Chinese Water Dumplings

If you love dumplings just as much as I do, and want you want to learn more about them purchase Asian Dumplings: Mastering Gyoza, Spring Rolls, Samosas and More by Andrea Ngyuen.

Ahh dumplings--warm little pockets of deliciousness that I constantly crave. I bought this book as a Christmas present for myself, and I am really happy I did. I've decided to work my way through all of the recipes in book. I'm doing this not only out of love for this delicious food but because I want to learn more about the different techniques used, the variations of the recipes depending on the geographic location and as the title states: to master the Asian dumpling. I love Asian cuisine, however being a white American the only authentic cuisine I was ever exposed to was food eaten in restaurants or food made by my friends' parents. Before culinary school, I always assumed that dumplings and Asian cuisine in general were a  foreign and complicated food. However, now I know that that is not the case.

The key to success is having a well stocked pantry. I suggest finding the best local Asian market and stocking up on basic ingredients like: Chiangking vinegar, soy sauce, chili oil, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar (unseasoned), rice wine, dumpling wrappers, etc. Depending on your market, you might be able to stock up on produce as well. Produce items you'll need include: ginger, garlic, cabbage, green onions/scallions, and chives. The Asian equivalent to mirepoix (onions, carrots, celery) is ginger, garlic and scallions. With these three ingredients handy you can pack any dish with a ton of flavor.

Ok, so back to the book. The first recipe is Chinese Water Dumplings--which had a pork and cabbage filling. They are called water dumplings because they are boiled, just like ravioli, until they float to the surface of the water. The dumplings are then tossed in a tangy spicy sauce and eaten. Nom nom nom.

I opted out of making my own dumpling dough, and instead just bought a pack of dumpling wrappers at the Asian market. I'm sure as far as flavor and texture are concerned, I was missing that extra little oomph, but hey! I ended up saving some time and probably some frustration.

I made several different dumpling shapes for practice. But you could certainly keep it simple and just make half moon shaped dumplings. Here is a link to a site that has the recipe from the book. Happy dumpling making!

Cherry season is here!

I wrote this back in late June, but I never posted it. So, although it is not cherry season right now...it will be before you know it! Here's to reminiscing of warmer sunnier days. 

When I was younger and my grandparents were healthier, I used to spend my summer vacations at their small orchard in Monkton, Vermont. Besides the delicious Macintosh apple trees, the true star in my grandfather’s orchard were by far the sour cherries. Every cherry season my grandmother would sit on the porch for hours pitting bowls and bowls of cherries. These cherries would eventually become part of her famous sour cherry pie, a pie that has been making my family happy for well over 20 years.

This weekend, I set out on a cherry picking quest. As I reminisced on my grandparents’ orchard, I aimlessly made my way through the maze of trees picking as many cherries as I could find. When I thought I was done, I would find another variety that I just had to have. After 2 ½ hours I knew I had to be done-- I wasn’t done because I was tired of picking cherries; I was done because I had somehow managed to fill my entire bucket. I wasn’t surprised when the total weight was 12 pounds; in fact I thought it might have been more. At $3.50 per pound I think I got a pretty good deal for fresh cherries.

The remaining part of my weekend evolved entirely around my cherries. I made pie, preserves, sangria, jam, and I still have pounds to go. Cherry season doesn’t last very long, maybe 2-4 weeks—so acting quickly is the best bet to securing this delicious little fruit. To find a local farm with pick your own fruits and vegetables visit: www.pickyourown.org.

Grandma’s Sour Cherry Pie

Recipe by Thelma MacCollom

Makes one 9" pie

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 pie crusts (http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2012/05/buttery-pie-crust)

4 cups sour cherries, stemmed and pitted (about 2 pounds un-pitted)
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. flour
2 1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. almond extract
½ tsp. lemon zest

1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 large egg, beaten
2 Tbsp. cream

Preheat oven to 450º. In a medium bowl, combine cherries, sugar, flour, cornstarch, almond extract, lemon juice and zest. Stir until cherries are evenly coated and set aside.

Roll out dough disk on lightly floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch glass pie dish. Roll out second dough disk to 12-inch round; cut into ¾ to 1-inch-wide strips. Spoon filling into pie dish. Arrange strips atop filling in a crisscross pattern, forming a lattice. Seal strip ends to crust edge. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

In a small bowl, whisk together egg and cream. Brush over top of pie. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce temp to 400º and bake until golden brown and juices are bubbling, 40-50 minutes more. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve with ice cream.