Back when we lived in San Diego we used to frequent this sushi joint called Sushi Deli. Sushi Deli offered all sorts of west coast maki-roll delights, none of which I’ve ever seen at a normal sushi bar on the east coast. One of our favorite maki rolls was the Hot-Hot California Roll.

There isn’t anything all that special about these rolls. They are a standard California roll (krab and avocado rolled inside-out) topped with a spicy mayo sauce and baked in a toaster oven. I’m not sure why they taste so good, but they do!

When I moved back to the east coast I was disappointed to find out these weren’t available anywhere around here. Like the good chef I am, I decided to fashion my own version of these rolls.

There are many recipes out there for California rolls and methods on how to make them but instead of trying to explain the whole process, a video is in order. This video is a good demonstration on how to make a California Roll. Inside-out maki rolls aren’t all that hard to make, they just require a little bit of organization and a little more practice.

The hot-hot sauce is a simple sauce that you will find goes on all sorts of things. When heated under a broiler, the sauce gets a nice crust on the top. The sauce is made of sriracha hot sauce and kewpi brand mayo thinned down with some water. Make it mild, make it spicy, it’s all up to you!

Once you have the rolls all made up and cut; spoon the sauce over the sliced rolls and slap them in the toaster oven until the tops get all brown and bubbly. The sauce is hot (temperature) and hot (spicy) completing the hot-hot duo in the Hot-Hot California.

Do make and eat these, they’re worth the hassle.

Here’s a little Japanese inspired dinner we had the other night: Avocado and green leaf salad with sesame-miso vinaigrette, steamed edamame, and a chirashi style California roll.

I first saw this style of sushi preparation at a local Japanese supermarket, Nijiya Market. They served their versions in a small container with a bed of rice on the bottom covered with the toppings of your choice; popular varieties included California, Spicy Tuna, and Spicy Yellowtail.

I figured I would add a little extra presentation to mine by using a ring mold and piling the ingredients on top. I used a layer of sweetened rolled omelet, shrimp, avocado, and topped the whole thing off with mayo and sriracha.

The eater poured a glass of crazy milk, unfiltered sake served chilled, which completed our pseudo Japanese dinner.