Onigiri (Rice Balls)

Ingredients:
Rice (the shorter the grain the better)

Optional Ingredients:
Five Spice Powder
Gomasio
Fillings
Nori (Sushi Seaweed Sheets)



Instructions:
Put 2 1/2cups water and 1cup rice on high-heat and cover. When the pot boils over, turn the heat down as low as possible and cook for 20 minutes. Don't uncover until those 20minutes are up, especially not while you're waiting for the pot to boil over. If after 20 minutes the rice isn't cooked, put on for another five minutes at the lowest possible heat. After you've cooked the rice, uncover and let cool until you can handle it without getting burnt.
Wet your hands. Pick up as much rice as you want in your rice ball. Roll into a sphere, then squish slightly into a thick disk. Pick up disk and flatten one side against your palm. Gently pinch the top so that the disk becomes somewhat of a triangle. Turn onto a different of the three sides and pinch the top sides into shape. Repeat until uniform.
Wrap in nori, sprinkle with a tiny bit of five-spice powder and/or gomasio. Enjoy!


About Fillings:
Most traditional Onigiri fillings aren't vegetarian (fish, usually), which means that I'm not going to use them. The most common traditional filling that's vegetarian is Umeboshi, which is pickled plumb paste. I really can't find the appeal in Umeboshi, for some reason. Some alternative, non-traditional fillings:
Pesto
Mashed Roasted Garlic
Slightly Soaked Seaweed
Finely Chopped Mushrooms
Artichoke Hearts

To Fill a rice ball, take about half of the amount of rice you'll want in your rice ball. Make a ball. Poke the ball with a finger to make a hole and put the filling in this hole. Take the rest of the rice you'll want in your rice ball and cover the hole with it. Shape as you would an unfilled rice ball.



Next Week: Oh Shit Meals - Mushroom Alfredo with Artichoke Hearts