Quest for old recipe generates readers’ help

Last week I introduced Darren Asato and his quest to find an old recipe of his mother’s — one that she’d gotten on a recipe card handed out at a supermarket some 40 years ago.

The two of us threw a Hail Mary, thinking that just maybe someone out there still had that card.

I really didn’t think we’d get lucky, but within two days of publication, three people emailed the recipe. The recipes were identical, but each came with its own story.

Dee Kamidoi wrote that her own mother collected recipes from supermarkets. “She has since passed but I was fortunate enough to have her recipe book.”

Betsy Kikuchi said she used the original recipe card often. “My card got so dirty I copied it onto another paper.”

Jean Bart sent a picture of the original card. Like the others — and Asato — she doesn’t know which market it came from. Maybe Times, she said, or Foodland.

OK, so what’s the dish? Won bok leaves stuffed with ground pork and steamed, with a sweet-sour sauce.

Asato remembers it being baked but concedes that his mother may have made adjustments.

Anyway, I don’t think we’re going to get any closer than this.

Sweet-Sour Won Bok Rolls

• 1-1/2 pounds ground pork
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onion
• 1/4 cup chopped water chestnuts
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce, divided
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 12 won bok leaves, blanched
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tablespoons vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Combine pork, green onion, water chestnuts, egg, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and salt; mix well. Place 1/4 cup filling on each won bok leaf; roll.

Place rolls in skillet; add water and bring to simmer. Cook 45 minutes, covered.

Arrange rolls on serving platter. Combine remaining soy sauce and rest of ingredients; add to liquid in skillet. Simmer until gravy thickens, stirring constantly. Pour over rolls. Serves 6.

Approximate nutritional information, per serving: 370 calories, 25 g total fat, 9 g saturated fat, 115 mg cholesterol, greater than 1,300 mg sodium, 13 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 9 g sugar, 22 g protein.

Two final notes: I thought finding the original recipe was such a long shot that I came up with a baked version of my own that’s a little different from this one. Subscribers to our website can find it here.

And many thanks to Kamidoi, Kikuchi and Bart. They’ll each receive a cookbook for their assistance and good memories.

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