Beach-bound? Roll up some musubi first
Third in a series on summertime recipes.
For many families, rice balls of all kinds are a favorite beach treat. Some years ago, Honolulu Advertiser reader Margaret M. Izaki told then food editor Patsy Matsuura that she made these instead of plain rice balls because they're less sticky to handle. These are a simple form of makizushi (called in my childhood "black sushi") made with salted rice rather than vinegared sushi rice. To make these, you need a rolling mat or maki-su, found in Japanese grocery or gift stores.
MUSUBI-SUSHI
Wash and rinse rice; drain well. In a rice cooker, combine rice, water and salt and cook 30 minutes, or until the cooker shuts off. Meanwhile, mash ume in a sieve or with a fork and remove pits. Place in a dish. In a small bowl, make salted water. Place nori on maki-su mat. Dip hands in salted water, pinch off a handful of rice and spread it in a thin layer lengthwise, just inside one edge of the nori. Lay some mashed ume along the center of the rice and then cover with more rice — there should now be a ridge of rice running across the nori. Pick up the edge of the mat and begin to roll the nori, capturing the rice in the center of the roll. Stick a finger in the salt water and run it along the edge to seal the nori roll. Slice at 1-inch intervals with a very sharp, thin-bladed, wet knife. Makes 3 rolls.
* Or substitute umeboshi paste, available in Japanese groceries.
