"SpringRolls" news and stories

While these two-bite salad-rice-paper rolls with shredded carrots, scallions, fresh mint, rice vermicelli and sunflower sprouts tucked inside -- are called spring rolls, they're technically "summer rolls." Spring rolls, or cha gio, are the deep-fried versions. The Vietnamese name for this lighter variation is goi cuon. Both spring and summer rolls can also feature pork, shrimp or crabmeat as well as pretty much any crisp vegetable you want to slice and fold in. And if you want to add even more texture, wrap your fixings in a lettuce leaf instead of the rice paper.

Blogger cproppe dips her rolls into a spicy mixture of chile, soy and hoisin sauces with lime juice, and you can see her recipe here. Or try another recipe for Vietnamese spring/summer rolls from Kitchen Daily.

Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool for a shot of having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.

Cold spring rolls. Photo: YumSugar.

Each Thursday, we round up a selection of scrumptious links from our friends over at YumSugar. Here's what they've got cooking this week:

Cold spring rolls might seem fancy, but they're actually a quick and easy treat.

Cat Cora's baked beans mixes chickpeas, kidney beans and pinto beans.

Coffee is good for a whole lot more than drinking -- java can perk up many a dish.

A look at Paula Deen's uncomfortable visit to "The View" and Barbara Walters' loaded health question.

Figs in a Blanket is a "killer appetizer."

Do you prefer the grocery store or farmers' market?

This has always been my favorite time of year -- the cold slowly backs off, everything comes to life, the air smells absolutely wonderful (even in the middle of a big city) and vegetable season is just around the corner.

Since the season is all about freshness, and we're one week into Spring, I thought I'd give you a little foodie play on words -- Tropical Tilapia Spring Rolls. Spring, of course, like the season, but these rolls are also a recipe that thrives on fresh, bright and colorful ingredients -- the perfect sort of recipe for the season that brings things to life, as we put away our thick, hearty and warm winter recipes.

Since this is part of a Nutrition Education Project for a Nutrition Counseling Class at the University of Texas at Austin, there's lots of helpful information in the video -- substitutions, health info, the works!

With New Years Eve right around the corner, it's the perfect time to whip up some homemade appetizers. Habit always leads us to the frozen food aisle, but it isn't hard to whip up some quick phyllo delights, or even some delicious, deep-fried spring rolls like above.

I will never forget the first time I had spring rolls. It was soon after I moved out of my Thai-free hometown and to the big city. I saw the "mini egg rolls" at a Halloween party and soon had to stop myself from devouring the entire delicious pile. Since then, they've become one of my favorite appetizers, and they're not that hard to make.

With a helper, you could have these whipped up in no time. Better yet, they can be prepared and frozen raw, then deep-fried right before you serve them. Even if you're not throwing a New Years shindig, these are perfect as a quick appetizer for any tasty dinner.

My attempts to replicate Celia's (English Patis)  Lumpiang Togue recipe fell at the final hurdle; the wrapping. Perhaps fell is too strong a word, they just didnt have the finesse in the folding department as can be seen in the photo. Delicious though.

Mae just left a comment on my blog, a link in fact, that highlighted her step-by-step instructions on how to fold the wrappers correctly. Easy when you can see how. So thanks to Mae and her Jersey-based food blog Rice and Noodles. The page is now printed and residing in my food-file so that next time I make these 'Lumpiang Togue', or a variation, there will be no cack-handiness on my part... well that's the plan.

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