making dumplings

making dumplings DOUGH: clean your counter and wash your dishes wash your hands too pour a few cups of flour into big bowl add one cup hot water knead add another cup of hot water knead some more keep kneading (more fun with music and friends) keeping adding water and kneading until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth and elastic make the dough into a few big lumps. put the lumps in a bowl cover with a wet towel and let sit for a few hours FILLING (VEGETARIAN): obtain mushrooms of various types. shiitake is pretty good. obtain scallions obtain some kind of asian vegetable bok choy or napa cabbage. wash it. obtain some firm tofu obtain some carrots ginger too. ginger is important. garlic can also be nice chop everything up into fine pieces mix it in a big pot beat two or three eggs and add that too add soy sauce and sesame oil to taste (optional) FILLING (MEAT): obtain ground pork obtain some kind of asian vegetable bok choy or napa cabbage. wash it. chop up the vegetable into fine pieces mix it with the ground pork add chopped ginger and soy sauce and sesame oil and scallions to taste (optional) WRAP THE DUMPLINGS: when the dough has settled, separate it into a few manageable sections roll out the sections against the counter until you have little dough-snakes separate the little dough-snakes into pebble-sized dough nodules use a rolling pin to flatten the nodules into circles, thin on the outside and thick in the center now you have dumpling wrappers! wrap the filling in the wrapper (try this  or this for guidance, but it doesnt really matter as long as it doesnt leak) repeat until you have lots and lots of dumplings sing taylor swift songs while you work COOK THE DUMPLINGS: there are lots of ways some people like pan-frying them do this by adding oil to a pan and putting the dumpling in make sure to cover the pan so the steam will cook the dumplings evenly other people like boiling them boil some water and put the dumplings in wait until the water boils again, then add a splash of cold water to stop the boiling wait until the water boils again, then add a splash of cold water to stop the boiling wait until the water boils again, then add a splash of cold water to stop the boiling yes, do that three times wait until the water boils again and take the dumplings out freeze all the leftover dumplings in a tray, you can cook them later EAT THE DUMPLINGS: use dipping sauce of choice (soy sauce + sesame oil + balsamic is pretty good) argue with all your friends about what the best filling recipe is (special thanks to the toons) (and the gorgeous airbnb in new hampshire we visited last weekend) (and margie and lauren for their photography)