Italy has ravioli, while Poland has pierogi and Spain has Empanadas. Nearly every culture has a dish that involves a dough of some sort stuffed with something and baked, boiled or fried.

A traditional food in China, the wonton was viewed by ancient Chinese as a sealed stuffed bun without holes and therefore was named "Huidun" (meaning chaos). It was later called "wonton" in line with the formation rule of Chinese characters.

They are paper-thin squares or circles of dough made from flour, water, eggs and salt. In Asia, they are used top make potstickers, eggrolls, dumplings and many other dishes. Just by grabbing a Chinese take-out menu, I can find Egg Rolls, Crab Puffs, Fried Wonton and Wonton Soup, just to name a few. Thanks to modern groceries, wonton wrappers can be purchased in several varieties - from round to square. They will last in the refrigerator for a week or can be frozen for up to two month.

Our recipes this month utilize Wonton wrappers in two unique ways, utilizing two of the most common cooking techniques. The first - we use as an alternative to ravioli dough. I find it to be much easier than mixing, kneading and rolling out dough. Keep in mind, however, that wonton skins are typically much thinner than a traditional ravioli. In this particular dish, thin is exactly what I was going for, so it worked beautifully. They are filled with a prosciutto and veal mixture, then boiled and served with a sage broth. The second utilizes the baked method with a delicious, refreshing dessert.