hello, dumpling!

Sometimes a favourite food can be so inspirational, so mouthwateringly hug-worthy, that one has no choice but to sing its praises, in whatever convoluted form that may take.

Say, a haiku, for example:

O porky dumpling
my chopsticks bow, O Plump One
dip dip dip dip yum!

Hmm, needs work, but you get the picture. I do luuurve me some dumplings!

The bundles come helpfully labeled...this time it's pork and chive. (Second favourite: lamb and coriander)

We indulged the other night in some beautiful handmade dumplings, bought from a tiny local restaurant (they make them so much better than I ever could, plus it's a great instant lazy-night meal). This place specializes in the northern Chinese style of dumpling making, offering hand rolled, hand formed, wheat flour based shuijiao (boiled dumplings) and guotie (potstickers).

The handmade floury wrappers are wonderfully tender, yet have a bit of pleasant toothiness to them.

We decided to take some uncooked, freshly made bundles of goodness home with us, so we could cook and feast with (private) abandon.

Pajama dining. It's a guilty secret pleasure. Tell me I'm not alone?

I love lots of ginger in the dipping sauce...

About the dipping sauce: I'm all in for the fridge-raid version, which includes glugs and dashes of varying proportions of soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha and other chili spiked condiments, but sometimes the clean and old-school rules.

I highly recommend that you try this, if only once (and if you aren't just crazy about it already), just to see how incredible two simple little ingredients can make the best, and easiest, dumpling sauce. Ever!

Ready? Mince, grate or finely chop some fresh ginger. Pour a dash of black vinegar (I like the Gold Plum brand, pictured below) over and let it infuse with bracing gingery goodness. That's it! (You gotta try it, you'll become a convert, I promise.)

A dumpling must-have! Black vinegar, made from glutinous rice; its mellow tang could maybe, if totally desperate, be replicated with a bit of not-too-sweet balsamic.



A bit of ginger prodding helps infuse the vinegar. (Plus it's fun to do too!)

And so...gingery sauce? Check. Pot of water bubbling away, dumplings standing by? Check. Pajamas on, Dexter dvd playing? Check and check! Ooh, it's gonna be a great lazy night!

Today, we boil.
(Sometimes if we're craving the crispy golden goodness we do the pan fried version.)



A big plate to share...although I have been known to get in quite a few all on my own!



Plump. Juicy. Porky. Mmmm....



They went pretty fast; maybe I should've made just a few more....

Yes, delish! Thank you, dumpling, for being your plump, fabulous self. Until we meet again!