How to Make Flower Sushi Roll

How to make a sushi roll so that the inside looks like a flower when you cut it.

Equipment:
Bamboo sushi-roll mat
Cutting board
Sharpened knife
Wood spoon or plastic rice paddle

Ingredients:
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups uncooked Japanese medium grain rice*
4 cups water
2 square sheets of sushi nori
1 cucumber
1 cheese stick
Wasabi (Japanese horseradish)
Soy Sauce
*Alternatively use avocados, tuna, imitation crab sticks, etc for ingredients.

Preparing ingredients
Cucumber: Wash, peel, and seed cucumber.
Cheese: Slice in half length wise, then cut into long, slender strip.

Step 1: Preparing the Sushi Rice

Making sushi rice:
NOTE: Start preparing the rice approximately 2 hours before you want to make the sushi rolls.
1. Wash rice, stirring with your hand, until water runs clear.
2. Drain rice in colander and transfer to a rice cooker; add 4 cups of water. (If you don't have a rice cooker, place rice and water into a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let rice rest, covered, for 15 additional minutes.)
3. When the rice is done cooking, transfer to a large bowl; loosen the rice grains gently with a wooden spoon or plastic rice paddle by cutting and folding. (Do not stir, as this will crush the rice.)
4. Mix the rice vinegar, sugar and salt together.
5. Sprinkle the vinegar mixture over the hot rice, mixing as you sprinkle, and then let it cool.
NOTE: Sprinkle the vinegar mixture while the rice is hot; otherwise the rice will not absorb the vinegar well.

Step 2: Prepare the Base

Lay the bamboo sushi rolling mat on a cutting board with bamboo strips going horizontally from you. Place the nori on top of the bamboo mat (shiny side down). Spread a thin layer of rice over 3/4 of the nori, leaving approximately one inch of uncovered nori at each end. This helps when patting the rice onto the nori with wet fingers.

Step 3: Make the Flower Part of the Sushi Roll

Place a long chopstick horizontally on the center of the rice. Place more rice on the both side of the chopstick, making two rows. Replace the chopstick with the cheese stick.

Step 4: Make the M Form.

Take 1/3 of another sheet of nori, and place it along the top of the rice. Press the nori to create the M form.

Step 5: Make the Leaf Part

Cut a wedge out of the cucumber as shown below and place the remainder of the cucumber onto the surface of the nori along the M form. Make sure the cucumber is placed tightly onto the nori so that when it is rolled, there will be no air.

Step 6: Roll It Up!

Take the edge of the nori and roll it up with the bamboo rolling matt. Remove the roll from the matt and slice it into one inch pieces. Serve and enjoy with soy sauce and wasabi!