Published: May 5, 2010

There are dishes an amateur chef doesn’t usually attempt (we went after curry vindaloo earlier this year). But making sushi isn’t as hard as you think it is. Not hard, per se, but precise and ingenious. Making sushi helps you appreciate just how exact an art form it is, but doesn’t exclude even the most novice chef. Sushi presents the perfect combinations of flavors and textures. And it’s practical, since you can pick it up and eat it pretty much anywhere! It’s intimidating to begin, but with only a few rolls under your belt it will become like second nature. The hardest part is actually making the rice, which requires the perfect amount of sweet and sour seasonings that also help make it sticky. This recipe will guide you through two makis, one vegetarian, one a little unique and nigiri sushi. (See the video to discover our flavor combinations!) Once you know how and have the tools, you can experiment with any filling combination you like. And since it looks really impressive, sushi makes the best dish for a party-just be sure to name any rolls you create.

Vegetarian Maki and Nigiri Sushi

What you’ll need:
Tools:
A pot with a lid
A pan
A good knife
A bamboo sushi mat

Ingredients:
1 cup white short grain sushi rice, rinsed
1 1/4 cup water
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp kosher salt

For the sushi:
2 sheets nori seaweed
Filling

Instructions:
1) Put rice and water in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn heat down to low, cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
2) Meanwhile, heat rice, vinegar, sugar and salt in a pan until sugar and salt have dissolved.
3) Once rice is done, mix thoroughly with vinegar mixture. Place 1 sheet of nori on the sushi mat. Wet hands, and put a thin layer of rice on the nori, leaving an inch of seaweed at one end.
4) Put the filling towards the other end of the nori and roll using the mat.

A Few Things to Remember:
*A maki roll is the kind with the seaweed on the outside.

* Nigiri is raw fish layered over rice.

* Not all of these ingredients can be found at Whole Foods, but it’s a good excuse to get out of the neighborhood! There are tons of grocery stores that specialize in foods from around the world, and the area around Cooper Square is filled with Japanese food stores where you can find all of the ingredients you will need for this recipe and more! My favorites are M2M and Sunrise Mart.
The bamboo rolling mat for sushi is only $1.50 at M2M, and sushi-grade salmon (suitable for eating raw) comes in fillets at Sunrise Mart for around $5, cheaper than Whole Foods and much more fresh.