Comments on: Wonton Garden: A Childhood Favorite

By: Robert Besaw

Robert Besaw — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:59:27 +0000

I have mahjong stories too but we’ll save those for another time….

By: Corinne

Corinne — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:03:20 +0000

Gloria, thanks so much for sharing this beautiful story.

By: Gloria Corral

Gloria Corral — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 19:01:54 +0000

In 1982 I moved to San Francisco from Ohio for the food!! One of my fondest memories was learning to make peanut sauce with my new Indonesian roommate. We had agreed to teach each other how to cook the foods of our cultures. Her mah would come to our apartment overlooking the San Francisco bay and thrill us with stories of her life and tales of Indonesia. She always brought food and sometimes she would cook with us in our small kitchen. I was learning to be Chinese! I still have her hand written recipes. I cherish those days of sharing secret ingredients and kitchen tools I had never seen. The exotic smells of ginger and garlic and super hot chilies sizzling in the pan.

By: Corinne

Corinne — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:43:39 +0000

You could also omit the sesame oil and up the pork, throw in some watercress for fun, and enjoy! celery salt and seasoned sausage…sounds like a southern boy’s dream Thanks so much for visiting, Robert.

By: Corinne

Corinne — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 10:39:05 +0000

Robert, that’s a great story…I used to play mah-jong for 3 days in a row with my girlfriends. We would take breaks only to make dumplings. Have lots of dumpling making parties…fun when everyone gets involved. I also love to see the different shapes that come out!!!

By: Robert Besaw

Robert Besaw — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 02:55:32 +0000

An alternative to sesame seed oil and shrimp is to take extra virgin olive oil and a dash of celery salt, add a little more pork or use equivalent amounts of two different types of seasoned sausage. This is only recommended for those with food allergies in the group as the original is very much the way to go.

By: Robert Besaw

Robert Besaw — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 02:50:23 +0000

When I lived in San Francisco I had the pleasure of being immersed in the Asian(mostly Chinese) culture and true Wonton soup was a weekend favorite when visiting friends for dinner. We would start on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon and make them at the table while watching the latest Hong Kong movie. Then take a break and have boiled duck eggs. More people would show up later and we would make soup, boil the wontons, add some salt and pepper fried frog legs and watch more movies. About the time karoke started I would be fat and happy, sing my one required song and head home.

What I really miss in the Midwest though is the diversity. One week would be southern Chinese or South East Asian style wontons and the next week was Northern Chinese style dumplings aka boiled version of pot stickers. I would eat so many I would burst. Now we make them, albeit rarely, and on occasion friends from Taiwan will have us over where we engage in that very same ritual.