I made lumpia for the first time.
Filipino Eggrolls! Heck yeah! I was in my local Asian market Kam Man Food when it hit me: let’s call up mom and ask her to list off ingredients for lumpia! It’s always been up there in the ethnic foods i’ve wanted to learn how to make, you know, to continue tradition and my gastronomy, as Patrick says.
My mom texts me this:
Bean sprout, cabbage, green onion, carrots, green beans, sweet potato. Slightly brown the ground pork, then saute garlic and onion with it. Salt and pepper and little soy sauce, then put sweet potato and carrots til halfway tender then put all the rest of veggie! Half cook as much as possible then drain it. Don’t put water ! Juice will come out from the veggies. When it’s cold, you can start to wrap it. Don’t forget to buy wrapper. Wet the edge of the wrapper at end of folding. You could add shrimp for more taste. Enjoy!
I spent a good hour and a half slowly browsing the market, inspecting every package, vegetable, fish head and Asian candy.
It was a Thursday evening, sometime after midnight, and I decided: I want to start cooking this now. It was just after 1 a.m., right after a small house party, when I cleared the left over beer off the table, laid out the cutting board, strainer, and cutting knife. I put music onto the 8-Track player. Now, without further adieu:
Perfectly crispy with the sweet, soft, vegetable inside. I was so proud of myself! With just a little bit of Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, (or vinegar, if you prefer) you have yourself a delicious, filling meal. I double wrapped the ones I planned on freezing. When you want to fry them up, there is no thawing necessary! Throw them right into the hot oil and within minutes, you have fresh tasting lumpia! Hooray!
My plans for this weekend?! Hang out with my buddy Hope Thomas and Allie Allie Mason (we’re hanging out right after the last bell rings; she’s a high school teacher.) We’re going to get Thai food in Bloomfield. Then I’m driving straight down to pick up the love of my life, Kyle, and we’re going straight to Philadelphia!
Enjoy the sweet beginnings of spring, my friends. :)
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