Summertime Rolls

Peeeeeeeeeeople! I'm so pleased that you liked my bag, man! You rule. Thank you! I plan to carry it everywhere I go from now on. Even to the backyard. To the kitchen. Let alone around town. Everywhere. And how cool that so many of you would be interested in a pattern/kit. That's all I need to hear to set my little brain a-whirring . . . think . . . plan . . . think. So — okay, my loves, I will do it! Thank you for all your generous comments this week — sincerely. I really appreciate these kindnesses. Thank you.

Above are Tyler's Summer Rolls with Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce. They got great reviews, but I can't say I loved them, sadly. It might have been the sauce — it was extremely vinegary, and apparently I forgot that I don't like vinegar, even rice-wine vinegar. I think I would like peanut sauce better, with these. If you have a summer roll recipe you like, let me know. I am determined to find one to love. I LOVE these at restaurants. Well, when they're good, I mean. Sometimes they just taste like bulbous rice noodles in a rubbery rice wrapper. But sometimes they are exquisite. I like mine with shrimp and tofu. I added shrimp to these. Anyway.

It's been such a nice week. Andy and I had lunch together on Wednesday. I asked him if he had read the post about the Over the Moon book. He said yeah. I said, "Do you know what I mean? Did you have a book like that?"

He: "Yeah . . . um . . . The Cave of Time."
Me: [Falling off bench laughing.]
He: [Eating salt-and-pepper squid, ignoring me.]
Me: "Oh, you were serious! I'm sorry!"
He: "It's a really good book" [munch munch].

Earlier, he had been searching for the Chicago Bears bike helmet he wanted to order in size large, which was apparently difficult to find. The Seattle Seahawks one was available in large, and the Cleveland Browns one, which was cool-looking but to which he had no particular loyalty. On the way home from lunch, we discussed this. I thought, adamantly, that it should be Bears or nobody (sorry Seattle). He, agitated, said, "Well, what kind of bike helmet are you going to get?"

Me: "Black velvet horseback-riding hat."
Me: [Falling out of the car laughing.]
Me: [Picturing myself getting weird looks from people on the bike trail while wearing this.]
Me: [Suddenly failing to see what is so funny, really.]
Me: [Wondering again why bike helmets have to be so hideously unattractive.]
He: "Well, fine. I'll just wear a regular Chicago Bears football helmet then."

So, this weekend when you see two total freaks on the bike trail wearing a hunt cap and a football helmet, give us wide berth 'cause we're nuts. Just sayin.

Update: Andy, having just clicked on the link above: "Why are you wearing your dad's glasses?" Me: [No response.] He: "Why are you wearing Phil Donahue's glasses?"

Comments

[jennifer]

hahhaahaaaa! that's awesome. i love that he was totally straight faced though you were nearly peeing your pants. nice dynamic! btw, those rolls look awesome.

[lizbon]

It makes for a funny image, but really I hope you will both wear actual bicycle helmets. There are safety issues involved, and sometimes function is more beautiful than form. I mean, an intact noggin' is a lot prettier than a mushed one, even if it's got helmet hair.

Just sayin'.

[patty]

Ha! I just bought a black velvet riding hat at the thrift store - not that i have a horse. Now I can feel like I am not the only one who will be riding around town with a crazy lid on!

[kalurah]

Oh, yu-uh-uh-uh-ummy! I've made those rolls, they're awesome! The mint is what just sends it absolutely soaring over the top. OH!
I must make these, now.
I vote you go ahead and wear the Black Velvet hat. Own it. Work it. Start a new trend! :)

[robbie jones]

me: falling out of chair with laughter!

wish i could see it in person! please give your camera to a willing on-looker!

[Liz in IN]

If it's good enough to protect your head as you're falling a horse, why *not* when falling off a bicycle (which you're not going to do, anyway)? Style--not to mention eccentricity--rules.

But I'm not 100% sure about the football helmet, I confess.

Anyway, don't you just love those moments when you've started out either making fun of, or perhaps even scolding yourself for your choices, and then moved on to imagining people's probable reactions to them, and then suddenly you think "Oh...wait..."

Thanks for a lovely blog.

[Natalie]

Ah, go for it!... okay, and may I ask, why do cars have to be painted one solid color? I want a floral car with floral upholstery.

[Sarah]

Do it! For reals!!

My favorite dipping sauce for summer rolls:

Hoisin sauce
a little coconut milk
a little peanut butter
crushed peanuts on top

Yum.

[Barb]

Just picked up a black velvet riding hat at a garage sale for $1. It would only fit you if you were about 5 years old, though.

My mom had those green dishes when I was growing up. Wild!

[sizzle]

This fantastic Vietnamese place I go to makes their tofu crunchy in the spring rolls and it is deeeeelicious. I like the bit of crunch when most of the stuff inside is soft.

