WELCOME BACK, GUYS.
WE'VE GOT A SPECIAL TREAT FOR
YOU THIS MORNING.
WE ARE TESTING OUT OUR SKILLS
IN THE KITCHEN WITH A LITTLE
SUSHI ROLLING.
ALEX VOSCO IS MANAGER AND
FORMER SUSHI CHEF AT THE
BENIHANA RESTAURANT IN THE
WOODLANDS.
WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW?
SUSHI IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE
FOODS.
SUSHI IS WONDERFUL AND
HEALTHY AS WELL.
HE HAVE BEEN KNOWS BENIHANAS
FOR SUSHI, A WIDE VARIETY.
AND YOU'VE BROUGHT SOME OF
THOSE.
SUSHI IS NOT FOR EVERYBODY
AS FAR AS -- IS FOR EVERYBODY.
IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU DON'T
EAT FISH.
FOR INSTANCE, HERE WE HAVE A
VEGETABLE ROLL, WHICH HAS ONLY
VEGETABLES IN IT, NO MEAT
WHATSOEVER.
WE HAVE ROLLS THAT ARE FRIED,
SUSHI IN THE MORE TRADITIONAL
MANNER.
THIS IS A SHRIMP CRUNCHY ROLL,
WHICH IS VERY POPULAR, AND MORE
MODERN APPROACHES.
SO FOR SOMEBODY WHO HAS
NEVER TRIED SUSHI, THERE ARE
STILL FOLKS OUT THERE, RIGHT,
WHO HAVE NOVEMBER TRIED SUSHI.
THERE'S DIFFERENT KINDS.
THAT'S WRAPPED IN SEAWEED.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE
SEAWEED.
WE HAVE SOY PAPER AS WELL.
I DIDN'T BRING YEN WITH ME
TODAY, OR IF YOU HAVE AN
ALLERGY OR DON'T LIKE SEAWEED,
WE HAVE SOMETHING FOR YOU.
WHAT ARE WE MAKING?
WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A
CALIFORNIA ROLL.
CALIFORNIA ROLL IS BASICALLY
THE THING THAT MISS PEOPLE
WOULD START WITH IF THEY'RE NOT
USED TO EATING SUSHI, SO WE'LL
START WITH OUR MATS LIKE THIS
AND THEN HERE.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN THE BOX?
THIS IS THE SEAWEED.
IT'S VERY THIN.
IT IS THIN AND HAS TWO SIDES.
WE WANT TO PUT THE RICE ON THE
ROUGH SIDE, WHICH IS THE SIDE
FACING UP.
WITH THE RICE, DON'T PRESS DOWN.
EVERYONE SEEMS TO THINK YOU
NEED TO PRESS DOWN, BUT YOU
JUST WANT TO LAY IT DOWN.
THIS IS A BOTAN RICE.
ANY GOOD JAPANESE SHORT GRAIN
OR LONG GRAIN RICE OR MEDIUM
GRAIN.
WHAT'S NEXT?
IT'S ALSO MIXED WITH
VINEGAR, SALT AND SUGAR, WHICH
HELPS MAKE IT STICKY.
SO AFTER WE'VE DONE THAT, WE
APPLY A LITTLE BIT OF SESAME
SEEDS, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO
TURN TO OVER.
TURN IT OVER.
YOU'VE GOT SOME AVOCADO.
PUT THOSE LENGTH WISE.
THIS IS TRULY AN ART.
MAKING SUSHI IS VERY CREATIVE.
I'VE TAUGHT SMALL CHILDREN
AT LIBRARY EVENTS AND I'VE
TAUGHT AT HIGH SCHOOLS.
PEOPLE SEEM TO LOVE IT?
NOT EVERYBODY, BUT MOST
PEOPLE CAN GET A GRASP OF IT.
YOU DON'T WANT TO GO TOO MUCH
BECAUSE YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE
WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO CLOSE
IT.
THEN TAKE SOME OF THIS, WHICH
IS IMITATION GRAB AND
MAYONNAISE.
WHAT IS CONTAINED IN IT?
IT'S WHITEFISH.
THERE'S ALSO SOME FLOUR AND
THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO IF YOU'RE GLUTEN INTOLERABLE
RANT, WE HAVE SOME ALTERNATIVES.
FIRST THING IS JUST DON'T
OVERSTUFF IT.
THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT
I DID!
TRY TO PUT EVERYTHING INTO
THE MIDDLE SO THAT WHEN YOU
ROLL IT.
SO BRING YOUR THING BACK SO
THERE'S MAYBE THREE SLATS
SHOWING HERE.
THEN JUST ROLL IT ONLY HALFWAY
SO YOU HAVE A LIP.
A LITTLE BIT OF A SQUEEZE.
WHEN YOU'RE THERE, PRESS ON THE
TOP WITH YOUR FINGERS AND
SQUEEZE ON THE SIDES.
IT SHOULD LOOK SOMETHING
LIKE THIS.
WOO-HOO!
LOOK AT THIS!
UH-OH, HERE WE GO.
WHOO!
THIS IS NICE.
THIS IS GREAT.
THIS IS FUN.
SO WHAT DO WE DO NOW?
HOW DO WE CUT THIS UP?
WELL, REMOVE THE MAT.
WE HAVE SHARP KNIVES, SO BE
CAREFUL.
FIRST THING WE'RE GOING TO DO
IS CUT IT IN HALF, SO FIND THE
CENTER AND CUT IT IN HALF.
THEN TAKE THOSE AND TURN THEM
SO THAT YOUR TWO HALVES ARE
LIKE THAT.
DO YOU HAVE CLASSES?
YES, WE HAVE CLASSES AT THE
RESTAURANT.
COME TO THE RESTAURANT, HAVE
DINNER, ASK ABOUT THE CLASSES.
PERFECT.
BENIHANA.
HOW MANY LOCATIONS DO YOU HAVE
IN HOUSTON?
WE HAVE FOUR LOCATIONS IN
HOUSTON.
THEN CUT IT IN HALF AND THOSE
HALVES IN HALF AGAIN.
MINE IS KIND OF THICK.
THAT'S FINE.
SO THESE LITTLE PIECE GOT A
LITTLE MESSED UP HERE.
IS THIS SOY SAUCE?
THAT IS AWESOME A SPICY
SAUCE.
THAT WOULD BE GOOD WITH IT AS
WELL.
SO WE HAVE LOCATIONS IN SUGAR
LAND, DOWNTOWN, WESTHEIMER, AND
IN THE WOODLANDS AROUND 1720
LAKE WOODLANDS DRIVE.
HERE WE GO.
A LITTLE BIT OF GINGER.
TAKE IT AWAY, SOPHIA.
NO.
MY MOUTH IS FULL.
MMM.
IT'S GREAT.
THANKS, ALEX.
YOU CAN SEE A REPLAY OF THIS
INTERVIEW ON CLICK2HOUSTON.COM