Lula’s Lumpia

It was in the late 1970s when I met Anamaria Paguntalan Birdsong, who was known then as Anamaria Headley. As coworkers for the San Francisco Department of Child Support Services, we were hired under the ill-fated administration of District Attorney Joe Freitas. She would, for a time, be my supervisor, but a deeper bond developed as we dealt with the fallout of a turbulent time in the "city by the bay" and also as two young women dealing with the challenges of being full-time working mothers; I considered her my friend.

In addition to my 'day job,' I embarked on a secondary profession as a band singer. As my budding singing career on the San Francisco hotels and country club circuits took form, I told Anamaria I was considering adopting a stage name, something with more of a celebrity flare. She suggested something subtle, such as adding an "e" to the end of Carolyn. I don't think Anamaria understood what a perfect solution that was. My given first and middle names were Carolyn Marie, and most of my family said it as if it was one name. Taking the "e" from the end of Marie and adding it to Carolyn, Carolyne became a contraction of Carolyn Marie. It worked perfectly, and the pseudonym took hold. It became my legal name, even causing my mother to applaud the change.

Anamaria was, and I have no doubt, she is still an excellent cook. Her culinary skills have not only enriched my life but also opened my world to an array of mouthwatering delicacies. We shared recipes routinely, and her Filipino roots introduced me to a particular favorite, her mother, Lirio Paguntalan's lumpia.

Anamaria said, "Back then, there were no lumpia wrappers to purchase from the store. My mother made hundreds of them by hand using an iron crepe pan. She would mix flour and water until it created a sticky dough—gluten. Then, swirling it around the pan, Mom would quickly wipe the hot iron crepe pan. My daddy was tasked with pinching off the root end of every bean sprout because he didn't like the texture resembling hair in his lumpia."

It is my honor to present 'Lula's Lumpia,' a dish that not only represents the culinary skills of Anamaria's mother but also the bond we shared over food and friendship. Enjoy!

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Equipment

1 Large skillet, or deep fryer

Ingredients

2 12 oz won ton or egg roll wrappers
1 pound prawns, chopped set shells aside.
10 boneless chicken thighs, diced
1/2 pound ground pork
2 tbsp olive oil
8 medium yukon gold potatoes, diced
4 Stalks celery, diced
4 carrots, shredded
1/2 pound snow peas, diced
1 tsp black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Thaw wrappers if frozen, covering with damp towel to prevent drying out.
Peel, devein and chop prawns. Place shells in pot with 4 cups of water with 1/2 tsp salt and boil until reduced to 2 cups.
Saute chicken, pork, potatoes, celery, carrots, snow peas and seasonings. Cook until done. Add garlic, prawns and 1 cup of prawn stock, and continue to cook until prawns are pink. Strain if necessary and set aside to cool..
Scoop 1 tbsp of mixture into a corner of the wrapper, and fold in left and right corners. Moisten ends with water to hold. Freeze.
Deep fry frozen lumpia until golden brown. Serve with Banana Ketchup (available in Asian markets) or Dipping Sauce.

Dipping Sauce

Mix 1/4 cup cider vinegar, 2 tbsp soy, and 3 cloves of minced garlic

Notes

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