Cooking with Crosby Roamann: King Crab California Rolls

Many years ago when I had just graduated from college, and was still trying to figure out what the hell I wanted to do with my life, and I was spending far too much time in New York City drinking and eating with friends (but then what else is a 20-something to do in the city?) there was a little French bistro near where we used to live in Manhattan called Bandol Bistro. (You can even still find a decades-old write up of the restaurant online here.) Bandol offered a Steak Frites brunch special for $18, which friends and I would order with a bottle of Bandol rosé.

Why do I mention this absurd story? Because I wanted to mention that there is no more perfect food pairing than Steak Frites and a bottle of rosé on a Sunday morning if you are with people you cherish.

So we've decided to go the other direction for this month's #CookingWithCrosbyRoamann and do something almost as bizarre -- pair Cabernet Sauvignon with King Crab. King Crab is in season currently in North America, and it's a perfect time on a chilly winter night to steam up a small portion of crab with some short-grained rice, avocados, and cucumber for your own homemade California Roll. Recipes below. Pair it with a bottle of Crosby's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon and enjoy it with loved ones.

Bon appetit!

Ingredients -- Most of our ingredients are purchsased from Nijiya Market on Webster Street in Little Japan, but you can find them at most Whole Foods and speciality grocers around the states.

• 1.5 cups Sushi rice (we use this short-grain rice)
• 3 Tbspn Sushi vinegar (we use this vinegar)
• 1 Tabspn Aji-Mirin (like this one from Target, also check out this article on Mirin from Bon Appetit Magazine)
• Sake (for the sushi rice, any low-quality style will do)
• Nori -- use the best you can find, we prefer toasted "gold" grade like this one
• Wasabi -- again, use fresh Wasabi from the northwest if you can find it, if not, any premade style will do, as will wasabi "powder"
• about 3/4 lb. King Crab, frozen (or about 1 half crab)
• 1 avocado
• 1 Japanese cucumber
• Salmon roe (optional)