Everything Taste Better in an Egg Roll

When ordering Chinese takeout I always get an egg roll on the side. My meal feels incomplete without it. They’re the perfect appetizer. One day I went to happy hour at Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse and saw on the bar menu a Buffalo chicken roll. An easier way to eat Buffalo wings? I was sold instantly and they were delicious.

 

After years of trying all kinds of egg rolls I decided it was time for me to make my own. I bought the Nasoya all natural egg roll wraps at the supermarket and started experimenting. I try to be a little healthy so sometimes I bake them or lightly pan fry them in canola oil. I don’t like deep frying, it’s too messy and makes my condo smell like a fast food joint.

I started with Buffalo chicken rolls as an afternoon snack. I also tried various Asian flavors with ground chicken and veggies. I even made desserts with them. After doing some apple picking I found that I had more apples than I could eat with peanut butter. I made apple pie, crisp and cake than I remembered that I had some wraps in the freezer. I sautéed some diced apples with a little nutmeg and cinnamon and got to wrapping. For a little variety I also made a few with bananas and Nutella and served them with homemade whipped cream. They go great with ice cream as well.

Caramelized apple roll with vanilla bean ice cream

Apple, banana w/ Nutella, and banana w/ cream cheese rolls served with whipped cream

So far, my favorite roll has been the Thanksgiving egg roll. A couple years ago I went to MilkBoy for lunch and they had a seasonal egg roll on the menu. I went around Mardi Gras so it was a Creole inspired roll. Later in the year my colleague went in November and told me they had a Thanksgiving one. I didn’t make it in time to try it but I thought about it last Thanksgiving when looking at all the leftovers.

I’m the cook for Thanksgiving. I love it. I spend two days prepping and look forward to it every year. The best part of hosting the holiday is that you end up with most of the leftovers. For my egg roll I used the reheated turkey, baked mac & cheese and my bacon, apple, fennel stuffing. I pan fried the rolls and used my leftover cranberry sauce and gravy as the dipping sauces. This is a great way to enjoy the leftovers without having another big plate of food after the previous nights food coma. I highly recommend you try it this year.

Thanksgiving leftovers roll

You can do just about anything with those little wrappers. Go get inspired and try Continental Midtown’s Cheesesteak Egg Roll with sriracha ketchup or Erawan’s Banana Rolls. My next experiment will have to be a version of Cheesecake Factory’s Tex Mex Eggrolls (my favorite thing on that giant menu).

My year long love affair with a Kitchen Aid Mixer

The KitchenAid Architect is amazing.

Last Christmas I got a KitchenAid mixer and went on a quest to not have another seldom used kitchen gadget. I wasn’t much of a baker because I prefer free style cooking and was intimidated by the preciseness of baking. I started off with pizza dough then cupcakes. In the past year I’ve made more cakes, pies, doughnuts and cookies than I can count. My husband is now so spoiled that he asks what’s for dessert every night.

Flatbread pizza. I like to make several options.

Gone are the frequent gelato/ice cream trips to Capogiro and Philly Flavors. It’s been months since I’ve had cakes and cookies from my favorite Center City bakery, Swiss Haus. I’ve also missed all the sweets at Reading Terminal Market. My quest has been successful. The mixer is in use at least once a week. Can’t say the same for my waffle maker or hand blender. I think the waffle maker, a wedding gift I registered for, has been used twice in two years.

I have definitely stepped it up in the baking department but I’m still more comfortable cooking and improvising. I still have some learning to do and my cookie game can’t compare to Swiss Haus so I’ll be back there very soon. If you’re in the Rittenhouse area I highly recommend you pop in and try the Pecan cookie dipped in chocolate, the Pecan Raspberry Logs and Andy’s Apple cake. I dare you to walk out without a pound of assorted cookies.

For the Love of Wings

I’m a sucker for good chicken wings. One of my favorite places for wings is Devil’s Alley in Rittenhouse Square. It’s kind of our go to place for a quick bite to eat. I was just there last weekend. The spicy dry rub is delicious. Moriarty’s Pub in Midtown Village has the best traditional Buffalo wings. Another one of my favorite spots for wings is Landmark Americana in University City. They have 10 sauces to choose from with different flavors and varying degrees of heat. I like the Grilled Garlic Herb Wings. They are flavorful, juicy and guilt free, that is, until I added the Garlic Parm Fries.

I wanted to try making the wings myself. I’m no chef and rarely measure things out unless following a recipe. To whip these up I made a rub with kosher salt, ground black pepper, dried thyme, sage and lots of garlic powder. I cut the wings in half and covered them in the rub. I baked them on a baking sheet with rack for about 45 minutes at 400 degrees. I don’t like the mess that comes with frying so this is a great option for me. They hit the spot accompanied with some baked sweet potato fries and a habanero dipping sauce . With the weather beginning to get colder these are a perfect Sunday afternoon snack to make at home. If not, go to Devil’s Alley or Landmark Americana and try them yourself. You’ll see why I can’t resist ordering them every time I go.