Going to try making Sushi rolls at home.... Suggestions

[PNUT]

My girlfriend introduced me to the world of sushi a little over two years ago. There are about 5 sushi bars we frequent in the upstate of South Carolina and have enjoied most very much. It is surprising to see the trend in sushi and it`s acceptance considering the closed minds that seem so prevelant here.
Now that I have about a couple of years of enjoying other`s sushi roll creations I am ready to give it a try at home. I have read a couple of books about making sushi and am getting a better feel for the concepts of sushi. What I am wanting to try are some different combinations of ingredients than what I see in the local bars.
To give you an idea of how our tasts run we do not favor any of the raw fish varieties of sushi. (And I know I will slaughter the terminology of this wonderful style of preperation here too. Still learning.)
One of our favorites thus far is a salad roll which consists of avacado, cucumber,, a "japanese" mayonaise wrapped in a thinly sliced cucumber. Another is the Californis roll. We have had a couple of different rolls containing cooked shrimp and one that had a piece of cooked tuna in it.
Some of the ingredients I have considered trying when I get the hang of making basic rolls are as follows:
Marinated onion slices (Very thin) Tomatos (just the meat of the fruit with no skin) Grilled fishes like Tuna, Salmon, And maybe some fresh water varieties Various vegatables with herbs wrapped in like Basel or maybe toasted rosemary? Thinly sliced grilled steak or perhaps pork?
I know that there is supposed to be a subtle mixing of textures and flavors and my thoughts here might make some of you cringe so please bear with me as I learn what this is all about and how to blend my ideas with the style of preperation.
Your suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

[JPierson]

seasoning) and the onion (still too strong).
Have you tried any raw fish yet, or just cooked sushi? The taste is much different. California Roll btw is the sushi equivalent to Taco Bell, Budweiser, or a fast-food hamburger. The taste and ingredients don`t truly reflect the wonder of sushi. Sushi means vinegared rice, btw. Your rice is the most important thing. Anything that would overpower the rice (and most of the ingredients you named would easily do so) would not be good in sushi. There are several brands of Japanese mayonnaise- they have a very different taste and texture from American ones. Why don`t you speak to your local sushi chef and ask him about whish flavors traditionally go together in sushi and why? Also, ask him to help expand your taste repetoire.