Asian Dumplings Cookbook Archives - Page 4 of 5

How to Put a Crisp Skirt on Pot Stickers

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It’s hard to believe that it just over a week ago that I came back from Australia obsessed with figuring out how to replicate a particular style of pot stickers that I enjoyed at Hutong dumpling restaurant in Melbourne. As I noted, Hutong’s pot stickers were united on their plate by what could only be described as a crisp skirt. I asked for help to answer this question — How to produce that little skirt at home? A number of people came to my immediate rescue.

Robyn Laing from New Zealand translated a gyoza recipe from Gyoza no Daigasshou (Gyoza Grand Chorus) cookbook, scanned in the pages from the book, then sent the pdfs to me. I’d asked about the origin of the skirt and Robyn noted that the skirt recipe in the cookbook came from Chef Yagi:

Chef Yagi was born in China where his parents ran a restaurant. He stayed in China after the war but returned to Japan in 1979. To learn Japanese he invited friends over and made gyoza for them the way he’d had them in China. He went to cooking school and worked in a number of Chinese restaurants to learn the trade. This led to him starting a small restaurant and gradually expanded his business. It suggests that he came up with the idea of the skirt as a way differentiating his gyoza. So no way of telling whether this was an idea he adapted from China or from Japan.

Asian Dumplings Cookbook Errata

Asian Dumplings Cookbook

No matter how many times and how many people review a book manuscript, there’s something that slips by. For that reason, it’s normal for authors and editors to compile a list of errata — a late 16th, early 17th century word for errors that’s commonly used in publishing. Errata are corrected for in the next printing of a book. It’s come to my attention that the following errata are in the Asian Dumplings cookbook:

In the “Thin Skins” chapter, there are incorrect page
references. Check the ingredient listing for the spring roll and lumpia recipes and you’ll see that the current page listing for the skins themselves points to Cantonese Spring Roll Skins on page 64, not the Shanghai Spring Roll Skin recipe on page 81. At least we were consistently
incorrect! To recap:

page 84: 18 to 20 Shanghai Spring Roll Skins (page 64 81)

page 87: 18 to 20 Shanghai Spring Roll Skins (page 64 81)

I misspelled one of my recipe tester’s surnames in the Acknowledgments. Candy (Candace) Moyer Grover pointed it out to me with good humor, saying that she’d been elevated to being Bill Moyer’s spouse! Lo siento. Mea culpa. Thanks for giving me a pass, Candy.

Whether in print or online, my policy is to be upfront and transparent to readers. Ten Speed Press will be making adjustments in the next printing of the book, but until then, do note the changes in your copies of Asian Dumplings!

The Trick to Making Bao – Los Angeles Times article

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I’ve been fascinated with Chinese buns (bao) for years, and when I was writing the “Stuffed Buns” chapter of Asian Dumplings, I wanted to pen a much longer piece on the hows and whys of bao. I know it sounds crazy but I’m a geek over Asian dough. Truth be told, I’ve struggled with bao dough for a long time and finally found a solution for wonderful dough that hasn’t failed me. It doesn’t collapse during cooking, is resilient yet soft, and has the sweet goodness of wheat.

I told Russ Parsons, editor of the Los Angeles Times “Food Section,” about my doughy adventure and discovery and he resoundingly said “yes!” to an article on bao. I’ve experimented lots over the years, and even tested out flour bought at Chinese markets and overseas. The photo at the top of this page is from one round of experimentation where I made five bao dough from five different kinds of flour.

Asian Dumplings Featured in Cooking Light

Asian Dumplings Cookbook

My friend Penny Rich alerted me a couple weeks back that the Asian Dumplings cookbook was selected by the editors of Cooking Light magazine for the October 2009 “Editor’s Dozen” column. I looked all over Santa Cruz – at Whole Foods, Rite-Aid, Safeway, and Bookshop Santa Cruz — for the issue but only saw the September one with the pizza cover. For a few days, I thought that Penny was perhaps mistaken but last week, Cathy Danh of Gastronomy blog tweeted that she saw the issue and spotlight on my book.

So last Saturday, I went to a San Jose Border’s and indeed found the newly released October issue with the braised beef and vegetables on the cover. Inside, on page 18 was my book – listed as #3 on their list of twelve monthly picks. WOW. Here’s a close up of what they wrote:

I’m so jazzed because with every monthly issue, Cooking Light reaches nearly 2 million readers whose interests span the culinary landscape. To think that Asian dumplings have such broad appeal validates not just my work, but the history and culture behind dumplings themselves. Coincidentally, the October issue also includes a lengthy feature containing noodle recipes from around the world. Asian dumplings and noodles go hand in hand. A perfect pairing.

What Recipe Should I Start with in Asian Dumplings?

Asian Dumpling Basics, Asian Dumplings Cookbook

Several people asked me that question last week after they perused the Asian Dumplings cookbook. Here are my tips for getting started:

1. Before setting out on your Asian dumpling adventure, check your pantry to make sure you have the basic ingredients for making Asian dumplings. At the least, be sure to have some all-purpose flour on hand. The regular kind from the supermarket works best. None of that fancy high-gluten stuff for rustic, chewy bread making! In general, unbleached all-purpose flour is better for savory dumplings and bleached all-purpose is preferred for sweet dumplings. See the sidebar on page 9 for an Asian dumpling pantry listing and use the glossary of ingredients to help you buy Asian ingredients. The photo on Page 14 includes the major flours and starches employed in Asian Dumplings. You can also review my post on how to build an Asian dumpling pantry.

2. Make sure you have the essential cooking equipment handy. See the discussion beginning on page 5. (Hint: The little rolling pin and a scale are extremely handy!)

Behind the Scenes of a Cookbook Photo Shoot

Asian Dumplings Cookbook

Cookbooks of the past didn’t have photos but nowadays, photos help to set the visual tone for a cookbook. They’re an integral part of the publication. In fact, people often ask me, “Does your cookbook have pictures?” Some have remarked that they won’t buy a cookbook unless there are pictures.

If you took a look at the Asian Dumplings preview pages and are curious about what went into obtaining the shots, this post is for you. It was originally posted on VietWorldKitchen.com in January, but I’ve updated a few things. I learn from every photo shoot I’m on and hope that the information here is useful to you, whether you’re a food professional or not.