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Good Eats: Wonton Ways
Wandering his local food mega mart, Alton contemplates a cryin’ culinary shame: most people have a list containing just a hundred items are rarely deviate from it. For perspective, Alton notes that this particular store has about that many varieties of canned soup alone. Have people lost their sense of curiosity? Alton aims to remedy that, by demonstrating two savory dishes and one dessert prepared from a item probably not on most of those lists: wonton wrappers. From Perfect Potstickers to Vegetable Steamed Dumplings and finishing with Pear Walnut Wontons Alton demonstrates that the wonton wrapper has more uses than soup, and that it’s... Good Eats.
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Episode Info
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Episode number: 8x5 Production Number: EA1H05 Airdate: Wednesday August 04th, 2004 |
Recap
Wandering the aisles of the local megamart, Alton ponders the huge variety of items available. Most shoppers, he says, have a list of a hundred items (more or less) and rarely deviate from it. For perspective, Alton offers the fact that this particular store has that many kinds of canned soup. Why is this? Have we lost our sense of curiosity? Are we so focused on the list that we never discover new ingredients? Alton believes so – and that’s a crying culinary shame. Alton suggests shoppers running their usual store circuit stop, step away from the cart, and look around for something never seen, never tasted, never used. For example, wonton wrappers. Alton used to pass these by without a second though, and now cannot live without them. They look innocuous, but inside them, Alton claims, lurks a culinary currency that can elevate standard stuffing to cultured cuisine. Wrappers may be baked, broiled, fried, sautéed, or steamed. Their secret is out – or will be, after Alton presents this treasure of the megamart on... Good Eats!..Read the full recap
Episode Notes
Cards
- For Chinese New Year, silver coins are placed inside wontons for good luck.
- Empanada is the Spanish version of a wonton.
- Wontons are more than likely China’s most ancient type of dumpling, dating back to 206 B.C.
- Crystallized ginger has been cooked in a sugar syrup and coated with a coarse sugar.
- Dim sum the original Chinese “brunch”, consists of a variety of dumplings and wontons.
- Sweet wontons are great with ice cream.
The episode title "Wonton Ways" is a homonym pun (more or less) on the phrase “wanton ways” that refers generally to unrestrained and excessive behavior – mostly commonly, suggestive or salacious behavior.
Episode Quotes
Alton: We’re so busy focusing on our shopping list that we don’t allow ourselves to discover new ingredients and that is a cryin’ culinary shame because as you run your usual circuit from cereal to sour cream you may be walking right past something that could change your culinary life.
(Describing wonton wrappers.)
Alton: Inside this little envelope lurks a culinary currency capable of converting any standard stuffing into cultured cuisine.
Alton: Inside this little envelope lurks a culinary currency capable of converting any standard stuffing into cultured cuisine.
(Why he doesn’t make his own wonton wrappers.)
Alton: When the temporal chips are down, meaning I’m out of time, I’d rather spend my time working on the payload, rather than the missile – if you get my drift.
Alton: When the temporal chips are down, meaning I’m out of time, I’d rather spend my time working on the payload, rather than the missile – if you get my drift.
(Alton has invited W to a steam room to demonstrate the options for steaming wontons. He has shot down bamboo, stainless steel, and electric varieties.)
Alton: What else you got for me?
W: What else? No! This is it! I mean... unless you want to... you want to make one of those stupid things that you... You do... You want to make one of those stupid contraptions!! You had me bring all this stuff in... in this... in here... and I... gimme that! (She graps the steamer from Alton and charges angrily off. A wolf whistle sounds off camera as Alton chuckles at the prank he has played.)
W: Animal! You’ll hear from my lawyer!!
Alton: What else you got for me?
W: What else? No! This is it! I mean... unless you want to... you want to make one of those stupid things that you... You do... You want to make one of those stupid contraptions!! You had me bring all this stuff in... in this... in here... and I... gimme that! (She graps the steamer from Alton and charges angrily off. A wolf whistle sounds off camera as Alton chuckles at the prank he has played.)
W: Animal! You’ll hear from my lawyer!!
Alton: Unlike certain middle-aged television personalities, a wrinkly rhizome is past its prime and should be avoided.
Alton: (holding a dried pear) Mr. Van Gogh, we found you... oh, never mind...
Alton: Now, I hope you will all proceed in a safe and orderly manner to your own grocery stores. If you are willing to take a little time and to toss aside your shopping list blinders, I promise right around that next end cap, you’re gonna discover some new and exciting Good Eats!
Cultural References
When discussing the balance sought in China, Alton tosses out the phrase Great Taste / Less Filling as one of a list of balancing acts. The Miller Brewing Company and their ad agency created this phrase to market Miller Light, the first light beer.
Alton holds up a dried pear and calls out, “Mr. Van Gogh, we found you...” before tailing off. The pear’s shape, vaguely reminiscent of a mummified human ear, evidently reminded Alton of an incident from the life of artist Vincent Van Gogh. On December 23, 1888, while influenced by a seizure or other mental disorder, Van Gogh severed an earlobe (not the entire ear, as many believe).
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