SUSHI WITH AMERICAN FLAIR.

Byline: Story by Natalie Haughton Food Editor

Sushi - either you love it or hate it.

If the idea of eating raw fish just doesn't appeal, a unique sushi-based concept where most of the ingredients are cooked just might.

Actress turned sushi chef Tracy Griffith uses Western-style ingredients prepared with Japanese techniques to give sushi an unconventional twist. She refers to it as un-sushi or progressive sushi.

``It's sushi (which literally means seasoned rice) that everyone can love,'' she says.

You'll find her ideas and creative combinations (65 recipes plus sauces) in her recently released cookbook, ``Sushi American Style'' (Clarkson Potter; $22.50). She uses ingredients like cooked steak, roast beef, shrimp, bacon, prosciutto, lettuces, tomato, sauteed vegetables, avocado, ham, cheeses like Swiss, mozzarella, goat and Cheddar, and more. For sweet lovers, she includes a few innovative sushi-style desserts featuring butterscotch pudding, ice cream cones, thinly sliced melon, won ton wrappers, toffee bits, mascarpone, crisp rice cereal, peanut butter, hot fudge sauce and such.

You'll find ideas for hand rolls, inside-out rolls (rice on the outside, nori inside), nori rolls, rolls without nori and sushi bowls - so you can experience her sushi in many different ways.

Among the recipes are Cowboy Rolls with steak and blue cheese, Rocket Rolls with arugula and pepper-spiked chicken, Rich and Famous Rolls with lobster and salmon roe, Mexican-Flavored Two Tiger Rolls of shrimp, tomatillo and chipotle sauce, and Sushi Crispies with crisp rice cereal, marshmallows and peanut butter.

``It's not difficult to make this sushi at home.'' Don't be intimated. You'll need a few basic ingredients and tools to get started - nori, sushi rice, rice vinegar, a bamboo mat and a rice cooker. Serve the sushi as hors d'oeuvres, or get your friends into the act at a roll-it-yourself sushi gathering.

Her interest in this newfangled sushi without raw fish began when she was making sushi at a restaurant in Beverly Hills four years ago.

``Several customers began constantly saying, 'I don't like raw fish. What else can you make me?' ''

At first, she was annoyed and wondered why these people were dining at a sushi restaurant. But soon she became inspired by such diners - and began thinking about the potential of cooked sushi.

But how did Griffith end up as a sushi chef? After becoming disenchanted with Hollywood after 14 years in the acting and modeling business, she was looking for other creative outlets and turned to cooking.

``Cooking is what really makes me happy.''

After seeing an ad in a food magazine announcing the opening of the California Sushi Academy in Venice, she enrolled in a six-month basic sushi course in the fall of 1999. It wasn't easy being the only woman in a class of Japanese men, she notes, but she survived.

Griffith's love affair with sushi started at the age of 12 when her half-sister (who is eight years her senior), actress Melanie Griffith (their father was the late Peter Griffith), took her to Something's Fishy in Malibu.

``It blew me away. I had never seen or tasted anything like it. I loved how it looked - so different than any other food - and how the flavors went together. It was so exotic - like from another planet. Sushi was a total mystery to me. I loved to eat it but had no idea how to make it.''

After graduating from sushi boot camp, as Griffith calls the academy, she landed a restaurant job with the help of some friends.

``Many restaurants just weren't interested in hiring a sushiwoman, only sushimen.''

Currently Griffith makes her special-style sushi at the recently opened Rika Restaurant on Sunset Boulevard. ``I'm the one who makes weird sushi stuff.''

The book, which took 10 months to write, was an outgrowth of not being able to find any sushi books that were easy to understand while studying at the academy. Most were very confusing and unclear - and you couldn't figure out how to roll a roll, she says.

``I thought I could write a better book - and wouldn't it be neat to have other ingredients for Americans to eat?''

Griffith dreams of some day opening a Sushi American-style fast-food establishment and franchising it.

To people who say her nontraditional sushi is disrespectful or sacrilegious, Griffith responds.

``Lighten up. It tastes good and is fun - and is bringing a really cool technique to people who otherwise wouldn't experience it. I'll take that hit because the benefits of changing the classic concept are worth it.''

