A little bit of Home

Before all the rage about organic and locally grown produce and eating "real' foods, growing up I was privy to all those things. My mom made wonderful meals from fresh ingredients, local produce, and never anything processed or whipped up via microwave. Living 3000 miles away from my parents has really inspired me to continue the family recipes that my Mom and Grandma have mastered and shared with family and friends alike.

One of the first things I wanted to learn how to make when I first moved out to the East Coast was Grandma's Shrimp Wontons. Most Asian cultures have their own version of Wontons or dumplings of some sort, each delicious in their own way. This is the recipe my family uses and it is great for adding to a clear broth for a noodle soup or frying and serving as an appetizer.

* 3/4 lb shrimp (shelled and deveined)
* 1 finely chopped Shallot
* 1 sprig finely chopped Green Onions
* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon sesame oil
* 2 teaspoons corn starch
* 2 teaspoons fish sauce
* 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
* 1 teaspoon White pepper powder (or finely grated black pepper) or to taste
* 1 package Wonton Wrappers (also known as Gyoza Wrappers)

Chop shrimp either finely or coarsely depending on your preference and mix with all other ingredients in a bowl. Place a spoonful, about 1/2 a tablespoon, into a Won Ton Wrapper. Place Wonton in a frying pan and when it starts to float, it's ready.

Steps to wrapping a shrimp Wonton*
1. After placing the filling in the wrapper, fold wrapper in half into a triangle
2. Take one corner of the triangle and fold towards the top point of the triangle in the front.
3. Take the other corner and do the same thing but on the other side of the Won Ton.

* Note - As many Wontons and dumpling recipes there are, there are just as many different ways to fold it. Each family has a different style, experiment with folding techniques until you find one that works for you.

Enjoy a little bit of the Vietnamese countryside!