Dumplings
February 20th, 2006 | Published in Food, Recipes | 6 Comments
I love dumplings. All kinds, really, but in this particular instance I’m talking about Chinese dumplings — little plump pillows of pork and napa cabbage, or beef and celery, or mushrooms and shrimp. It’s one of those foods I love so much it seems I can eat an infinite amount of them — one after another, dipped in a mix of vinegar, soy, and chilis.
Today I decided to trying making my own for the first time. I wasn’t going to, because I’ve never been able to find the pre-made packaged wonton wrappers that seem to be the key to keeping them simple (making my own dumpling wrappers has crossed my mind, but that seems like a lot more effort than I’m likely to put in regularly). Inspired by a silly Texan, however, I decided to venture forth into the world (by which I mean “to the other grocery store 4 bus stops up the street”) to see if I could find any.
And I did. Glee!
So, armed with a packet of wrappers and a recipe, I gave it a shot.
The result? 60 somewhat-oddly-shaped but omg-they-look-awesome little pillows of hopefully-joy. I took a picture:
Making these was a lot easier and more fun than I expected. If they work out (ie: taste good, don’t kill us, and don’t fall apart completely when cooking), then I anticipate a lot of dumpling-making in my future. Mm.
My next trick might be making my own roasted butternut squash and goat cheese ravioli, since I know where I can buy sheets of fresh pasta.
Cooking is totally fun.
Update! The dumplings are insanely yummy. Holy crap.
February 20th, 2006 at 8:27 pm (#)
FYI Preston Hardware (Italian-Canadian owned and operated) has a very good selection of pasta makers and shapers – many of them for making various types of (Italian) dumplings. And most of them are pretty cheap.
Incidentally they also have a better selection of brewing supplies than most brew shops in town. And an excellent selection of Italian cookware otherwise not available in the city (though much of it is $$$)
February 20th, 2006 at 8:27 pm (#)
FYI Preston Hardware (Italian-Canadian owned and operated) has a very good selection of pasta makers and shapers – many of them for making various types of (Italian) dumplings. And most of them are pretty cheap.
Incidentally they also have a better selection of brewing supplies than most brew shops in town. And an excellent selection of Italian cookware otherwise not available in the city (though much of it is $$$)
February 21st, 2006 at 12:23 pm (#)
the dumplings *were* yummy. Magically yummy. With the dipping and the sauces… Just like Mei Ling used to make…
Alan: Preston Hardware’s a good store. I haven’t been in there in awhile but they have a lot of stuff crammed into a not very large space.
February 21st, 2006 at 12:23 pm (#)
the dumplings *were* yummy. Magically yummy. With the dipping and the sauces… Just like Mei Ling used to make…
Alan: Preston Hardware’s a good store. I haven’t been in there in awhile but they have a lot of stuff crammed into a not very large space.
February 26th, 2006 at 10:41 am (#)
Pasta dough is extremely easy to make yourself. It’s essentially flour and water with a bit of salt (some recipes also use egg), rolled out to the desired thickness. A marble rolling pin is supposed to make this a little easier, but I’ve used a regular one with good results.
The fancy gadgets at Preston are all fine and good, but really not necessary. :o) A sharp knife to cut the pasta and a fork to seal the edges of filled pasta work just fine.
I found the following links useful when I did it for the first time:
Making Pasta Dough
Home Made Pasta
How To Make Fresh Pasta Noodles
I have a great (and foolproof!) pierogi recipe, if you’d like it. It’s from a friend’s Ukranian grandmother. They’re essentially ReallyBigRavioli (albeit stuffed with potato and cheese LOL).
February 26th, 2006 at 10:41 am (#)
Pasta dough is extremely easy to make yourself. It’s essentially flour and water with a bit of salt (some recipes also use egg), rolled out to the desired thickness. A marble rolling pin is supposed to make this a little easier, but I’ve used a regular one with good results.
The fancy gadgets at Preston are all fine and good, but really not necessary. :o) A sharp knife to cut the pasta and a fork to seal the edges of filled pasta work just fine.
I found the following links useful when I did it for the first time:
Making Pasta Dough
Home Made Pasta
How To Make Fresh Pasta Noodles
I have a great (and foolproof!) pierogi recipe, if you’d like it. It’s from a friend’s Ukranian grandmother. They’re essentially ReallyBigRavioli (albeit stuffed with potato and cheese LOL).