Natalie Haughton, [phone]

natalie.haughton(at)dailynews.com

BLT HAND ROLL

10 bacon strips

1 cup prepared Sushi Rice

6 to 8 half sheets nori

1/2 cup Wasabi Mayonnaise

1 tomato, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick strips

1 avocado, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch strips

1 cup mixed baby lettuces

Freshly ground black pepper 

Fry bacon and drain on paper towels. Cut bacon into 4x1/2-inch strips. Following the step-by-step directions for the BLT Hand Roll, for each roll, press 2 tablespoons of Sushi rice into left side of nori. Dab a thin line of Wasabi Mayonnaise down center of rice. Lay on 1 1/2 to 2 bacon strips, 1 tomato slice, 1 avocado slice and a few lettuce leaves. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Makes 6 to 8 hand rolls.

WASABI MAYONNAISE: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup mayonnaise and 2 teaspoons wasabi powder mixed with a few drops water (OR 2 teaspoons wasabi paste). Mix together well. Makes 1/2 cup.

SUSHI RICE

The first and most important step in the sushi-making process is preparing perfect rice. If your rice is tasty, your sushi will shine.

Pour 3 cups short-grain white sushi rice into a freestanding wire-mesh sieve. Under cold tap water, gently swish rice around with your fingers until water runs almost clear, about 1 minute. Do not overrinse, as this may break grains and rice may lose too much starch.

To dry, fan rice up and around sides of colander, exposing maximum surface area to air. Let rice stand about 30 minutes, until completely dry.

Place the rice and 3 to 3 1/4 cups water in a 4- to 6-cup rice cooker and click to Cook setting. In about 20 minutes, it will click off. Do not open lid; let rice stand untouched about 15 minutes. This is the steaming time and it is essential to perfect rice.

With a rice paddle, scoop rice from cooker insert to a large shallow wooden bowl or a large glass baking dish. Set cooking insert aside.

Spread hot rice out with edge of paddle evenly over bottom of bowl in an angled slashing motion. Holding paddle perpendicularly over rice, drizzle about 6 tablespoons Rice Dressing (made by microwaving 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in a microwave safe bowl in microwave oven on high power 60 seconds, until sugar is dissolved - do not boil; makes about 1/2 cup) over back of paddle evenly over the rice surface. With paddle, cut and fold dressing through rice until grains are coated and glossy. After a little practice, you'll find your own dressing rhythm.

Place dressed Sushi Rice back into cooker insert and cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel to keep in moisture. Turn cooker to warm setting. Sushi Rice is easier to handle when it's warm. It doesn't have to be warm when you serve it. Makes about 6 cups cooked rice.

NOTE: It is normal to have some rice stuck to the bottom of the rice cooker, and this will not affect the taste of the rice.

STOVETOP METHOD: Use a heavy-bottomed 3- or 3 1/2-quart saucepan with a tight-fitting lid. The water level should not fill more than a third of the saucepan. Put washed and dried rice into pot with 3 1/4 cups of water. Over high heat, bring to a boil and boil 1 minute. Foam should bubble up around lid, but be careful not to let the rice boil over. Reduce heat to medium and simmer 3 more minutes.

Reduce heat to low and cook 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered and undisturbed, 15 minutes. This is the steaming portion of the cooking. Dress with Rice Dressing as directed above.

CLUB ROLL

The rice is on the outside in these rolls.

4 half sheets nori

2 cups prepared Sushi rice

6 to 8 large green leaf lettuce leaves, trimmed to fit roll

8 thin, 5x4-inch Jack, Cheddar OR American cheese slices (about 8 ounces)

24 thin, 2-inch diameter salami slices (5 to 6 ounces)

8 wafer-thin sweet onion slices, broken into rings (about 1 small)

12 to 16 wafer-thin tomato slices (about 1 medium)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

8 thin, 5x4-inch turkey slices (about 8 ounces)

1/2 cup soy sauce (optional)

Choice of mustard, mayonnaise, ketchup, pickles for serving

Place nori vertically on a bamboo rolling mat. Wet your hands and spread about 1/2 cup of Sushi Rice evenly over nori, leaving a 1-inch border at bottom. Take nori and flip it over, keeping the border edge at bottom.

For each roll, arrange a single layer of lettuce leaves flush with the bottom edge of the nori. Leave a 1-inch border at top. Vertically place 2 trimmed slices of cheese over lettuce. Evenly arrange 6 salami slices over cheese, then a few rings of onion and 3 to 4 trimmed tomato slices. Season with pepper. Vertically place 2 slices of turkey over tomatoes.

