Enjoy Obama's Hawaiian treat

I was introduced to Spam musubi, the Hawaiian fast-food treat, through "Kona on My Plate," a community cookbook that I reviewed a few years ago. Seeing President-elect Barack Obama enjoying it on his vacation this week brought back memories of my first taste of it.

SPAM MUSUBI
2 cups uncooked short-grain white rice
2 cups water
6 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1/2 cup white sugar
12 ounces (1 can) Spam
2 sheets sushi nori (dry seaweed)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

DIRECTIONS
Soak uncooked rice for 4 hours; drain and rinse.
In a saucepan bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in rice vinegar, and set aside to cool.
In a separate bowl, stir together soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved. Slice luncheon meat lengthwise into 10 slices, or to desired thickness, and marinate in sauce for 5 minutes.
In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Cook slices for 2 minutes per side, or until lightly browned.
Form rice into 1-inch patties the size of the meat slices. Top with a slice of luncheon meat. Cut nori into five strips each. Wrap nori around rice and meat, sealing edges with a small amount of water. Musubi may be served warm or chilled.