taro root & pork spring rolls

I think I was terrified of frying. It seems like all the stories of houses burning down are from ubiquitous pots of oil on the stove left unattended. I am getting over it, however, because it is so very worth it. And sure, I can see how an oil fire could scare anyone off. But after you've fried a few times, it's really not so bad or so terrifying. Potentially messy, a tad greasy, sure. The results though, are definitely worth the clean up. I don't leave the stove unattended, so I'm pretty certain I'm covered there. Fingers crossed! These spring rolls are incredibly mouth-watering. They are a little salty and a little sweet, and when dipped in the dipping sauce, even a little spicy. Okay, so they are downright irresistible. I had tasted taro root before, but I didn't know the flavour until a couple awesome students I teach introduced me to spring rolls with taro root inside. I was enamoured, and couldn't stop eating. It's a good thing they said that I get extra "for the baby". I purchased the root at T&T market in Calgary, and it came already peeled. Apparently it can get quite slippery if you are peeling it yourself, so be careful! A package of small spring roll wrappers can be found in the freezer section of many markets. Add 3 cloves of minced garlic to a large bowl, this makes a LOT of spring rolls. You might want to call a few friends or even freeze a portion of the filling. Using the grating attachment on the food processor, or by hand, finely grate the taro root and add it to the bowl. Then grate an onion, and don't cry, it will be worth it! Grated carrot adds a bit of sweetness, and a heck of a lot of colour. Once you've added the ground pork, fish sauce, sugar, ground pepper, and salt, you are ready to start making the scrumptious packages. Lay a couple tablespoons of filling across the widest portion, and then fold across the nearest corners. Next, you will need to roll the wrapper snugly against the filling. The remaining edge needs a little dab of beaten egg white to help seal everything tightly inside. If the spring rolls don't have you licking your lips, this tangy dipping sauce will. Taro Root and Pork Spring Rolls Filling: 3 cloves of minced garlic 4 cups of shredded peeled taro root 3 cups of shredded carrot ( 4 medium sized carrots) 1 cup of shredded onion (1 medium onion) 1 lb of lean ground pork 1 tbsp of fish sauce 1 tbsp of granulated white sugar 1 tsp of kosher salt 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 package of 25 spring roll wrappers, defrosted if frozen 1 egg white canola oil, enough to cover at least one inch of the bottom of the pot 1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the garlic. taro, carrot, onion, pork, fish sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper. 2. Beat the egg white, and set aside with a pastry brush. 3. Open the package of spring roll wrappers, and cover with a damp towel. 4. In a deep-sided saute pan or dutch oven, heat the canola oil to 365 degrees Fahrenheit. 5. Place a couple tablespoons of filling into each wrapper. Close in the ends of the length of the wrapper, and roll up nearly the rest of it. Leave the final corner to be sealed by the beaten egg whites. Set aside until ready to fry. 6. Using tongs, place a couple spring rolls into the oil. Be careful not to add too many, or the temperature of the oil will dip too low, and you'll have greasy spring rolls. Continue to fry them until they are deeply golden brown, then they are ready to be removed to paper towels on a rack. Let cool at least a couple minutes. Serve quickly. Spring Roll Dipping Sauce 1 tbsp fish sauce 1/4 cup yellow/brown sugar 2 tbsp hot water 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice 1 tbsp sambal oelek 1. Dissolve the brown sugar in the hot water. Whisk together with the remaining ingredients. Serve along side the spring rolls.