Salmon roll for beginner

There are two reasons why finally I made the attempt to try cook Japanese food:

1) It is the easiest (in terms of handling) for picnic purposes. Looks like we are going to picnic more often now, it gives me enough reason to finally try.

2) I decided (for us both) to start a healthy lifestyle. I'm not a good game changer. Therefore, I always take changes very slowly. I figure, let's start change what I cook slowly first! You and me know, what is the healthiest diet on the planet? That is of course, the Japanese cuisine. So, I figure, while I'm here, I need to take this opportunity. I don't want to listen to myself brags of regrets many years later.

Move on, I decided to start with Japanese food I love and I think it is easy to make. Let's learn how to make salmon roll, shall we?

What you need: 

1) Slices of salmon. 

2) Slices of avocado.

3) Slices of cucumber.

4) Seaweed.

5) Rice.

*Preparation of the rice: Mix Japanese rice with rice vinegar, salt and sugar. The smell will make you salivating!

6) Bamboo mat. (I wrap it with saran wrap)

Steps:

1) Wet you hand.

2) Lay seaweed paper on the bamboo mat and spread the rice on top of it. I don't like my roll too dense with rice. So, I made sure the rice spread out thinly. I like my roll to be soft and fluffy.

3) Arrange the salmon, cucumber and avocado slice at one end of the rice.

4) Roll the bamboo mat slowly while giving a soft pressure on it. Just roll the bamboo mat, it will come out like this! I also had no idea how it become like this. But I made it. I mean the bamboo mat did it! ahaha xp. I watched you tube and I just couldn't get how, until I tried it myself. ehehe. So, you should. Get the feeling, then you understand what I mean :D The bamboo mat did the magic here actually :D

5) Lay saran wrap on the roll, and cut to the size of your preference. I like bite-sized. So, I cut it to eight parts. 

What's nice about being able to make your own roll is that, I can put as much filling I want. Usually, the ready-made one would have very densed rice and very little salmon and avocado. By being able to make this myself, I can put more lauk in it! This is awesome! Of course this is the most delicious salmon role I have ever had, ever!

These are our packed-dinner last weekend. We went to the stadium to watch baseball :) Our current favorite past-time activity:) 

Going to my favorite weekly activity now. Watching baseball with packed lunch/dinner :) 

So, what is your favorite past time with your loved ones?