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What: #21 Learn how to roll sushi

When: December 31st
Where: My friend's kitchen

Why: In recent years, I've really come to enjoy good sushi. I've found a few good places around Ann Arbor that are pretty tasty, and recently had amazing sushi in Los Angeles. And while I really don't enjoy making much of anything in my own kitchen, I did want to figure out if I could make good sushi on my own. My friend Sara has actually done it before, and had the supplies (bamboo mat, sauces, recipe) necessary, and then found incredibly delicious ingredients that definitely made it top-notch sushi! She bought great vegetables (cucumber, carrots, avocado) and really great fish (octopus, salmon, tuna) and the best breaded shrimp. Truly, her purchases were what made the sushi so great, and her recipe for sushi rice, with the right amount of vinegar and salt. The rice cooker helped to speed up the process, and the amount we had made six good size rolls, one of which we named the Green Sea Monster roll (avo, cuke, and octopus). We also used spicy sauce, and made our own dragon sauce (better than teriyaki). It fed four of us, and was definitely worth the effort. 

The tricky part for me was rolling the sushi. I thought using my skills honed by rolling my sleeping bag into a tight roll would come in handy, but it was difficult to keep the rice filling from coming out and to keep the mat in the right position. Still, after we cut the rolls, it looked like we were professionals!