ONE OF THE GREAT THINGS ABOUT COOKING FOR YOURSELF IS THAT YOU CAN HAVE ANYTHING ON THE MENU WITHOUT A CARE AS TO WHETHER IT REALLY MAKES A “MEAL,” OR WOULD SATISFY SOMEONE ELSE’S APPETITE.  YOU CAN ALSO SLOW-WATCH IDRIS ELBA ALL NIGHT IF THAT’S WHAT YOU WANT TO DO!  IF YOU HAVE AN URGE FOR CRAB RANGOON, THEN HAVE CRAB RANGOON FOR DINNER. ON A SATURDAY NIGHT WHEN I WAS WATCHING AN IDRIS ELBA MARATHON, I DID NOT WANT A BIG MEAL. BUT IT WAS FUN TO PUT TOGETHER THESE POLYNESIAN APPETIZERS WHILE I BINGE WATCHED “HIJACK,” ON APPLETV. THE WONTONS FRIED UP PERFECTLY – CRISP AND GOLDEN AND CRUNCHY!  THEY WERE BETTER THAN ANY RENDITION AT ANY CHINESE RESTAURANT I HAVE EVER HAD.  ALTHOUGH THEY WERE WONDERFUL WASHED DOWN WITH ROSE CHAMPAGNE, A FRUITY RUMMY TIKI DRINK WOULD HAVE BEEN EQUALLY APPROPRIATE! OH, WELL, NEXT TIME!

According to Wikipedia: Crab Rangoon was on the menu of the “Polynesian-style” restaurant Trader Vic’s in San Francisco since at least 1956.  Although the appetizer has the name of a Burmese city, the dish was probably invented in the United States by Joe Young working under Victor Bergeron, founder of Trader Vic’s.  A “Rangoon crab a la Jack” was mentioned as a dish at a Hawaiian-style party in 1952, but without further detail, and so may or may not be the same thing.  Although cream cheese was a staple of 1940s and 1950s American cuisine, it is not found in Chinese or Burmese cuisine.

I love Polynesian style restaurants and tiki bars!  Generally, the focus is on exotic rum based drinks in colorful mugs or communal bowls.  See, for example, the rum punch called Marilyn in Jamaica on this web site.  That would be a fun drink to have while preparing and consuming these little savory and sweet Polynesian inspired crab puffs.

AND JUST BECAUSE I WAS WATCHING IDRIS ELBA WHEN I MADE THESE, HERE IS A PICTURE OF HIM.  HE IS NICE TO LOOK AT, ISN’T HE?

SOMETIMES IT ISN’T THAT AN ACTOR OR ACTRESS IS THAT HANDSOME OR BEAUTIFUL… IT’S MORE BECAUSE THEY HAVE SOMETHING, A SWAGGER OR AN ATTITUDE, THAT MAKES THEM SO INTERESTING TO WATCH.  IDRIS ELBA IS ONE OF THOSE ACTORS. (WELL, HE IS INCREDIBLY GOOD LOOKING). HE SAVED “HIJACK” FROM AN OTHERWISE RELENTLESSLY BORING SEVEN HOUR ORDEAL OF A MINISERIES. I WOULD WATCH HIM IN ANYTHING!