Be My Dumpling

Because staying in is the new going out, the Mr. and I had some friends over last night for a dumpling making party. Before you get impressed about my lofty culinary skills, let it be known that he's the one that made the fillings (seafood and pork) and we all helped put them together.

It was nice catching up with friends, especially the ones who work in the fashion industry, as they have been insanely busy these days. One of our friends, a concept designer at a well known American sportswear brand, entertained the group with the story of how she got the position at her company. It's a real Cinderella story, as she was literally plucked out of her cubicle in marketing by "Mitch," the head of the label, and thrown into a design concept meeting for the upcoming collection. Mitch is a rags to riches fashion story himself, and is known to circulate within his company to shake up the talent pool.

It was a nice change of pace to entertain, and everyone got into the spirit. Here's a little peek into our evening...

Step One: Grab a glass of wine (for yourself) and a container of fillings. The base is usually a chopped meat or other protein and vegetables.



Step Two: Get your dumpling wrappers ready. This is a staple you can get at a local Asian food market.



Step Three: Start wrapping your dumplings! There are various techniques. The simplest is to wet the edges of the wrapper and seal shut as a half moon. Other people have more complicated folding techniques.

Step Four: Boil or pan fry! You can tell when boiled dumplings are ready, because they will float to the top.

Step Five: Garnish, add sauces and enjoy!

TGIF! Hope you enjoy your weekend...