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| Soup dumplings, Russian-style -- meet khinkali - Photo by Wasabi Prime |
Showing posts with label Lunar New Year. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Lunar New Year. Show all posts
Monday, February 18, 2013
UnRecipe: Far East Meets Eastern Europe
Did you know there's an Eastern European version of the magical Chinese soup dumpling, aka, xiao long bao? And did you know the this version is way less of a pain in the be-hind to make from scratch? Forget Lunar New Year, I'm defecting to the land of Eastern Promises, where the dumplings are hearty and plentiful -- priviet, comrades!
Monday, January 23, 2012
UnRecipe: Enter the Dragon
I know we just rang in the new year on January first, but now you get to ring it in again, twice as loud, with three times the food. And I'm especially excited as it's literally my year, along with many other lucky little Dragons out there. It's Lunar New Year, and it's Year of the Dragon, baby!
I don't really do a big Chinese New Year celebration mostly because... well, I'm not Chinese (not that it matters), and it's usually just the Mister and myself for those several days of feasting, so a big multi-course meal for the two of us seems extravagant. But I try to do little things, like make homemade dumplings, just to get into the spirit of the season. I always go back to my staple, a copy of Andrea Nguyen's Asian Dumplings, a great cookbook that has several dumpling skin and dough recipes. She focuses on as much of the dough as the filling, and that's half the trick, having the dumpling itself be the right consistency and have flexibility to seal everything up soundly. A lot of dumpling books suggest using store-bought skins, which is fine in a pinch, but I was feeling the craving for pan-fried dumplings, called sheng jian baozi in Shanghai, similar to gyoza or potstickers in Japan. It's basically dumplings filled with meat and vegetables, wrapped in dough, sealed up into a pouch, then pan-fried. Gyoza tend to just have the bottom part of the dumpling browned, then steam-finished, with a little water put into the hot pan to help release the dumpling from the surface. The Chinese equivalent usually winds up being a rounded patty, seared on both sides in a hot pan.
I made a batch of the basic dumpling dough from Andrea's book and cooked up some leftover cabbage and vegetables I had in the fridge to stuff into each little dumpling. Yes, just vegetables, not even pork -- outrage, I know. I could have been more of a slave to the traditional filling, but the thing I like best about dumplings is the fact you can fill it with whatever you want, and it's the perfect solution for taking care of oddball vegetable scraps. Heaven knows we're still nibbling through a fridge full of oddball ingredients, and that included a lone bag of cole slaw vegetables. Don't ask why we had it, I didn't even remember why I bought it, but there it was, a wealth of shredded cabbage. Woo -- party!
While I could have stuffed my face all day with crispy pan-fried dumplings -- and don't get me wrong, I totally would if I could -- I made another dish full of vegetables. I love the Korean dish bibimbap, which is typically a combination of different vegetables and cooked meat, tossed in a spicy sauce, served over rice and topped with a marvelous fried egg. Yet another case of Put an Egg On It, but this logic is sound, because this logic is delicious, as the runny yolk just adds richness to the food. In a situation where you want a fast meal, bibimbap is one quick-fix that most people could throw together with things in their fridge and pantry. We had a variety of vegetables from our CSA box, I had some scraps of turkey, so I cooked everything up in a skillet and made a finishing sauce that included ko-chu-jang, a hot bean paste that you typically find at Asian markets, in the Korean foods section. It's seriously the bomb-diggety of flavor and I love using it. The salt content is scandalously high, but it's Asian food, so of course it's packed with sodium and likely MSG. But I don't care, I love this paste because just a little dab of it mixed into your stir fry will add a shot of savory as well as heat. I like black bean paste, which is more common in Chinese cooking, but it's got a deeper flavor and not the heat that I was looking for, so if I want a kick, I go with ko-chu-jang.
Definitely not a traditional way of celebrating Chinese New Year, more like Celebrating Year of the Wasabi, cooking up some things I like to eat. And it was a nice excuse to make a fresh batch of dumpling dough, a reminder that it's not that much extra work and you get so much more out of the result. The dough is more elastic, less likely to break if it's overstuffed (which I always do), and it cooks up beautifully, crisping in the pan but still staying tender and delicate. Regardless of whether or not you celebrate Lunar New Year, a new year is all about fresh starts, being ready to tackle new things and also continuing to find ways to celebrate the things we love, so this meal being a mix of old and new, was a good way to start the year on a good foot. To all those fellow Dragons out there, let's totally rock 2012!
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| Get your dumplings on, it's New Years! - Photo by Wasabi Prime |
I made a batch of the basic dumpling dough from Andrea's book and cooked up some leftover cabbage and vegetables I had in the fridge to stuff into each little dumpling. Yes, just vegetables, not even pork -- outrage, I know. I could have been more of a slave to the traditional filling, but the thing I like best about dumplings is the fact you can fill it with whatever you want, and it's the perfect solution for taking care of oddball vegetable scraps. Heaven knows we're still nibbling through a fridge full of oddball ingredients, and that included a lone bag of cole slaw vegetables. Don't ask why we had it, I didn't even remember why I bought it, but there it was, a wealth of shredded cabbage. Woo -- party!
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| Asian New Year for all - quick Korean style bibimbap - Photos by Wasabi Prime |
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| Celebrating the new year in little ways at the house of Wasabi - Happy 2012, Dragons! - Photos by Wasabi Prime |
Monday, February 7, 2011
OMG a Recipe: Tasty Lunar New Year Wishes
Last Thursday was the kickoff of the Lunar New Year, and I'm sure there were many feasts to be had. I didn't grow up celebrating Chinese New Year, beyond knowing what gung hay fat choi meant, and that the Chinatown in Los Angeles always threw a big, loud party. I'm also not Chinese, but that's beside the point, because in the end, isn't it nice to have another reason to celebrate a new year? Our edible ode to this Year of the Rabbit was less grand, more simply Asian-inspired, but I thought I'd share the little things that kicked off the new year, from January on through now.
One of the first things I made was more out of necessity than the Year of the Rabbit -- I used the ju bao or baked bun recipe from Andrea Nguyen's Asian Dumplings
cookbook. This has become one of my new favorite recipes, for its simple ingredients and versatility with different fillings. I've used the dough to stuff cooked meats and vegetables before baking, and also just baked it un-filled as little buns, then split to make it into rolls for Asian-style barbecue sliders. This time, I used it in a more traditional way, stuffing it with defrosted barbecue-style pork that I'd had in the freezer since the holidays, originally used for an Asian barbecue-style twist on a bahn-mi sandwich. I've been snacking on these little pork-filled buns, dipping in spicy chili paste and soy sauce to my heart's content. Or possible discontent, as I just got a cholesterol test done last week, so we'll see if this kind of eating will be the end of me.
Before February even strolled in, back in January I celebrated the new year Japanese-style, with typical shogatsu accoutrements like having mochi on the first day of the year and having soup with noodles. I didn't have the traditional mochi soup, a savory and simple broth that has a single plain rice cake set in the bottom of the bowl, but I do like the idea of starting out the first breakfast of the year with something a little lighter than fried eggs and bacon. I had my mochi as dessert and admittedly, I cheated, buying it ahead of time and cracking open the hermetically-sealed package on January 1st. But happy new year, nonetheless. Maybe it means 2011 will be wrapped in shrink wrap. And made in Taiwan.
Last week, it was less Lunar New Year and more mom's cooking that got me craving sweet and sour pork. I'm fairly certain this dish is about as traditional as General Tso's Chicken, but I do remember my mom making sweet and sour pork as one of her weekly mainstays. It was quick, not a lot of ingredients, and tasted good with rice -- the last item being a must in our household when I was growing up. Rice makes it nice. And yes, along with my cholesterol test, I had them test my blood sugar levels as well. Oy.
I did a more complicated twist on my mom's sweet and sour pork UnRecipe. I say UnRecipe because this was one of her usual dinners and after so many years of making it, I don't think she ever bothered to measure or keep track of exactly what was going in her version of the dish. I used pork shoulder and slow-cooked it for a day to help break down the fat and sinewy bits, as it's not a tender cut on its own. This adds extra cook time and the prep time can be cut down considerably by substituting with using a better cut of pork that cooks quickly, but I do like how the shoulder shreds up once it's slowly braised for hours. I used all dry powder seasonings just because when it's cooking for such a long time in the slow cooker, I don't really notice the difference between the fresh ingredients since it's all simmering away for so many hours and the flavors sort of run together.
Wasabi's Riff on Mama Wasabi's Sweet and Sour Pork
Ingredients for braising the meat - yes, you'll need a slow cooker/crock pot, it's just easier that way
2-3 lbs pork shoulder meat, cubed into large chunks
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons coriander powder
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon ginger powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon ground white pepper
Ingredients for the final cooking of the dish
2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped into large bite-sized chunks
1 large onion, sliced
3-2 cups of fresh pineapple, cut into large chunks
1/4 cup of fresh pineapple juice
1 tablespoon of canola oil
Take your slow cooker and add the cubed pork shoulder and all the seasonings into the crock, both wet and dry. Toss to coat evenly, cover with the lid and let it cook on the highest setting for 6 to 7 hours until meat is tender and can easily be cut with a fork. This is good to do first-thing in the morning or the night before.
When the pork is cooked, skim off excess fat, remove the pork and the sauce formed from the cooking and set aside. Get a large skillet or wok heated to medium high on the stove. Add the canola oil (or some of the skimmed pork fat) to coat the pan and start to saute the onion and bell peppers. Just cook until onion is starting to become translucent. Add the pork and the cooking sauce, toss to combine. Cook just until bell peppers are softenend, but not overcooked.
When everything is heated through, add the fresh pineapple chunks and pineapple juice. Turn off the heat so the pineapple chunks stay firm. Taste the sauce and add more rice wine vinegar or honey to modify the sweet or sour-ness of the dish to your taste. If the sauce is too loose, thicken by adding a cornstarch slurry, or leave it loose and serve over rice.
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| Leftovers never looked so fancy - Photo by Wasabi Prime |
One of the first things I made was more out of necessity than the Year of the Rabbit -- I used the ju bao or baked bun recipe from Andrea Nguyen's Asian Dumplings
cookbook. This has become one of my new favorite recipes, for its simple ingredients and versatility with different fillings. I've used the dough to stuff cooked meats and vegetables before baking, and also just baked it un-filled as little buns, then split to make it into rolls for Asian-style barbecue sliders. This time, I used it in a more traditional way, stuffing it with defrosted barbecue-style pork that I'd had in the freezer since the holidays, originally used for an Asian barbecue-style twist on a bahn-mi sandwich. I've been snacking on these little pork-filled buns, dipping in spicy chili paste and soy sauce to my heart's content. Or possible discontent, as I just got a cholesterol test done last week, so we'll see if this kind of eating will be the end of me.Before February even strolled in, back in January I celebrated the new year Japanese-style, with typical shogatsu accoutrements like having mochi on the first day of the year and having soup with noodles. I didn't have the traditional mochi soup, a savory and simple broth that has a single plain rice cake set in the bottom of the bowl, but I do like the idea of starting out the first breakfast of the year with something a little lighter than fried eggs and bacon. I had my mochi as dessert and admittedly, I cheated, buying it ahead of time and cracking open the hermetically-sealed package on January 1st. But happy new year, nonetheless. Maybe it means 2011 will be wrapped in shrink wrap. And made in Taiwan.
 |
| Celebrating the new year with tasty family favorites - Photos by Wasabi Prime |
Last week, it was less Lunar New Year and more mom's cooking that got me craving sweet and sour pork. I'm fairly certain this dish is about as traditional as General Tso's Chicken, but I do remember my mom making sweet and sour pork as one of her weekly mainstays. It was quick, not a lot of ingredients, and tasted good with rice -- the last item being a must in our household when I was growing up. Rice makes it nice. And yes, along with my cholesterol test, I had them test my blood sugar levels as well. Oy.
I did a more complicated twist on my mom's sweet and sour pork UnRecipe. I say UnRecipe because this was one of her usual dinners and after so many years of making it, I don't think she ever bothered to measure or keep track of exactly what was going in her version of the dish. I used pork shoulder and slow-cooked it for a day to help break down the fat and sinewy bits, as it's not a tender cut on its own. This adds extra cook time and the prep time can be cut down considerably by substituting with using a better cut of pork that cooks quickly, but I do like how the shoulder shreds up once it's slowly braised for hours. I used all dry powder seasonings just because when it's cooking for such a long time in the slow cooker, I don't really notice the difference between the fresh ingredients since it's all simmering away for so many hours and the flavors sort of run together.
Wasabi's Riff on Mama Wasabi's Sweet and Sour Pork
Ingredients for braising the meat - yes, you'll need a slow cooker/crock pot, it's just easier that way
2-3 lbs pork shoulder meat, cubed into large chunks
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
3 tablespoons coriander powder
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon ginger powder
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon ground white pepper
Ingredients for the final cooking of the dish
2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped into large bite-sized chunks
1 large onion, sliced
3-2 cups of fresh pineapple, cut into large chunks
1/4 cup of fresh pineapple juice
1 tablespoon of canola oil
Take your slow cooker and add the cubed pork shoulder and all the seasonings into the crock, both wet and dry. Toss to coat evenly, cover with the lid and let it cook on the highest setting for 6 to 7 hours until meat is tender and can easily be cut with a fork. This is good to do first-thing in the morning or the night before.
When the pork is cooked, skim off excess fat, remove the pork and the sauce formed from the cooking and set aside. Get a large skillet or wok heated to medium high on the stove. Add the canola oil (or some of the skimmed pork fat) to coat the pan and start to saute the onion and bell peppers. Just cook until onion is starting to become translucent. Add the pork and the cooking sauce, toss to combine. Cook just until bell peppers are softenend, but not overcooked.
When everything is heated through, add the fresh pineapple chunks and pineapple juice. Turn off the heat so the pineapple chunks stay firm. Taste the sauce and add more rice wine vinegar or honey to modify the sweet or sour-ness of the dish to your taste. If the sauce is too loose, thicken by adding a cornstarch slurry, or leave it loose and serve over rice.
Monday, February 22, 2010
UnRecipe: Happy Valentine's Day, Tiger
Yeah, yeah, I know -- it's not Valentine's Day, Rip Van Wasabi! True, but sometimes it takes a few days to get my shinola together after a busy week, so forgive the belated post to honor sweethearts and overpriced roses. The weekened celebrated Lunar New Year as well as heart-shaped lovey-doveyness, so the Prime prepared an Asian-inspired dinner for Mr. Wasabi: Sake Marinated Steak with Kimchee, Pork Dumpling Ravioli with Mushrooms, and Pork-filled Potstickers. For dessert, we had Coconut Vanilla Rice Cakes over Seared Mango Slices, drizzled with a Peanut and Coconut Sauce. But for the main "beauty shot" of the post, I'm showing all the leftovers shoved into a baked bun or ju bao, made from Andrea Nguyen's Asian Dumplings book.
It seemed like all signs were pointing towards a meal like this for Valentine's Day, as the Prime was fresh off the delicious high from the luncheon hosted by Monsoon East, for Andrea Nguyen's book. I have to admit much Epic Shame that I didn't make the dumpling skins from scratch, even after her very easy tutorial over how to make them, and the fact that I had the book in-hand. I had already bought a package of premade wrappers and just promised myself, "next time, I swear." I made a filling that was used in all the dumplings, which included ground pork, chopped mushrooms and peppers, garlic and ginger. Not a typical mix, but I had made the mistake of getting mushrooms from Costco and if of course meant I had to put 'shrooms in everything that week to use them up. I hate letting food go to waste -- you know how I roll.
I used the large package of dumpling wrappers to practice a few different shapes. Everything was cooked the same way, potsticker-style -- seared in a pan with oil, add a bit of water, cover to steam, and hopefully you don't eat them all before they get plated. I had mixed results with the open-topped pork-stuffed satchel-shaped dumplings. I didn't use enough oil, so many just stuck and had to be torn up and scraped out of the pan -- FAIL! But they were still cooked and edible, so they became ugly lunch for the following week. But lesson learned, either use a nonstick pan with a little oil or just add more oil and let our arteries figure it out later.
The flank steak was marinated in a mixture of seasonings and sake, which gave it a nice hint of sweetness. Seared and left to rest, the pan was deglazed with kimchee, and served together. With the different-shaped dumplings and the kimchee beef, it was defnitely a pretty dinner to have for Valentine's Day. All the flavors were fairly similar between the three options, since I used a lot of the same ingredients, but after taking so long to take the photos of the food, we were too hungry to be picky about flavor profiles and just ATE.
For dessert, I had been inspired by the pancakes served at Wild Ginger for brunch -- spongey flapjacks with a peanut and coconut sauce. I wanted to do something similar, so I made a batch of rice, steamed in coconut milk and vanilla, with a bit of sugar. It was pressed in a mold to form compact little squares which were then oiled and pan-fried to give a nice crispnness to the outside. Fresh mango slices were seared and the cakes were placed over the fruit, sprinkled with toasted macadamia nuts and more mango chunks, and a sauce of brown sugar, coconut milk and peanut butter was poured over. It kind of made me think that Elvis would have liked it, as it was reminiscent of his famed cravings for peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Just call it an Elvis Goes Hawaii dessert. It was a nice mix of sweet, fresh, and a little savory.
As for the ju bao, this was both a solution for finishing off the leftover dumpling filling and penance for using store-bought wrappers. No, no, I shouldn't say penance, because that implies it was a chore to make the dough -- it totally wasn't and the results are worth the effort! It was simple enough to make, although I'm a clumsy baker, so I had to add more flour to keep the dough from being too sticky. It didn't affect the final result, as the finished pork-filled buns were a heavenly bite of springy dough and a crisp outer shell. I made giant-sized ones because I knew they would be like ready-to-eat meals and added a little flourish of sesame seeds on top -- kind of makes it look like a fluffy hamburger bun. The dough is simple enough to make and neutral in flavor to where you could fill it with anything. It makes for a great solution of getting rid of any odd leftover bits that aren't enough for a full portion.
This was the 10th Valentine's Day for Mr. Wasabi and I, and we've never gone out for a Valentine's dinner. I'm certainly not sad about it, as we've always liked making it a more personal holiday instead of going out and being in a busy restaurant where everyone else is there for the same reason. The first Valentine's Day, Brock took the whole day off from work and made an amazing meal, with a big bouquet of roses waiting for me. A couple of years ago, he literally made a portrait of me out of different kinds of chocolate, and put it on a creme brulee -- for reals! I don't think I can ever match some of his amazing and thoughtful Valentine's Day capers, but the 14th definitely makes me thankful for his sweet, creative heart.
book. |
| I made fresh bao - just call me YoSaffBridge! - Photo by Wasabi Prime |
It seemed like all signs were pointing towards a meal like this for Valentine's Day, as the Prime was fresh off the delicious high from the luncheon hosted by Monsoon East, for Andrea Nguyen's book. I have to admit much Epic Shame that I didn't make the dumpling skins from scratch, even after her very easy tutorial over how to make them, and the fact that I had the book in-hand. I had already bought a package of premade wrappers and just promised myself, "next time, I swear." I made a filling that was used in all the dumplings, which included ground pork, chopped mushrooms and peppers, garlic and ginger. Not a typical mix, but I had made the mistake of getting mushrooms from Costco and if of course meant I had to put 'shrooms in everything that week to use them up. I hate letting food go to waste -- you know how I roll.
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| Hello, my little dumplings! Photos by Wasabi Prime |
I used the large package of dumpling wrappers to practice a few different shapes. Everything was cooked the same way, potsticker-style -- seared in a pan with oil, add a bit of water, cover to steam, and hopefully you don't eat them all before they get plated. I had mixed results with the open-topped pork-stuffed satchel-shaped dumplings. I didn't use enough oil, so many just stuck and had to be torn up and scraped out of the pan -- FAIL! But they were still cooked and edible, so they became ugly lunch for the following week. But lesson learned, either use a nonstick pan with a little oil or just add more oil and let our arteries figure it out later.
The flank steak was marinated in a mixture of seasonings and sake, which gave it a nice hint of sweetness. Seared and left to rest, the pan was deglazed with kimchee, and served together. With the different-shaped dumplings and the kimchee beef, it was defnitely a pretty dinner to have for Valentine's Day. All the flavors were fairly similar between the three options, since I used a lot of the same ingredients, but after taking so long to take the photos of the food, we were too hungry to be picky about flavor profiles and just ATE.
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| Like rice pudding, on crack! - Photo by Wasabi Prime |
For dessert, I had been inspired by the pancakes served at Wild Ginger for brunch -- spongey flapjacks with a peanut and coconut sauce. I wanted to do something similar, so I made a batch of rice, steamed in coconut milk and vanilla, with a bit of sugar. It was pressed in a mold to form compact little squares which were then oiled and pan-fried to give a nice crispnness to the outside. Fresh mango slices were seared and the cakes were placed over the fruit, sprinkled with toasted macadamia nuts and more mango chunks, and a sauce of brown sugar, coconut milk and peanut butter was poured over. It kind of made me think that Elvis would have liked it, as it was reminiscent of his famed cravings for peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Just call it an Elvis Goes Hawaii dessert. It was a nice mix of sweet, fresh, and a little savory.
As for the ju bao, this was both a solution for finishing off the leftover dumpling filling and penance for using store-bought wrappers. No, no, I shouldn't say penance, because that implies it was a chore to make the dough -- it totally wasn't and the results are worth the effort! It was simple enough to make, although I'm a clumsy baker, so I had to add more flour to keep the dough from being too sticky. It didn't affect the final result, as the finished pork-filled buns were a heavenly bite of springy dough and a crisp outer shell. I made giant-sized ones because I knew they would be like ready-to-eat meals and added a little flourish of sesame seeds on top -- kind of makes it look like a fluffy hamburger bun. The dough is simple enough to make and neutral in flavor to where you could fill it with anything. It makes for a great solution of getting rid of any odd leftover bits that aren't enough for a full portion.
This was the 10th Valentine's Day for Mr. Wasabi and I, and we've never gone out for a Valentine's dinner. I'm certainly not sad about it, as we've always liked making it a more personal holiday instead of going out and being in a busy restaurant where everyone else is there for the same reason. The first Valentine's Day, Brock took the whole day off from work and made an amazing meal, with a big bouquet of roses waiting for me. A couple of years ago, he literally made a portrait of me out of different kinds of chocolate, and put it on a creme brulee -- for reals! I don't think I can ever match some of his amazing and thoughtful Valentine's Day capers, but the 14th definitely makes me thankful for his sweet, creative heart.
Monday, February 15, 2010
FoodTrek: Demystifying Dumplings With Andrea Nguyen
You just want to hug Andrea Nguyen. Personable, funny and boisterous, she’s like a favorite auntie who let you drive the car when no one was looking, baked cookies at midnight while you watched old movies together, and brought unforgettable enthusiasm into everything she did. In a word – you learned. Food writer and James Beard nominee Andrea Nguyen brought her energetic method of education to Bellevue’s Monsoon East, to share tips from her new cookbook, Asian Dumplings, over a delicious meal of Vietnamese-style dumplings, prepared with loving skill by Monsoon East’s kitchen.
Celebrating the cookbook and Lunar New Year, this luncheon presented several delicious dumplings, paired with exquisite teas, to showcase the versatility of carbohydrates and starches, combined to form a multitude of textures and sensations. Paging through her beautifully written and photographed book, Asian Dumplings, it can seem almost daunting to attempt the seemingly exotic recipes, but Nguyen emphasizes the fact that dumplings themselves are a global phenomena, whether it’s in the form of ravioli, pelmeni, or the basic comfort of a chicken n’ dumpling soup. The process of making the dough and filling it with a bit of meat or vegetables is a universal thing, born of necessity versus gourmet inclinations, and while cultures differ in their process and ingredients, its intent has always been to make it a simple, humble meal. Andrea Nguyen wants to lift the veil and demystify these dishes, that while it’s easy enough to go out and have expert hands create perfect little parcels of deliciousness, it’s just as conceivable to learn the basics behind these creations, and do what many beloved grandmothers and favorite aunties have done for generations.
When it comes to cooking Asian meals, Nguyen pointed out the fact that we are far more blessed now in our grocery stores than we were not long ago. Something as basic as fresh ginger root or multiple choices of soy sauce wasn’t always available in basic stores. My own parents can attest to this, as my father used to raid the scant supplies of soy milk at neighborhood Lucky's Market, because of my lactose intolerance as a baby (cursed genetics!). Now, it’s more like, which soy milk flavor does one choose from the two rows of options? Andrea Nguyen carefully chose her ingredient list for her book based on what most grocery stores have, plus she includes shortcuts and “Lazy Day Tips” to further emphasize her goal to make these dishes accessible to every kitchen. Her personable writing voice also makes everything seem possible -- in one side note of her book, when she makes the suggestion to plan your own dumpling party, she advises for the party host to not make all the dumplings fresh on the day of the event, as “…this will only make you grumpy.” Wiser words have never spoken.
Since this was a festive event, Monsoon East spared no flourish to truly give each dumpling something special, with the loving blessing of a taste of home. Guests were treated to sticky rice with mung bean paste and pork, wrapped in several banana leaves and boiled overnight, creating a large log-shaped dumpling, served in slices, and sprinkled with fine cubes of a mortadella-like Vietnamese pork sausage, taking on the fragrance of the banana leaf and the delicate savory filling. A dessert version of this dish was also served, with banana in the center, turning a saturated red hue from the low heat, and drizzled with rich coconut milk and a basil syrup.
A perfect orb of tapioca pearl dough, filled with shrimp and taro were presented in a pool of tart, savory broth, eliciting many comments that it was almost too perfect to eat. Okay, almost too perfect, as this playful dish was happily enjoyed and a favorite of many guests. A familiar wonton, fried golden and crisp, sprinkled with shavings of green onion, had a lovely, satisfying crunch. My personal favorite was the crepe-like sheet of rice batter, wrapped around Kurobuta pork shoulder and mushrooms, over a bed of bean sprouts and herbs, with more matchstick-thin slices of the Vietnamese sausage sprinkled over the little oblong-shaped dumplings.
Monsoon East’s beautiful food made it a tough act to follow, making one wonder if they could make something with such precision and flavor complexity, but ever the teacher, Andrea Nguyen shared a tutorial over the basics behind making dumpling skins from scratch, and how easy it can be. Granted, because of the wide array of Asian ingredients in stores, people can buy them, but Nguyen brought up the point that unless it’s an Asian market where you can buy the skins freshly made, chances are the pre-packaged items will be too old and rubbery, plus she stressed that how once you make this simple dough from scratch and sample its chewy, toothy texture, it will be difficult to imagine buying premade dumpling skins again. Water, unbleached flour, a pinch of salt, an egg, and cornstarch for dusting are all that’s needed to make the dough to form any number of wontons or spring roll dumplings. Mixed in a food processor to form a ball and left to rest, Nguyen explains that forming the small discs of dough can be easily done with a small wooden dowel and a tortilla press. She explained that by having the fresh dough, creating a seal is easier, as no water will be required as the glue, plus the dough will have more flexibility, therefore more forgiving of overfilling. Nguyen went through a quick tutorial over the different styles of folding dumplings, which are also shown in straightforward illustrations in her book, but stressed that it doesn’t have to be perfect, as no matter what the shape, it will still taste delicious and twice as satisfying knowing you made it yourself.
It was an inspiring experience, sampling the delicate flavors and textures of the Vietnamese-style dishes prepared by Monsoon East, as well as listening to Andrea Nguyen share the gospel of the humble, yet revered dumpling. Her book, Asian Dumplings, is both educational and a reminder that food doesn’t have to have an ivory tower mystique about it – these are foods that have been prepared for generations of people, by many with no formal training, simply a shared love of food and family. This is a great lesson to take away from the growing movement to make cooking more accessible again, reconnecting people to the ingredients and their own kitchens.
A great Wasabi Thanks to Andrea Nguyen for both her book and her inspiration to get me out of the habit of buying pre-made dumpling wrappers, Sophie and Eric Banh for hosting and preparing the amazing meal at Monsoon East, the team at Gruman & Nicoll for organizing such a lovely event, and special Wasabi thanks and appreciation to all the fantastic foodies, bloggers, writers, and Tweeters I got to meet at the event.
, over a delicious meal of Vietnamese-style dumplings, prepared with loving skill by Monsoon East’s kitchen. |
| Happy Lunar New Year! Eat up! - Photos by Wasabi Prime |
Celebrating the cookbook and Lunar New Year, this luncheon presented several delicious dumplings, paired with exquisite teas, to showcase the versatility of carbohydrates and starches, combined to form a multitude of textures and sensations. Paging through her beautifully written and photographed book, Asian Dumplings,
it can seem almost daunting to attempt the seemingly exotic recipes, but Nguyen emphasizes the fact that dumplings themselves are a global phenomena, whether it’s in the form of ravioli, pelmeni, or the basic comfort of a chicken n’ dumpling soup. The process of making the dough and filling it with a bit of meat or vegetables is a universal thing, born of necessity versus gourmet inclinations, and while cultures differ in their process and ingredients, its intent has always been to make it a simple, humble meal. Andrea Nguyen wants to lift the veil and demystify these dishes, that while it’s easy enough to go out and have expert hands create perfect little parcels of deliciousness, it’s just as conceivable to learn the basics behind these creations, and do what many beloved grandmothers and favorite aunties have done for generations.When it comes to cooking Asian meals, Nguyen pointed out the fact that we are far more blessed now in our grocery stores than we were not long ago. Something as basic as fresh ginger root or multiple choices of soy sauce wasn’t always available in basic stores. My own parents can attest to this, as my father used to raid the scant supplies of soy milk at neighborhood Lucky's Market, because of my lactose intolerance as a baby (cursed genetics!). Now, it’s more like, which soy milk flavor does one choose from the two rows of options? Andrea Nguyen carefully chose her ingredient list for her book based on what most grocery stores have, plus she includes shortcuts and “Lazy Day Tips” to further emphasize her goal to make these dishes accessible to every kitchen. Her personable writing voice also makes everything seem possible -- in one side note of her book, when she makes the suggestion to plan your own dumpling party, she advises for the party host to not make all the dumplings fresh on the day of the event, as “…this will only make you grumpy.” Wiser words have never spoken.
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| Rice batter, wrapped around pork and mushrooms - my favorite for the day. Photo by Wasabi Prime |
Since this was a festive event, Monsoon East spared no flourish to truly give each dumpling something special, with the loving blessing of a taste of home. Guests were treated to sticky rice with mung bean paste and pork, wrapped in several banana leaves and boiled overnight, creating a large log-shaped dumpling, served in slices, and sprinkled with fine cubes of a mortadella-like Vietnamese pork sausage, taking on the fragrance of the banana leaf and the delicate savory filling. A dessert version of this dish was also served, with banana in the center, turning a saturated red hue from the low heat, and drizzled with rich coconut milk and a basil syrup.
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| Sweet and savory banana-wrapped logs of sticky rice - Photos by Wasabi Prime |
A perfect orb of tapioca pearl dough, filled with shrimp and taro were presented in a pool of tart, savory broth, eliciting many comments that it was almost too perfect to eat. Okay, almost too perfect, as this playful dish was happily enjoyed and a favorite of many guests. A familiar wonton, fried golden and crisp, sprinkled with shavings of green onion, had a lovely, satisfying crunch. My personal favorite was the crepe-like sheet of rice batter, wrapped around Kurobuta pork shoulder and mushrooms, over a bed of bean sprouts and herbs, with more matchstick-thin slices of the Vietnamese sausage sprinkled over the little oblong-shaped dumplings.
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| Pretty as a pearl - tapioca pearl dumpling. Photo by Wasabi Prime |
Monsoon East’s beautiful food made it a tough act to follow, making one wonder if they could make something with such precision and flavor complexity, but ever the teacher, Andrea Nguyen shared a tutorial over the basics behind making dumpling skins from scratch, and how easy it can be. Granted, because of the wide array of Asian ingredients in stores, people can buy them, but Nguyen brought up the point that unless it’s an Asian market where you can buy the skins freshly made, chances are the pre-packaged items will be too old and rubbery, plus she stressed that how once you make this simple dough from scratch and sample its chewy, toothy texture, it will be difficult to imagine buying premade dumpling skins again. Water, unbleached flour, a pinch of salt, an egg, and cornstarch for dusting are all that’s needed to make the dough to form any number of wontons or spring roll dumplings. Mixed in a food processor to form a ball and left to rest, Nguyen explains that forming the small discs of dough can be easily done with a small wooden dowel and a tortilla press. She explained that by having the fresh dough, creating a seal is easier, as no water will be required as the glue, plus the dough will have more flexibility, therefore more forgiving of overfilling. Nguyen went through a quick tutorial over the different styles of folding dumplings, which are also shown in straightforward illustrations in her book, but stressed that it doesn’t have to be perfect, as no matter what the shape, it will still taste delicious and twice as satisfying knowing you made it yourself.
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| DIY dumpling skin tutorial - you can DO it! - Photos by Wasabi Prime |
It was an inspiring experience, sampling the delicate flavors and textures of the Vietnamese-style dishes prepared by Monsoon East, as well as listening to Andrea Nguyen share the gospel of the humble, yet revered dumpling. Her book, Asian Dumplings,
is both educational and a reminder that food doesn’t have to have an ivory tower mystique about it – these are foods that have been prepared for generations of people, by many with no formal training, simply a shared love of food and family. This is a great lesson to take away from the growing movement to make cooking more accessible again, reconnecting people to the ingredients and their own kitchens.  |
| Beautiful tea paired with delicious food - Photo by Wasabi Prime |
A great Wasabi Thanks to Andrea Nguyen for both her book and her inspiration to get me out of the habit of buying pre-made dumpling wrappers, Sophie and Eric Banh for hosting and preparing the amazing meal at Monsoon East, the team at Gruman & Nicoll for organizing such a lovely event, and special Wasabi thanks and appreciation to all the fantastic foodies, bloggers, writers, and Tweeters I got to meet at the event.
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