Egg Rolls
I learned how to make egg rolls from my father's friend's wife, Edna, who is from the Philippines. She taught me this secret many years ago, and it is one of a few things I'm glad that I can make. I made the filling a couple of days ago, and started filling and rolling them today. And, as usual, I made more filling than I need, so I have to buy more wrappers and give as many of these bad boys away as I can.
I love Asian cuisine, that is, the vegetables and seafood. My friend Tina teaches me a lot about Chinese cooking and exposes me to more authentic Chinese cuisine than what is found in restaurants. I own and have proudly seasoned a wok; the ones my mom and I own are in Texas and are, sadly, rusting away, I'm sure. But making these egg rolls for the second time in a wok, this time, I finally got it. I got the heat right, the right amount of oil, even the whole stir-fry philosophy. I do believe, that I achieved "wok hay" and I could taste it. I was so excited the other night, I burned myself.
The problem with me and cooking is that I cook with inspiration, so I can't really give a recipe. I can tell you that I used green cabbage, baby bok choy, green onions, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, carrots, Chinese Five Spice, soy sauce, and a cornstarch slurry to bind it all together. How much did I use? An entire cabbage, maybe 6-8 carrots, I don't know, I just looked at my filling and when it looked like enough, then it was. Great help, right? But if you really want a specific recipe, there are many recipes on the internet and in many cookbooks. Just use what you like.
And now, I must go before I eat another egg roll.
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