Anyways, I want to contribute a tip to all you sushi lovers (or RAW purists) in pursuit of a nori-less maki. This is what we used to do whenever someone wanted to ‘test’ the chef’s skills by asking for a maki, after proclaiming they hated the taste of nori. It’s a technique I learned from my sempai, and it takes a bit to perfect, but it makes a good –albeit different– kind of maki.

First you start by making a cucumber sheet. Take a look at the first part of the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYtklyMSk7A
You will need a very sharp knife, patience and a fresh cucumber. Don’t make the sheet so thin you can see trough it, as you need it to provide stability to the maki, but don’t make it so thick it will break when rolling it. As I said, it takes a while to get it right, but stick with me, as once you master the technique, the results look (and taste) awesome.

Now, cut the sheet in pieces about the same length of a nori sheet, and line 2 cucumber sheet pieces side by side, overlapping them a little bit.

Put about a handful of rice, a touch of wasabi and the fillings of your choice. Try to use contrasting colors and bold flavors, but don’t go overboard, 2 or 3 fillings will do the trick. Thin sticks of carrot, some red peppers or some tamagoyaki (japanese style omelette, easy to make, not exactly vegan friendly though), tuna (a personal fav, sorry vegans) or a leaf of those purple lettuces.

Roll it and decorate with kuro goma (black sesame seeds) or some furikake (one without nori of course).

Plate with some gari (pickled ginger, the pink type would look beautiful), and maybe a “pinch” of micro-greens topped with red onion on the side.

@ Crystal – Are you saying you wrap a banana and nut butter up in nori??

@ windycityvegan – I’m so looking forward to making sushi with Waits!

@ Rebecca – Yeah, it’s an either/or sub on the rice. I’ve tried using soaked and sprouted rice, but the texture is all wrong, even if I could get past the taste. =( Raw rice is not for me!

Did I miss how rice was “cooked” raw? Or was it simply an either use cooked rice or use a substitute? (My mind is hunting down solutions…soaking, perhaps?)

Oh..and as for combinations/fillings: I loooove asparagus, mushrooms, and sweet potato (sweet potato on its own is yum yum yum)

But, my ALL-TIME FAVORITE (which I miss soooo much) is the vegetarian lover’s sushi from Wild Rice restaurant in my home town in Connecticut. Man–do I miss this stuff!!! It is veggie sushi (made with asparagus, cucumber, avocado, and brown rice and then…the whole thing is wrapped up in nori as well as sauteed shitake mushrooms on the outside!!

It also comes the absolute best, most AWESOME pickled daikon, cucumber, carrot, and jicama mixture as a pre-meal nosh (spiked with some thai peppers and some whole star anise..even though I despise anise flavor the hint of exotic flavor really does something).

Are you salivating yet?? I am!