Thanks for the invite! What can I bring? 90 % of the time I already know the answer whenever I ask this question. My Mom makes the best Vietnamese spring rolls and by practicing through the years, I've almost mastered her recipe. I absolutely love getting together with friends and family to make these tasty treats. They can be time consuming to make so having a helping hand certainly speeds up the process.
I've taught many friends through the years how to make these and love hearing their feedback when they attempt it on their own. Why is my spring roll cigar shaped? Why is my spring roll so oily? Why is my spring roll bursting apart when I fry them?
One of the most amusing stories involves my college roommate Nicole and her husband Luke. I visited them one Christmas and left a bag of frozen spring rolls as I know Luke really enjoys them. The next time I saw Nicole she mentioned that apparently spring rolls are good even in a half raw and microwaved state. I shuttered at the thought of this as spring rolls are best served piping hot! I suppose this is why they are often served with lettuce, cucumbers and cilantro. If you wrap the spring roll in lettuce you won't burn your fingers! Anyway, late one night Luke really had a spring roll craving and while in a sleepy slumber, microwaved the frozen rolls and ate them up. The next morning Nicole informed him that they weren't fried yet and probably still half raw. His response was that they were delicious anyway! It's nice to know that even soggy half raw spring rolls are still quite tasty! But please, for a more traditional flavor..follow my directions. Enjoy and let me know how they turn out!