Jerry's Long-Awaited Worth-Waiting-For Vegetable Sushi Roll (Makisushi) w/Egg

Nori (seaweed sheets) - 10 sheets Bamboo sushi mat ** Kampyo/Shiitake - ** Wash Kampyo; soak in enough water to cover 40 minutes, or until soft. Drain. Combine Shiitake and 2-1/2 cups water in medium-size saucepan. Let stand 20 minutes. Add softened Kampyo to Shiitake and liquid in saucepan. Bring to boil; simmer, cover 5 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup soy sauce; simmer 15 minutes longer, or until Kampyo is lightly colored. Stir occasionally. Drain and cool; squeeze out liquid from Shiitake (using paper towels). Divide Kampyo into 10 portions, each portion being about 8-9 inches long (the length of a Nori sheet). Remove and discard Shiitake stems; cut Shiitake into 1/4-inch thick slices.

Rice - Wash rice until water runs clear; drain well. Combine rice and 5 cups water in large sauce pan. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer on lowest possible heat, cover 20-25 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Don't Stir!!! (stick a fork into rice to bottom of pan and if no water remains, it's ready). Remove from heat and let stand covered for at least 10 minutes. Rice should be on the firm side, not mushy. Remove 1/2 rice to large non-metal mixing bowl and let cool some. Pour 1/2 cup sushi rice vinegar evenly over top of rice and toss gently to combine. Add remaining rice (cooled some) and another 1/2 cup vinegar. Toss gently to mix. Cool.

Egg - Pour 1/2 egg mixture evenly into lightly oiled hot skillet and cook over medium-high heat until set. Turn out; cool and slice into 10 strips. Repeat with remaining egg mixture.

Spinach - Bring washed spinach to boil in a little water, then lower heat and cook for several minutes. Drain well and let cool (it is important that as much water as possible is drained from the spinach - one way is to allow spinach to cool in a mesh strainer). Divide into 10 portions of strips (you may not need all the spinach you have cooked). ** Putting It All Together ** Unroll the bamboo sushi mat away from you. Place 1 sheet Nori on mat, lining it up with the bottom of mat. Moisten hands with a little of the remaining sushi rice vinegar to prevent rice from sticking. Place enough rice on Nori to cover 3/4 of the sheet and a little more than 1/2 inch thick. Press down with fingers (not too firmly). Over center of the rice, from left to right, place 1 spinach strip along with a Kampyo portion, 2 egg strips, and several Shiitake strips. Each strip should extend the length of the rice. Finally, add a modest amount of drained pickled red ginger slivers along the top of the other strips.

Hold line of ingredients across rice firmly in place with finger tips. Using thumbs, push up and turn bamboo sushi mat edge nearest you up and over filling, pressing firmly to enclose filling, and lifting the bamboo mat while rolling to keep it free from being enclosed in the sushi roll. The idea is to get everything rolled before reaching the far edge of the Nori sheet. When sushi is rolled, gently but firmly, press bamboo mat around roll again, but this time to shape. (The art of making sushi is to get filling ingredients lined up in the center of the roll). Unroll mat and wrap sushi in plastic or aluminum wrap; repeat with remaining ingredients to make 10 rolls.

To serve, place rolls, seam-side down, on cutting surface and cut crosswise into about 8 equal slices. (Refrigeration will cause sushi to dry out, so eat). Enjoy!!!!! Jerry Masefield