California Rolls Anyone?

San Pedro High students practice the art of making California Rolls.

California Rolls Become A Hot Commodity At San Pedro High School  Swabbed With  A  Bit of Hawaiian Culture

By Diana L. Chapman

   Students poured in from all parts of the San Pedro High campus  -- an  "eclectic mix"  one administrator said -- to try their hand at making an apparently a popular item on the cooking club's after school menu -- California Rolls.

   Taught with Hawaiian flair, Kimberly Gray, the principal's assistant, explained  influences of her culture are quite different from the state California rolls are named after.

Kimberly Gray, the Principal's assistant, shows students how to wrap the sushi.

   "I grew up on the island of Oahu," Gray said while showing students how to mix the foods with seaweed, avocado and imitation crab. "We ate rice for breakfast, for lunch and for dinner. Most people here think sushi is raw food.

   "But sushi is rice rolled. You can make it anything you want it to be."

  About 45 students listened without a whisper and packed the room. The lesson came complete with sushi etiquette -- Hawaiian style -- and with "use of the lingo."

   Etiquette  rules include: "Never whittle your chopsticks, it implies that the chef is cheap" and "eat sushi in one bite, do not break or bite into multiple pieces," according to Gray's  brochure.

   That's why students should say: "Domo Arigato," which means thank you very much!"

   San Pedro's Coastal Neighborhood Council supplied a $1,000 to fund the cooking club for the year.

RECIPE

Kimberly Gray shows off the rolls

Sushi Rice 
 
Ingredients: 
 
3 cups of medium or short grain rice 
 
3 oz. Seasoned Rice Vinegar:can be

bought pre-made or mix 
 
1/3 c, rice vinegar, 5 Tbsp. sugar,

1 Tbsp. salt 
 
Directions: 
 
Rinse the rice with water til water

is clear or as close to it as 

possi-ble (about 5 rinses) place rice in rice cooker 

and set to cook. After cooked, let the rice sit for 

10-20 minutes. 
 
Place rice in a shallow pan or bowl and pour in the 

seasoned rice vinegar.  Stir together quickly and mix 

well while the rice is still hot. 
 
Allow the rice to sit for 10 minutes to cool.

Rice is now ready to make sushi 
 
Ingredients: 
 
Seasoned Sushi rice (prepare according to directions) 
 
Nori-Rosted seaweed sheets 
 
Imitation crab 
 
Avocado,  pour a little lemon on avocado to prevent

browning 
 
Cucumber, sliced remove the seed sections 
 
Spread rice over nori starting in the center and work

your way up first then down. It should be spread 

thinly, make sure you get all the way to the corners.  
Place cucumber, avocado and imitation crab just a 

little below the center of roll, use bamboo sheet to

form roll.  Pressing sides in as you go, the roll 
will be more of a square as you roll.

Slice and enjoy!