To roll, use the mat or your fingers to curl the nearest edge of the nori into a tight spiral, as if you are rolling up a sleeping bag. Continue rolling forward until the roll is closed. Squeeze the length of the roll with the mat into a round shape. Repeat to form remaining 3 rolls. To serve, cut rolls into slices with a sharp knife. Serve with soy sauce for dipping, if desired, and dishes of mustard, mayo, ketchup, pickles and relish as condiments. Makes 4 rolls.

SUSHI SHISH KEBABS

6 cilantro leaves

1 very thin lemon slice, cut into 8 wedges

6 cooked medium shrimp, EACH butterflied (slice lengthwise almost through and open flat) and cut into 3 pieces

2 cups prepared Sushi Rice

1 roasted red pepper, cut into 12 (1x1/4-inch) strips

6 prosciutto slices, trimmed into 2-inch squares

6 smoked salmon slices, trimmed into 2-inch squares

10 whole chives, blanched 

Jalapeno Soy Dipping Sauce

Soak 6 (7-inch) wooden skewers in water 10 minutes. Lay a 12-inch-square piece of plastic wrap on work surface. In center, place 1 cilantro leaf, 1 lemon wedge and 1 shrimp piece, back-side down.

Wet your hands and scoop out a walnut-sized ball of Sushi Rice. Lay rice ball on top of shrimp. Gather up 4 corners of plastic wrap and twist rice ball until wrap tightens; squeeze a few seconds and release. Remove rice ball from plastic wrap. Skewer shrimp ball and slide to end of skewer.

Lay a 12-inch-square piece of plastic wrap on work surface. Place 2 crossed strips of red pepper on wrap, top with prosciutto slice. Wet hands and scoop out a walnut-sized ball of Sushi Rice. Lay rice ball on top of prosciutto. Gather up corners of wrap and twist close around rice ball, squeezing a few seconds. Remove rice ball from wrap. Skewer next to shrimp ball.

Lay a 12-inch-square piece of plastic wrap on work surface. Center a piece of salmon on wrap, top with a ball of rice. Gather up the corners of wrap and twist around rice ball, squeezing gently. Remove rice ball and wrap a string of chive around it. Skewer salmon ball next to prosciutto ball.

Repeat until you have 6 of each kind of balls with one of each kind on 6 skewers. Place all skewers on a large serving platter with small dishes of Jalapeno Soy Dipping Sauce. Makes 18 pieces or 6 skewers.

JALAPENO SOY DIPPING SAUCE: In a glass jar, combing 1 cup soy sauce and 1 jalapeno, thinly sliced crosswise. Shake well. Refrigerate and keep up to 4 weeks. Flavor gets hotter with age. Remove jalapeno slices when desired potency is reached. Makes 1 cup.

CAPTION(S):

7 photos

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) Cookbook author and sushi chef Tracy Griffith presents a plate of Sushi Shish Kebabs.

(2 -- color) BLT HAND ROLL

(3 -- color) CLUB ROLL

HOW TO MAKE BLT HAND ROLLS

(4 -- color) 1 - Take a half sheet of nori (4x7 inches) and lay it, shiny side down, horizontally in the palm of your left hand. Wet your fingers and the palm of your right hand in a finger bowl with a little vinegar. Scoop out about 2 tablespoons Sushi Rice and roll around in your right palm to form a loose, oblong shape. Gently press (rather than spread) the rice oblong down the left side of the nori. Dab with Wasabi Mayonnaise.

(5 -- color) 2 - Holding the nori almost flat in your left palm, place 1 to 2 bacon strips, 1 tomato strip, 1 avocado strip and a few lettuce leaves (or other ingredients in other recipes) in a vertical line up the middle of the rice, letting the tops extend out the top of the roll. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Less is better: you don't need as much rice or filling as you think.

(6 -- color) 3 - Now shift your hands and hold the nori between both palms like a book. Anchoring the roll with your right hand, push up the lower- left corner of the nori with your left thumb toward the top-middle edge.

(7 -- color) 4 - Curl the corner over and tuck it under the ingredients. Continue curling up in a spiraling motion to form a cone shape. Seal the corner of the nori with a couple of mashed grains of rice. Drizzle with more Wasabi Mayonnaise and stand up in a small glass to serve or arrange a trio of the rolls in a larger glass. Serve immediately.

Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer