We started our New Year celebration by hitting the Chinese Cultural Center in downtown Phoenix. Mah Jong was, in my opinion, the best attraction there. Except they were playing the version with 13 tiles, we play with 16. Still, this sign was begging me to take its picture.
The Year of the Tiger is not a good year for snakes. (Mr. Yin's mother called to remind us.) Mr. Yin and I are both snakes. So to keep the bad luck at bay, we changed our sheets, swept our floor (okay, vacuumed) and made dumplings!
Initially I was just going to toss some ground pork and leeks with some salt and pepper and call that dumpling stuffing.
Luckily, Mr. Yin pulled out the Asian Grandmother's Cookbook that he got me for Christmas and bookmarked the dumpling recipe. Turns out you need a few more thing than just pork and leeks!
He also stopped me from using leeks purchased at the local supermarket. When we were at the Asian market, he insisted we buy Chinese leeks. I insisted we had leeks and didn't need to buy any more, especially since the ones he wanted to buy looked like green onions and said "chieves" on the package. I figured they'd just spelled "chives" wrong.
I lost that fight. One point to the tigers.
The Chinese leeks are much smaller, though they have a similar smell. And they worked much better for dumpling filling than big leeks would have.
The recipe called for Napa cabbage, which I did not have, so I substituted the Chinese leeks and some celery, which I did have.
It also says to wring all the water out of the cabbage, so I did that with the leek/celery combo and ended up with a rag stained a pretty green color.
The leeks, celery, fresh ginger, salt and pepper. Oh and of course sesame oil and soy sauce. Otherwise we couldn't call it Asian.
In goes the ground pork. And voila! We have dumpling filling.
All folded up pretty. (The pretty ones are Mr. Yin's, but I'm getting there.) One point each for the snakes for working together so nicely.
Ready for a little pan frying on their bottoms, and a nice steamy bath.
Ta daa!! Dumplings!
Take that Year of the Tiger.
Snakes win, two points to one.
3 comments:
Oh yummy! And yes--your dumplings are beautiful. I've tried before and mine didn't turn out nearly that nice!
Question: how do you feel about making and freezing big batches of jautza (sp?) and egg rolls? And also, do you have a yummy crab rangoon recipe? I got one off the internet and it was GROSS! And--oh-if you ever come through here and need a place to stay, let me know and we can play mah jong. We have a set and the plastic stick things so no need to bring your own :).
But yes, your dumplings are beautiful.
Ma-Jong is awesome. I need to get a set. I'm starting to forget how to play. Maybe I'll get Becah to take me down to Chinatown and find a set.
Or, Mah Jong. However you spell it.
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