Ha Ha Ho

Okay, I love the pan fried wontons at the Full Ho restaurant here in Las Vegas, a chinese restaurant in a downscale shopping center that we have been going to for like 20 years. But it's not just the wontons I like, it's really the dipping sauce that comes with them. We guard that sauce with our lives so that we can put it on the rice or other dishes long after the wontons are gone. I have asked the lovely Chinese lady who runs the place many times for the recipe and she always laughs and says "secret recipe". Well, last night I made chicken-lemon potstickers with soy-scallion dipping sauce (got the recipe at http://www.myrecipes.com/, a truly great website) and found that with a couple of minor alterations the soy-scallion dipping sauce could be transformed into Full Ho's dipping sauce...so I have achieved a minor cooking miracle. I will now be making this by the pint to keep around!

My "Fuller than a Ho" Dipping Sauce

5 Tbsp. mirin (rice wine)

4 Tbsp. soy sauce

4 Tbsp. rice wine vinegar

1 tsp. chili paste with garlic

2 Tbsp. sugar

2-3 drops sesame oil

Mix together and enjoy on wontons, potstickers, lettuce wraps, fried rice, whatever!!!!

Stop and smell the laurels

Okay, so one of the cool things about entering film festival (and then actually getting into a film festival) is the laurel leaves.



Laurel leaves date back to ancient Rome and Greece where they were awarded to winners of athletic events, prized politicians, famed citizens, etc. Today we give gold medals or statues or stars on the walk of fame. But in the film fest world we get the official laurel leaves. These golden fronds fan words like "Official Selection" and "Grand Prize Winner".

In the picture I'm receiving a lovely plaque and flowers when my film "Supermodels" won the "Special Jury Prize for Originality of Vision" at the Las Vegas International Film Festival. It's a really nice plaque but it's heavy, bulky and hard to display all of the time, say when I'm just hanging out at the mall. Laurel leaves are easy to put on a poster, DVD or other promotional materials.

See the picture of the leaves for the FAIF International Film festival? They are pretty and portable! Hence a filmmakers love of the laurel leaves. You can tout your own accomplishments without having to carry around some festival bling.

Now the phrase you hear is "Don't rest on your laurels", meaning don't be content just on the things you have already done, keep striving for more. But why is resting on your laurels such a bad thing. I mean, you had to accomplish something pretty good just to get your laurels. So why can't you take a break and just enjoy where you are? They also say "stop and smell the roses", meaning take a moment to appreciate what you have.

So I say, stop and smell the laurels. Now, get back to your unfettered quest for more!

End of Summer Rolls

Okay, I know that Labor Day is the end of summer but try these summer rolls anyway. They are delicious!

Rolls:
1 pound cooked, peeled medium shrimp
4 ounces rice noodles
12 (8-inch) round sheets rice paper
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 cups shredded spinach
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Dipping sauce:
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
1 teaspoon sambal olek
1 garlic clove, minced
2 Tbsp. sake

To prepare rolls:
Place rice noodles in a large bowl; cover with boiling water. Let stand 8 minutes; drain.
Add cold water to a large, shallow dish to a depth of 1 inch. Place 1 rice paper sheet in water. Let stand 2 minutes or until soft. Place rice paper sheet on a flat surface.
Spread 1 teaspoon hoisin sauce in the center of sheet; top with 2 to 3 shrimp, 1/4 cup spinach, 1/4 cup rice noodles and 1 teaspoon basil. Fold sides of sheet over filling, roll up jelly-roll fashion, and gently press seam to seal. Place roll, seam side down, on a serving platter; cover to keep from drying. Repeat procedure with remaining rice paper, hoisin sauce, shrimp, spinach, rice noodles and basil.

To prepare dipping sauce, combine soy sauce and remaining ingredients in a small bowl; stir with a whisk.