Egg Rolls = Best Friend

feistycook.com

How was your Super Bowl weekend? Ours was good, no one we wanted to root for so instead we rooted for some good food and good commercials. Glad we had the food. :)

This weekend I also attempted to make my dear friend (or BFF if you will) Rebecca's Egg.....drool, drool...Rolls. Most of the people who are special in my life have had these wonderful rolls of goodness and if you have not, well you have never lived my friend.

Ah but these are not the Chinese egg rolls that you find in your local restaurant. Nooooo sir, these are Filipino egg rolls and there is a difference. First, they taste better. Period. Second, they are much thinner making them even more crispy and just yummo-licious. (my blog, my words :).

The first time I was ever introduced to the world of Filipino egg rolls was December 1996 at Rebecca and her young, charming husband Bernie's (see I don't forget you Bernie) annual Christmas Party. They were so good that I think I may have even shoved some in my purse for later.

Well, it was Rebecca's mistake making these for the party because for the past 15 years we have been kinda pesky about said egg rolls.

"Rebecca, would you mind making these for Anna's birthday party?"

"Umm, Rebecca, could you just center my entire bridal shower AROUND the egg rolls??"

"Uhhhh, can I have some for a birthday present...no need for a Target gift card, just egg rolls please??"

In fact, I have two pictures of Rebecca at events making the notorious egg rolls:

At my bridal shower (she is actually making pancit here, but the egg rolls were on the other burner).

At my baby shower #2

In fact, she held baby shower #1 but made it a breakfast shower. (to get out of me asking for egg rolls, more than likely)

Baby Shower #1

January 2000

umm, what shoes were we wearing and what is up with my hair??

Baby Shower #2

October 2007

Five years ago, Rebecca sat me down and taught me how to make egg rolls in my own kitchen. It was so much fun but I think we spent too much time laughing and talking because I didn't remember how to make them. Even with the recipe.

So this past weekend I decided to tackle the egg roll issue at hand and gasp destroy make them myself.

After cooking the meat and veggies (I prepped them the day before so they would be cold to add), I lined up the meat in the spring roll wrapper.

And rolled the egg rolls up....

And here is the finished product before frying!

And here they are all fried and ready to eat. I should have taken a picture twenty minutes later when this plate was empty. (Hey it was Super Bowl Sunday).

I am so proud of myself for attempting this! I have always loved to cook but I would call myself a cautious cook meaning I don't always try new things but the things I do cook are good and tried/true recipes. I think if you cook every day of the week (like me), you tend not to try new things because you are tired of cooking at the end of the week.

One of my new years resolutions was to try a new dish once a month. So I think I am off to a great start in 2011!

But I think I may still have to ask Rebecca for my birthday egg rolls.....nobody does it better than her. :)