Tuesday, October 31, 2006

life lessons

There are things I will never learn. One of them is about superglue. And how not to superglue dirt all over my hands.

But, maybe I will learn how to get it off.

And maybe, I think just maybe, I might learn how to make good wontons.

Wonton week started last Tuesday when Quel made a really good garlicky filling and her friend Kat came over and folded hundreds of the little tackers. They were deep fried up into tasty goodness served with Quel's delicious sambal. Yay for moving in with good cooks.
Then Friday to help Shannon celebrate not handing in her thesis we made wonton soup. I made an ok filling - fresh shitakes and water chestnuts really helped. Also I blanched some garlic shoots and included them. Yay for garlic shoots. Shannon made great soup and we were all happy.

I don't know why I decided I needed to make wontons again last night. I was tired out from supergluing my fingers all day but somehow I couldn't think what else to make. Weird I know. They weren't the best, I think the filling was a little bland and goopy. But Tal did some great little pyramid shapes, more Lebanese pie than dumpling, but cute. Her origami habit is having some weird influences.

The thing is, now I've realised that it's not a totally arduous process I may just have to make wontons over and over until they are perfect. Any advice folks?








<---Not what mine look like.

4 comments:

shannon said...

i feel like you are to wontons as i am to chocolate gingerbread...

Anonymous said...

Superglue: I recently went to the shoe repair store because the strap on my favourite shoes had broken. The very serious guy who works there looked even more serious and pointed to the end of the strap and asked me if I'd tried to glue it in the past. I could not remember, but it was obviously superglued at some point so I must have. He shook his head and said "Superglue is the devil. No one knows how to use it. No one should use it." A few days later I superglue some earrings back together and kind of wrecked them. I should have upheld my promise to him when I said "I won't use it again".
Wontons: I have a good recipe for a tempeh and mushroom filling. I will find it and post it here next time I'm online.

Anonymous said...

Okay, wonton filling:
1 packet of tempeh, grated
2 tbs soy sauce
1/2 tsp stock powder dissolved in 1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp arrowroot powder or cornflour
1 tsp honey
1 cup spring onions, chopped fine
1 cup mushrooms, chopped fine
2 tsp grated ginger

*Combine half the tempeh with the soy sauce, water, oil honey and arrowroot or cornflour in a blender and puree.
*mix the other half of the tempeh with the onions and mushrooms and ginger .
* mix these two mixtures together.
You can of course fiddle with the amounts of stuff like the honey and the soy sauce, taste it before wontoning and add more of what you think it needs.

Making the Wontons.
I use the small square wonton skins.
Put a teaspoon of the mixture in the middle (not too much) and then moisten the outer rim of the skin all the way around.
From here I either fold them in half, or I bring all the four corners up to the top, so they form a peak at the top. Press the edges to seal them.
After this, steam or add to soup.

I hope this helps!

joe cupcake said...

Hey Vanessa,
thank you... I think that definitely yes, no one should use superglue. but it's so irresistible. despite my gnarly experience i still am running round wanting to glue everything.

also, grated tempeh sounds like an excellent idea. i'm gonna try that.