RECIPE / A.C.E. October 2, 2017 THE ASIAN REPORTER n Page 13 Marie Kondo is back with a manga about decluttering Sever egg rolls from the restaurant by making these at home By Sara Moulton By Katherine Roth The Associated Press The Associated Press ho doesn’t love an egg roll? For generations it’s been Chinese cuisine’s No. 1 hit in America. And why not? They’re ubiquitous, they’re fried, they’re delicious, and you can eat them with your hands. Unfortunately, egg rolls are restaurant food. Making them at home can seem too daunting. First, there’s a ton of prep. Second, you have to deep-fry them in a big pot of hot oil. Here’s a solution in two easy steps; make the filling ahead of time and sauté the rolls instead of deep-frying them. Even if you weren’t in a rush, you’d want to make the filling ahead of time. It needs to cool down before being added to the wrappers. Otherwise, it’ll sog them up. So why not plan ahead and prepare this dish on a weekend? (With the new school year upon us, I’ll note that filling and rolling the wrappers can be a fun task for the kids, almost as much fun as eating them.) Here the egg rolls are filled with sautéed pork, red pepper, carrots, and Napa cabbage. But if you fill them with leftovers instead — shredded chicken, cooked broccoli, peas, etc. — you’ll save yourself the trouble of having to slice and dice a mountain of raw ingredients. Do keep in mind, however, that all the ingredients need to be cooked before being stuffed into the wrappers. This step eliminates excess ust when it seemed Marie Kondo had spread her gospel on the “life-changing magic” of decluttering as far is it could go, the author — whose two previous books remain international best-sellers — is back with a different audience in mind. Kondo’s message that you should keep only things that “spark joy” is now in manga form, with a love story as a backdrop. Her new book, The Life- Changing Manga of Tidying Up (Ten Speed Press), features the work of artist Yuko Uramoto and seems designed to attract a younger set — including teenage boys — many of whom probably missed out on her earlier volumes. And she may be on target. While my two sons, ages 12 and 14, had zero interest in her earlier books, they battled over who could rip through Kondo’s manga as soon as they spotted it on the dining room table. And while they rolled their eyes when I asked if it had made a difference in their lives, my younger son was soon putting his desk in order and going through his drawers, and my older son packed for a family trip by carefully rolling his clothes into neat little packets in his suitcase. He also commented on a recently acquired cabinet in our living room, noting Kondo’s advice that additional storage furniture should be unnecessary in a properly decluttered home. Then my boys passed the book on to a friend, who also rolled his eyes and shrugged when asked if he’d learned anything from it. But within days, he’d packed up no less than seven bags of unwanted toys and clothes from his room. A coincidence? Perhaps. Manga is a form of graphic novel in Kondo’s native Japan. “In Japan, manga is a form of artistic expression and entertainment that connects people across generations,” Kondo wrote in an e-mail when asked about the book. “Creating the manga has been such a fun and gratifying experience for me, and I hope that it sparks joy for new readers and fans alike!” The fictional story tells of Chiaki Suzuki, 29, single and living in a tiny W J HOMEMADE EGG ROLLS. A serving of Sara Moulton’s Not-Fried Egg Rolls with Soy Sesame Dipping Sauce is seen in New York. Moulton says the rolls are great as appetizers or a main dish. (Sara Moulton via AP) moisture and guarantees that everything is thoroughly cooked. The great thing about a deep-fried egg roll is its crackly crisp shell. I’d never claim that sautéing them delivers the same crunch, but you’ll get close. That said, you need to turn over each egg roll frequently as it cooks in the skillet to make sure that every part of its surface becomes nicely browned. Chinese restaurants classify egg rolls as appetizers, but I see no reason to confine them to a supporting role. These rolls are quite substantial and, with the addition of a simple side dish, they’ll do a stellar job in the center of your dinner plate. Not-Fried Egg Rolls with Soy Sesame Dipping Sauce Servings: 4 to 6 Start to finish: 1 hour, 15 minutes For the dipping sauce: 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (unseasoned) 1 teaspoon sugar 1 teaspoon sesame oil For the egg rolls: 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 tablespoons minced ginger 2 teaspoons minced garlic 8 ounces ground pork Kosher salt 1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions 1 cup finely chopped red pepper 1 cup coarsely grated carrot 2 cups finely shredded Napa cabbage 1/3 cup chicken broth 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce 14 egg roll wrappers Make the dipping sauce: In a small bowl combine all the ingredients. Set aside. Make the egg rolls: In a large nonstick skillet, heat two tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring one minute. Add the pork and a hefty pinch of salt, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until it turns white, about two minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a medium bowl. Add another tablespoon of the oil, the scallions, red pepper, and carrot to the skillet and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about two minutes. Add the cabbage, stock, and soy sauce and simmer, stirring, until all of the liquid has evaporated and the vegetables are tender but not mushy. Add the mixture to the pork bowl, stir well, and set aside to cool to room temperature. Clean the skillet and set it aside. Working with two egg roll wrappers at a time, arrange them on the counter with one of the corners facing you. Place a level 1/4 cup of the filling in the center of the wrapper and bring up the bottom corner that is facing you halfway up to cover the filling. Fold in the left and right corners of the wrapper snuggly over the filling. Moisten the top corner and bring it down to form a rectangular package, pressing firmly to make sure the top corner is well glued. Heat two tablespoons of the oil in the large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the rolls to the skillet, reduce the heat to medium, and cook the rolls, turning them frequently until they are golden brown on all sides, about six to eight minutes total. Transfer them to paper towels to drain and repeat the procedure with the remaining oil and egg rolls. Transfer to plates and serve right away with the dipping sauce. Nutrition information per serving of egg rolls: 459 calories (186 calories from fat); 21 g fat (4 g saturated, 0 g trans fats); 34 mg cholesterol; 746 mg sodium; 51 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 16 g protein. Nutrition information per serving of sauce: 21 calories (10 calories from fat); 1 g fat (0 g saturated, 0 g trans fats); 0 mg cholesterol; 432 mg sodium; 2 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 1 g sugar; 1 g protein. LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC. Marie Kondo is spreading her gospel on the “life-changing magic” of decluttering with a different audience in mind, in her new book, The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up, which is illustrated by Yuko Uramoto. (Ten Speed Press via AP) hoarders’ den of a Tokyo apartment. She develops a crush on the handsome — and minimalist — young man next door, a professional cook whom she can’t bring herself to invite over because of her messy apartment. The two meet when he complains about the mountains of trash on her balcony. Chiaki is a workaholic and never has time to cook, but she dreams of preparing delicious meals at home. Will she ever be able to tidy up enough to invite her Prince Charming to dinner? Thanks to Kondo, who appears as a character in the book — a sort of magical decluttering fairy — the answer is yes. Kondo, teaching her method of sifting through belongings one category at a time, helps Chiaki transform her apartment and, in the process, her life. Chiaki learns to appreciate the things around her, recognize her forgotten dreams, and value herself. In short, she discovers the life-changing magic of tidying up. And yes, she does end up with the cute guy next door, a role model for any reader, of any age, who ever doubted that cooking and tidying up was a certain way to one’s heart. SPiLt ink Gallery Acrylic Colour Pencil Graphite Oil Pen & Ink Watercolour Find them online at www.asianreporter.com! Pets w Holidays w Special Occasions w Just for Fun www.spiltinkgallery.com (503) 442-6427 The Asian Reporter is published on the first & third Monday each month. 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