By Request by Catherine Kekoa Enomoto

This is from a Star Bulletin article that appeared awhile back when my sister Didi's cookbook first came out.

Choose from A ton of fillings

DAVE A. e-mailed "Hi, I am away from home and I need a good recipe for won tons. Can you help?"

Cookbook author Deirdre "Dd" Kieko Todd features 20 recipes for won ton fillings in her recently released "Dd's Table Talk" (Morris Press, 1997, $24.95).

"You will not believe how close the Spam stuffing is to traditional won ton tastewise, because they both have pork," said Todd, a Kapiolani Community College food service graduate who serves as Liberty House food and beverage secretary in charge of banquets and catering.

Imaginative fillings include Asian vegetable, Thai-style, chili-cheese, Mexican, Tex Mex, crabmeat, surimi crab and Dad's (pork sausage). Also, kalua pig, poke, shrimp and pesto, garlic sour cream, lamb, Greek lamb, Greek-style, herbed ricotta, and pepperoni.

Todd said she freezes six to eight won tons in zip-lock bags for quickie meals for husband Glenn and herself -- fishcake dumplings to be slipped into boiling saimin, and lamb or shrimp/pesto won tons to be steamed for ravioli.

Her three-ring cookbook features eight chapters over 280 pages. The versatile collection of 788 recipes includes Big Batch Prune Apricot Mui, broccoli-aburage salad, Chinese barbecued pork with garlic sauce, Pat's Favorite Potato Mac Salad, mochi-mango bread, and five grilled-fish toppings.
Here's a trio of Dd's tasty won tons and a pair of her zesty dipping sauces for holiday grazing.

Won Ton/Gau Gee

Combine stuffing ingredients well. Place in the center of the won ton wrappers and fold to desired shape. Seal edges with a bit of water.

Cooking method 1: Deep fry until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
Method 2: Drop in boiling water or steam on an oiled steam basket until cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Method 3: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush mini-muffin cups with olive or sesame seed oil, depending on stuffing type.

Press won ton wrapper into each muffin cup; fill with generous tablespoon of preferred mixture.
Bake until wrapper edges begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet; bake 10 more minutes, until bottoms are crisp.

Each stuffing recipe fills 24 to 30 won ton pieces.

Spam Stuffing
12-ounce can Spam, grated

6-ounce can water-packed tuna, drained

8-ounce can water chestnuts, coarsely chopped

2 stalks green onion, chopped

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving with 30 pieces, fried or baked: 100 calories, 6 grams total fat, 2 grams saturated fat, 10 milligrams cholesterol, 210 milligrams sodium.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving with 30 pieces, boiled: 80 calories, 4 grams total fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 10 milligrams cholesterol, 210 milligrams sodium.

Shrimp Stuffing
1 pound shrimp, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup shiitake mushrooms, soaked, stemmed and sliced

1/4 cup water chestnuts, chopped

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped3 stalks green onion, chopped

1/2 carrot, grated (optional)

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

1 egg

1 tablespoon sesame seed oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon sugar

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving with 30 pieces, fried or baked: 80 calories, 3.5 grams total fat, 0.5 grams saturated fat, 35 milligrams cholesterol, 115 milligrams sodium.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving with 30 pieces, boiled: 60 calories, 1 gram total fat, no saturated fat, 35 milligrams cholesterol, 115 milligrams sodium.

Fishcake Stuffing
1/2 pound raw fishcake

1/2 pound ground pork

1/2 pound cooked ham, chopped

1/2 (8-ounce) can water chestnuts, chopped

4 stalks green onions, chopped

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated

1 egg

Salt and white pepper to taste

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving with 30 pieces, fried or baked: 100 calories, 6 grams total fat, 1.5 grams saturated fat, 20 milligrams cholesterol, 210 milligrams sodium.

Approximate nutritional analysis per serving with 30 pieces, boiled: 80 calories, 3.5 grams total fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 20 milligrams cholesterol, 210 milligrams sodium.

Chinese-Style Mustard
1/3 cup dry mustard

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
Combine all ingredients well.

Makes 1/3 cup.

Approximate nutritional analysis per 2 tablespoons: 80 calories, 4.5 grams total fat, no saturated fat, no cholesterol, 5 milligrams sodium.

Sweet and Sour Sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth

4 tablespoons white vinegar

4 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water

In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients except cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, then add cornstarch mixture, stirring until thickened. Makes 3/4 cup.

Approximate nutritional analysis per 2 tablespoons: 25 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, 210 milligrams sodium.