Avocado
Crab
Cucumber

Even though Californians are some of the most open-minded folks in the country when it comes to food, the idea of raw fish took a while to catch on. So in the early 70s a local chef created the original California Roll - avocado, crab, and cucumber - to acclimate people and introduce sushi to a wider audience.

You have to admit that a California Roll without avocado is like a Dodger game without a Dodger Dog... And speaking of which - now I've found a California Roll recipe that calls for hot dogs. Hot Dogs? HOT DOGS? Oi.

I've really (no, really!) got no problem with you making a mayo-krab roll. Granted, I don't like mayonnaise. At all. It's weird, and it's gross. But if you like it, hey, whatever you want to wrap your rice around, even hot dogs, is fine by me. Give it a new name and I'll quit whinging. Call it the Krab Delite Roll or something. But don't try to pawn your creation off on me as a California Roll, because I know better. My first piece of sushi happened in the late 70s, and it was a California Roll. I have a long history there, and I'm not willing to give it up because people have gotten lazy about peeling the avocado or slicing the cuke or whatever the story is behind this strange and disturbing trend.

And so when you can't find a decent California Roll (far too often!), trundle down to Little Tokyo and pick up the fixins and make it yourself. Never made your own sushi? Once you have the basic tools, it's easy! And it's fun, because you get to play with your food before presenting it. It's cheaper than buying the packaged stuff, and best of all, you can make sure it's crab & avocado & cucumber, and not Krab & mayo, that's going down your gullet.

And if you want to make your own sushi creation, go for it. Spam and omelet sushi? Peanut butter and jelly sushi? Great! Just, whatever you do, don't call it a California Roll.

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