Cooking Extravaganza - Sushi rolls

This past weekend we were in the mood for something different than the usual dinner. The weather was rainy and crap so BBQ was ruled out, I decided it was time to make Sushi rolls.

Now, I am by no means an expert cook, but I think I can make a few tasty things... and I think my sushi roll is quite decent considering it is something I made based on various internet sites.

First and most important part of Sushi is making the rice. Sushi actually is the rice... the fish/other components are just other bits added in later. I think lots of people equate sushi with raw fish, but that is really sashimi. Rice seasoned with vinegar/sugar/salt is the sushi. other components can be anything like raw fish, pickled vegetables, egg, cooked fish of various sorts, I have even seen it with spam. All so very tasty.

Proper Sushi chefs really know what they are doing, I am just a fool with a kitchen and an internet connection, so my version is a very simple smoked salmon roll.

To make the sushi rice, first I put the rice in a pot, bring it to a boil, then simmer for 15 min. After that, I remove it from the stove and let it steam another 15 min with a clean towel stretched over the pot.
In the meantime, I make the seasoning, which is a bunch of rice wine vinegar, which I heat up and dissolve some sugar and salt. Then set it aside to cool off.
I also prepare a mixture called Tezu which is water with a bit of salt and vinegar in it, this is rubbed all over the wooden bowl to make sure the rice does not stick to the sides. I also use it to clean all the sticky off the knife when I am cutting the rolls later. Sushi rice does leave a starchy sticky film on everything. By this time, the rice is done, which I empty into a large wooden bowl, then I fold the rice a few times, being sure not to mash it up, and add the cooled seasoning to it. The rice is mixed and folded a few more times until it cools off enough to use in the rolls.

Here is the wonderful rice, all ready to go.Normally I would by the ready prepared wasabi (Japanese horseradish) in a tube, but this time the store only had a powder. Thought is was worth giving a try.
Once I added the water and mixed it up, it looked pretty much like it was supposed to. Out of curiosity I put a tiny amount of the powder directly in my mouth to see how strong it was. The walls then melted around me and I could see through time.
Next, I put out my nori seaweed sheets and bamboo sushi rolling mat, all ready to be filled up.
I put down a thin layer of rice, then a row of salmon and a little wasabi. The plastic wrap on the bottom is just to keep the mat clean. Sushi rice is really really sticky and I find it difficult to wash things like bamboo mats.
Then I just roll that guy up and move him over to the chopping board.
I cut the big roll into two smaller ones of about the same size.and then keep halving them to make sure the final rolls are of a similar size.
Here is the end result, a little sloppy, but they tasted just fine.
I will surely not be winning any awards or impressing any Japanese people who happen to stop by Entringen, but this is certainly good enough for the Anderson household to enjoy from time to time.