed, avocado, fake crab and soy sauce.

These universal flavors appeal to everyone, old and new, including those who don’t purport to love sushi. At the potluck at the base of the chairlift, Remy’s rolls were the toast of the party. Kids were running around in their ski boots with their fists full of sushi rolls, and the platter was quickly wiped clean.

Sushi Rice

This is how we made rice in sushi class. You will need a pot with a lid, a large mixing bowl, and a wide, thin, wooden, or plastic spoon. And you will need a fan, or some type of flat, lightweight object to wave at the rice – a large Tupperware lid works well. Makes 8 rolls

Two cups sushi rice (short grain, Japanese)

½ cup rice vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

4 tablespoons sugar

Rinse the rice in the pot by covering it with water in a pot and sloshing it around with your fingers. When the water gets milky with rice starch, dump it and replace it. Do this as many times as necessary until the water runs clear. Drain the rice of all rinse water, and place it in a pot with 1 ¾ cups of water. Let soak for 30 minutes. Put it on the stovetop and turn the heat to high for five minutes. Then turn it down to medium-low for 10 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, dissolve the salt and sugar in the vinegar in a bowl. It will take some stirring with a whisk or fork.