July 19, 1954
In today’s burgeoning world, we have all the best at our fingertips. Everything seems to be booming, babies, the economy, and our scope of the world! We are undoubtedly touching and changing the world, particularly Asia, and it seems that it has much to offer us as well. Though we have taught them about freedom, they have taught us about food! Communism aside, Orientals have much to teach us about eating efficiently and economically. Given the impoverished and simple lifestyles of these orientals, they are able to survive on much less. And while their food may be foreign, it is quite fascinating! So while our worldly efforts are important, what is more important than our domestic efforts and our efforts within our own homes? So this recipe is my way of doing just that, bringing a little piece of the world in our own home.
The best part about these oriental foods is that they can just as easily be dressed up for a dinner party as they can be dressed down for a family lunch. Who wants to serve the same old pot roast at a dinner party? If you really want to impress your husband’s guests while also impressing your husband’s wallet, oriental cooking is the way to go.
So without further ado, here is my original and completely authentic oriental recipe. Due to the war restrictions (Wong 211), you may be worried about finding these ingredients at the local grocery store but don’t worry, this recipe is family friendly and easy on your pocketbook. I’ve taken out all the foreign things and replaced them with easy to find foods that will appease even the pickiest of eaters!
As many of you know, my husband, Don fought for our county very bravely! Although he was honorably discharged and works as an ad man now, he still has quite a few buddies from when he served. Many of them are actually married to some of these oriental women and this recipe was taught to me by one of these war brides, my very own Japanese friend! She’s a beautiful thing to behold, a real sweet girl, a china doll you could say! She’s quite petite and when I asked her how she kept such a pleasing figure, she was so modest and told me it was all because of her diet. Her husband makes sure she’s well taken care of, but that doesn’t stop her from being industrious and frugal! I’ve learned quite a lot from my sweet Japanese friend, these two recipes are my favorite! Of course I’ve adapted it and all the recipes she shared with me with my family and friends in mind, but it’s quite authentic!
(Here is me wearing my Japanese friend’s oriental garb! The Japanese are so creative with their clothing!)
We’ll be making authentic egg rolls and
You will need:
I package of Spring roll pasta sheets (can substitute with puff pastry or filo dough)
1 bag of frozen Peas and carrots (defrost before starting!)
3 cups of Shredded Rotisserie chicken
¼ cup of Chicken stock
1 tsp each of Salt and pepper
3 tbsp Vegetable oil
I tbsp Minced garlic
1 tbsp Minced ginger
I’ve replaced the hard to find ingredients like egg roll wrappers and edamame beans with things you can get right in the freezer aisle and the shredded chicken can be from a rotisserie chicken to save time. To begin we’ll need to try something new, it’s called stir-frying. It sounds hard but it’s quite easy like the rest of the recipe. Simply heat a small amount of oil on a large pan. My darling, Don brought me back a huge oriental cooking pan as a present, it’s called a wok! If you’re brave enough to venture into Chinatown to get one, I’d highly recommend it. It’s pretty big and bulky but it makes cooking for a big group quite easy! You should see how many scrambled eggs I can make when I have our church friends over after Sunday service. If you don’t have a wok, don’t worry, a large frying pan will do or the new electric skillet will be very useful (Padoongpatt 200).
Heat a small amount of oil on the pan, orientals use very little oil when they cook to keep the food healthy! Once the oil is at a medium heat, sautéed the garlic and ginger for a couple of minutes. Don’t let them burn but get them nice and toasted. Don’t be shy with the ginger because that’s what gives it the authentic oriental taste, but be careful because it can be a little spicy! If you’re worried about the kick of the ginger you can add half but try to be adventurous with the new spices (Padoongpat 191). The ginger will add a new exotic dimension of flavor and fragrance that will allure all your guests and make them believe they are in the heart of Chinatown in the comfort of your own home!
Add the shredded chicken and defrosted peas and carrots and toss them in the pan, make sure you’ve cut everything into small, thin pieces if it wasn’t packaged that way so that it cooks quickly and efficiently. In many Asian dishes, the vegetables and meats are diced or shredded to small bits (Wong 159). No wonder Japanese women are so petite! The Orientals always make everything into small and generous portions.
Once an initial sear is obtained, keep the meat and veggies in motion, it’s important that you are stirring very frequently until it is just cooked through. Then take the pan off the stove to let the mixture cool. Once it’s cool enough to handle, take your spring roll pasta wrappers and lay the wrapper on a clean, dry surface like a cutting board. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of filling near the bottom corner. Lift the bottom corner up and begin rolling until you reach halfway up. Fold over the left side, and then the right side towards the center, it should look like an envelope. Continue folding up and roll the egg roll into its shape. To seal this little oriental surprise, dip your fingers into some water or an egg wash mixture and brush all over the final top corner. Finish up the roll, seal and place seam side down on a baking sheet. My japanese friend fries them but I personally like to bake them so they’re even healthier. They should bake for around 20 minutes in an oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Once they’re golden brown, they’re ready to be dipped and devoured. I like to dip them in a little mayo lemon juice mixture with a touch of ginger. It’s healthy yet just a bit decadent at the same time, you’ll guests will wonder how you learned to make such an interesting dish without even stepping into Asia.
Works Cited
Hair, Jaden. “Mother’s Famous Chinese Egg Rolls Recipe.” Steamy Kitchen Recipes. Steamy Kitchen, 15 Jan. 2011. Web. 19 July 2016. <http://steamykitchen.com/13029-my-mothers famous-chinese-egg-rolls-2.html>.
Lee, Shelley Sang-Hee. “Orientalism before Asian America.” A New History of Asia America. New York: Routledge, 2014. 5-15. Print.
Padoongpatt, M. (2013). Oriental Cookery: Devouring Asian and Pacific Cuisine During the Cold War. In R.J. Ku, M.F.Manalansan, and A. Mannur (Ed.), Eating Asian America: Food Studies Reader (pp.186-207). New York: NYU Press.
Wong, Jade Snow. Fifth Chinese Daughter. New York: Harper, 1950. Print.
Asian American History | UCSD Summer 2016 