How to make Kimbap (Gimbap) aka Korean Sushi

My dear, Korean friend, Yoona, called me this afternoon and asked if I was available this evening. She had gone to the store and bought all the ingredients necessary to make kimbap. I had asked her to teach me how to make it about 3 weeks ago and we just hadn't had the opportunity to get together yet to do it. I had dinner thought out... sorta, but this would be much better. What a nice surprise! She told me to go ahead and make up the rice (lightly salted) and she would be over in about an hour. I made 4 servings of rice and threw a little salt in... I wasn't sure how much to add, so I guessed. When she got here she pulled out a package of dried seaweed (sometimes called laver) which is roasted, but not seasoned, a package of imitation crab, and a cucumber. She cut up the cucumber into little sticks. Then she diced the crab and mixed it with a bit of mayo.

She laid a sheet of the seaweed down (with the prettier side facing the counter)

and covered most of the surface of the seaweed with a thin layer of warm rice. Too much rice and the whole thing will just taste like rice. If you think the rice needs more salt, I suppose you could throw a little on in this step.

Then she laid the cucumber sticks and the crab on top of the rice. I cheated and used a big cucumber stick and a long slice of crab (with a little mayo spread on it) on the rice.

Tightly roll the seaweed like a jelly roll.

Lay the roll seam-side down and let it rest and "glue" itself together.

Cut into coins. Eat right away, or wrap in tinfoil and refrigerate. It will keep for a day or two before the rice dries out too much to be enjoyable. You can also use cheese, eggs (hard-boiled or fried), ham, tuna, avocado, carrots, pickled radish or whatever suits your fancy.