I think I’m taking a liking to random fancy shots with my little point-n-shoot. Though, really, its just getting really close and taking them at an angle. I’m going to need new approaches soon or it’s going to get old real quick.



Ready to be boiled dumplings!

This week’s theme was Chinese cooking and so I thought I’d get a head start this time, so I wouldn’t be so rushed at the end of the week. I was out by the Asian supermarket over the weekend, so I picked up the ingredients to the dish I was originally going to make on Monday, mapo tofu. Then of course, I got home way to late to start dinner so it was pushed back to tonight. Then of course I get a request for dumplings in the last post’s comments (thanks Matt!), so I, of course, have to oblige. Lucky for me, I could actually make dumplings with the ingredients I picked up, I just had to stop by the store and pick up wrappers.

I have always loved dumplings as a child. Usually my parents would buy the frozen ones cause that’s just so much easier and quicker, but every so often, they would make it from scratch (from the dough to the filling) and that was quite the treat! I usually stick to the frozen ones myself cause it’s just easier to boil water and pour them in, and really, they’re not that bad. But for this challenge, I have made them from scratch, except the dough, cause I really don’t have that much time.



First up, the filling. Take the ingredients below and just mix them all up. Gonna have to get those hands in there! 1 lb. ground pork (though any ground meat will be ok)

1-2 tablespoons of soy sauce (I had light soy sauce on hand, so I went for the 2 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon of salt

1-2 teaspoons of white pepper

a few drops of sesame oil

a pinch of sugar

3 heads of bok choy, leaves chopped up (this can really be any veggie chopped up, I had the bok choy on hand since I was pairing that with the mapo tofu, so I took the leaves and chopped them up and mixed them in)

The next part is long and tedious. Take about a tablespoon, a little less, and place it in the center of a wrapper. Then with some water (I usually just keep a bowl of water next to me for this), get the edges moist and then fold the wrapper in half. I had my roommate help with this part as you can see, he didn’t care about making the ridges.

I hope you had your water boiling, otherwise you’ll have to wait for it now. Toss in the dumplings, but not all of them, I usually toss in a plateful at a time. Then as the water returns to a boil, pour in 1 cup of cold water. Repeat this 3 times and your dumplings should be done (take one out and cut it in half to make sure)!

Take them out! I am not one for presentation as you can see. The sauce is just some soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, and a little bit of sesame oil.

Enjoy!

Next week is soups! I loooooooooooove soups!

I’ll try to post some 100 List items in between though, I got 2 to catch up on.