- 5 leftover brown rice California Rolls and a side of say sauce
- Few bites of leftover chicken with broccoli
- Mandarin orange segments
- Water
- Snack: Clif Bar
What Came Home?

This is the tale of 1 family and the famous California Roll.
Not that long ago --well longer than I want to admit as it was before we had kids-- both The Husband and I declared our HATE of sushi. If we were with a group of people and they wanted it, we'd pray there'd be something else on the menu for us.
Then, one day, Mom, as in ME, ordered a "Lunch Box" at a Japanese steak house. On it came 3 unsuspecting California Rolls.
Stuffed with avocado and crab stick, I decided to give it a try and fell in love.
Years went by and I got more adventurous with sushi/maki orders. I went raw, roe topped, spicy anything is now fair game.
Honestly, I couldn't get enough. The Husband on the other hand, still declared his hate of "sushi" until he, himself, was presented with a California roll just a few months ago.
It shall now forever be known as the gateway roll.
Now, with Mom and Dad both touting the awesomeness of the California Roll, Little Guy was intrigued. He had tried some of my rolls in the past but could never wrap his little mouth around them. Each attempt always ended with a funny face and broken pieces.
Whether it's age or the fact that his little mouth isn't so little anymore, I can't be sure, but now he loves jamming California Rolls in his mouth and was ecstatic we had some leftover for his lunch.
ECSTATIC.
I shall be learning how to make my own, this may be too good to be true.
lauramich
California rolls are totally gateway sushi. And I've found the best way to introduce someone to sushi is to let them try a few of your rolls. That is, if they're game. We couldn't even get my father to try a vegetable roll or a shrimp tempura roll (and he loved shrimp tempura; he just didn't trust it wrapped up in rice and seaweed!).
Now that I'm pregnant, I'm back to California rolls and other non-raw choices. I tell people I've been knocked back to amateur status! I haven't felt totally deprived (in fact, I've fallen in love with grilled eel nigiri), but when we bring our son home from the hospital (8 weeks to go!), we're going to splurge on sushi delivery. And there will be spicy tuna and salmon and avocado in there for me.
Eileen
OMG! California rolls were TOTALLY my gateway drug to sushi too!!!
Valerie
I was never a huge sushi fan, even after trying many different rolls. Turns out I don't like imitation crab in the rolls. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE avocado rolls or the cali roll without the crab. I will eat just about anything as long as it doesn't have the crab in it. Now, I crave sushi all the time!!!
Mander
California roll was my daughter's gateway sushi, too. For our last sushi date, I got sneaky and ordered an unagi roll without telling her what unagi was. Not only did she like it, she was actually THRILLED to find out what unagi was, because she could go to school now and tell her friends that she ate eel. Apparently eel = coolness points. 😉
Patty
I have yet to try a california roll! I stick to the rice and veggie ones! lol
Kelli Barksdale
Easy easy easy to make. You, of all people, should have NO trouble. Hint from a person who's been there: Wrap your bamboo mat in plastic wrap. Other than that, you've got this. Do it. Today. Go.
Colleen
California Roll is SO the gateway roll!!! LOL I love it.
Jami
Yes! My husband and I were the same way! A few years ago the Pioneer Woman posted about making sushi and one of the rolls she made was the California Roll, so I knew what was in it, and the next time we went out we ordered it. We LOVED it! We've gotten braver but we still haven't tried anything raw. You always mention your lunch dates with the husband and getting the sushi, our local place that makes it that is great is only open for dinner, or else I'm sure we'd be doing weekly dates there too.
My husband and I have talked about trying to make it at home and I told him we can and we'll try and follow the Pioneer Woman's tutorial. I'd love to see you try and post about it too!