Not Redneck Eggrolls

Mushroom leek spring rolls, a recipe from Ming Tsai's Blue Ginger restaurant, are a family favorite.

Last week at the beach, I saw a sign outside a seafood restaurant heralding "redneck egg rolls." I didn't stop to investigate (like a good food blogger should've), but I hear they involve collards, ham and seafood.

We don't eat out at the little NC beach we visit yearly, forgoing redneck egg rolls and previously frozen, deep-fried clam strips to cook at home with the wonderful local seafood and farm produce.

Case in point, the night before spotting that sign, my dad had prepared a batch of mushroom leek spring rolls with mint dipping sauce, one of his go-to recipes for entertaining.

Spring roll prep.

Give the man a celeb-chef cookbook, and it's not destined for a dusty shelf. He's cooking out of it. And he's been making these delicious rolls since he got Ming Tsai's Blue Ginger cookbook years ago. They fry up beautifully in not much oil and pack just a bit of warmth from fresh ginger and serrano chiles.

You can find the recipe for Ming Tsai's mushroom leek spring rolls here.