*Eggrolls My Friend*

Show Statement

I never set out to make break-up art as it carries an unavoidable stigma of melodrama. I began this project wanting to explore the falsity, regenerative and nostalgic qualities of the memories I retain and attempt to destroy or recreate after a break-up. (I suppose a reader might be able to conclude yours truly is writing of a recent experience)… Rather than try to go back in time and document these occurrences one at a time when really I just feel (okay, felt…)like setting something on fire I instead decided to reclaim a memory. This one surrounded food.

When I like people I make them food, generally dumplings and had on one occasion made these for the subject behind the break-up. I had been avoiding making this favorite kind of food despite the package of eggroll wrappers in my refrigerator that had been warily eyeing for about a week (they are in the dumpling family)… On Valentine’s eve I faced this one tiny hurdle and made this dish for friends while secretly documenting it.

Despite what the work might suggest they were delicious. Memory can be deceiving but reclaiming this process made it into something tangible to do, taste and share in a new way. Although this experience did not replace the other one the act of documenting, preparing the food in a different context and re-working it into visual imagery has indefinitely changed my grouping of memories associated with eggrolls (and dumplings). And thus I share it with you.

Ingredients; and here it all begins

and here it all begins

Cooking Meat; the onslaught

the onslaught

Chopped Veggies; beginning to cut things up

Beginning to cut things up

Little Bowls of Stuff; keeping it neat and all together

keeping it neat and all together

Fun Dipping Bowls; keep looking for more

keep looking for more

Eggrolls; well this is what we all came here for right?

Said and Done; enough said

enough said

Break-up Eggrolls
Ingredients:
5 small green onions
1 Tomato
1.5 cup of chopped & washed Spinach
2 chopped fillets of Pork
1 clove garlic
2 eggs
1 package egg roll skins
Soy sauce
Lemon juice
Chili garlic sauce
2 tbsp of yogurt
-Lay out all ingredients and chop up the scallions, 1 tomato and spinach and garlic clove. Set aside in small bowls. Heat 1 tbsp oil and begin to sauté the chopped garlic clove. In a separate bowl mix together lemon juice, soy sauce and chili garlic sauce (about 2 tbsp) and add chopped pork to the pan with ¾ of the sauce mix and sauté until mostly cooked. Add spinach and tomato and the rest of the sauce mix and sauté for about 1 minute. Add the 2 eggs and mix into the mixture, breaking the yolks and scrambling. Turn off and let cool. Take out the eggroll wrappers and set out a small bowl of water. Give yourself a clean workspace. Beginning with an open wrapper with an edge at the top, lay flat and add about 2 tbsp of ingredients. Fold in half diagonally and dip fingers in the water and spread on the inside edge and press down to seal the edges together. Use the same method to fold down the ends and then roll into an eggroll. Sauté lightly, turning until a golden brown. Sauce: Mix scallions with 2 tbsp yogurt, 1 tbsp of chili garlic and 2 tbsp of lemon juice and soy sauce.
Serve and enjoy with friends!