This sushi was very tasty and fun to make but, I encountered a bit of  difficulty…  The Spicy Tempeh Roll recipe is from the Post Punk Kitchen (PPK) web site. You can find it here along with some other sushi recipes. I also made the Going Back to Cali roll with avocado and cucumber which was equally delicious. One of many things I like about PPK are the videos.  I find them very helpful especially in this case where I had never made sushi before watching how to roll was crucial. Check out Episode 1 for making sushi. Isa and Terry walk through the sushi making in their kooky-smart style. One thing I would add… if you want the Tempeh roll to be a bit more spicy — add a little extra chile oil but be careful… the stuff is hotttt!

And the difficulty? Well, I debated calling my post the “The Deconstruction of Sushi” as I made very beautiful inside out sushi rolls but when it came to the cutting of the roll… hurumph — the pieces got squished by the knife and came out all different sizes.

I have been doing a little research on the internet to find out how to cut the rolls. One trick that might help is to lay a piece of plastic wrap on top of the roll and then use the bamboo mat  to squeeze and reinforce the shape of the roll. Another solution is to start with moistening my hands in water and rice vinegar. Then, cut the sushi in the center and line up both halves side by side. After this continue to cut through both pieces halving and then quartering.  I’ll give these techniques a try next time.  My Going Back to Cali Rolls where rolled up with the nori on the outside and l had no problem cutting them neatly so the whole meal was not a complete disaster.

No matter what shape or how deconstructed the sushi… serve this Spicy Tempeh Roll up with a little ginger, wasabi, soy sauce and a pair of chop sticks — and you will have a mighty tasty dish!