[bird tweet]

such a mix of topics you often post on your blog. a little something for everyone...now this time i am loving the food photography as i often do on your blog. i have been reading the book you recommended "ebay PHOTOS THAT SELL" and i must say i love the irreverence and friendly sarcasm of the author. and just as you said it is loaded with good info on taking pictures of small and close-up things. i often forget to think about the food you are talking about due to looking at the awesome photos. i will watch for your velvet head in the hood.... and call out a friendly hi ho if i see you!
your friend, bird tweet robin from down the road

[Sally]

Mmmm, spring rolls! Those look absolutely delicious.

[gina]

too funny.
seriously!!!
you just had me practically peeing on myself.

[KellyS]

And a Jane's Addiction reference, to boot. You guys are 2 cool 4 school.

Oh, I have a couple very dear YA books like that, too. "I Will Go Barefoot All Summer For You," by Katie Letcher Lyle, and "Greensleeves," by Eloise Jarvis McGraw. I was also very attached to the novelization of the movie "Sunshine," by Norma Klein.

[Kim]

Dudes. I'm glad you've moved on from those glasses.

Chicago Bears bicycle helmet? Try this link: http://www.nflshop.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1847732&cp=&fbn=Taxonomy%7CChicago+Bears&f=Taxonomy%2FNFL%2F716569&fbc=1&kw=sport+helmet&parentPage=search

[Amy]

My favorite summer roll recipe comes from Saveur magazine a few years ago. It's a little labor intensive, but so tasty. I've also purchased BBQ pork from a Chinese restaurant to use instead of cooking the pork shoulder. The sauce is delicious and has a peanut-y type flavor. Fermented yellow soy beans can be found at an Asian grocery store and keep, as you can imagine, forever.

My husband calls these Vietnamese burritos.

http://saveur.com/food/classic-recipes/summer-roll-with-dipping-sauce-50406.html

Finally, gorgeous bag. Truly.

[TeenSleuth]

totally hilarious, you two. can i go riding with you? i'll wear an astronaut's helmet.

[Melissa C.]

Oh my gosh, you guys are hilarious! If you do ride around town in those, um, unconventional bike helmets I hope you take pictures for the blog. Thanks for making me giggle this afternoon. :)

I absolutely LOVED the Tanglewood bag, by the way. Unfortunately I don't know how to sew. But if you made some up for your shop I would definitely race everyone else to purchase one.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Melissa C.

[cindy k]

come on you two, no "fighting" in public. so funny.

[Tara]

Ha! Why are you wearing Sally Jesse's glasses?
Big ole pink glasses, just like yours!
That's the response I get to pictures of me in my horse-riding gear (which was a bright tie dye t-shirt and jeans).

[Patrina]

hee hee hee, choose your own adventure! YAY ANDY! Dave and I are currently searching for non stupid bike helmets too cause we just got our lovely old cruisers tuned up. I say wear your riding helmet! I would wave at you.

[the Farmer's Wife]

Alicia, I thought you were wearing Harry Carrey's glasses!!

I say it's a Bears helmet or nothing!!! Hey, how did we get through our childhood without a helmet, that's what I want to know.

I remember the first time I ate one of those spring rolls with the cellophane noodles and the rice wrappers. It was the mid-70's and our hostess was a newly immigrated Vietnamese woman who was dating one of our friends. Now you must remember this is BEFORE Vietnamese and Thai food made inroads into our culture. We took a bite and looked at each other. Our eyes were as big as saucers. We were certain that it was filled with tiny glass rods. Was she feeding us fiberglass?? It was hard to tell.

Generally, I find those wrappers to have an unappealing papery texture.

I want pics of you in the hunt helmet.

- Suzanne, the Farmer's Wife

[Dave]

Heh! We'll watch out for you, for sure.

I don't have a good recipe for salad rolls, but the best ones I think I've ever had are at Khun Pic's Bahn Thai on Belmont, just across from the Tao of Tea. Only go if you have a couple of hours to spend there, but their food is out of this world, seriously.

We'll definitely let you know if we come across a good recipe for these.

And I concur with Patrina (my wife), if we saw you wearing your riding helmet and football helmet, we'd wave happily :)

[Mama Urchin]

So my two year old son wanted to wear my old riding helmet (exactly the same as yours) one day. No problem. Then we had to run out and he really wanted to wear it in the car but now he had it on backwards. So okay, people passing us on the road are thinking "What's with that crazy lady and the kid in the helmet?" Then I was faced with a choice, listen to him scream through the entire store or let him don the hunt cap, backwards through Target. Which would you choose? We're nuts too.

[Rebecca]

OMG, that is tooo funny. I was totally laughing out loud on that one!!!