Gyoza Fo' Sho'za!

Trying to keep up a blog is a lot harder than most people think. I still have a passion for eating and now cooking. Always looking for my next adventure in that department. I took a side step with putting my enjoyment for writing to the side and actually picking up a skill that will make me...money. The world runs on money and well, I don't have much but I need to be part of the game I guess.

Since, I have a couple of days off from fixing/cleaning computers, I've decided to do a bit of this writing thing and tell you what crazy adventures I have been up to!

So, a couple of months ago a friend invited me over for a dumpling extravaganza. I have enjoyed dumplings in the past at such great places like the Dumpling Inn, but I must say I know very little of the little guy. Only that he/she is delicious. We also took a stab at making Xiao Long Bao aka soup dumplings.

With an assembly line of amateur cooks we began the processes of making these guys. We had some people pre-make the dough, others rolled out the dough into little circles, others stuffed the dumplings/gyozas, and finally others fried/steamed the lil' guys. It was a long process. But the sweet smell of the possible gyoza/dumpling madness that was SO near made the trance of building and creating all to rythmic. Music and laughs filled the air. Stories of how my grandmother/mother made their dumplings, really made the process almost traditional. Even if it was our first time. Some how, the expectations kinda dwindled. We weren't too concerned about how they were going to come out, but instead how much would we each get to eat. The process was satisfying. Anytime you put hard work into food, it just makes it delicious.

First batch of fried gyozas were up. We all stand and wait, making our own styles of dipping sauce. Some preferred more vineager, others more chili paste. We dove into the mountain of gyozas. By the time the first batch was ready the second batch was up, the third etc. There must have been at least 60-80 gyozas, I have no guestamation of how many. There was A LOT. Our brave rough and tumble group of six were ready to eat ourselves silly. We ate like kings and queens of the Fatland. So much doughy goodness with the hint of pork and mint and chives and chili and garlic, and soy sauce....SO good. The Xiao Long Bao dumplings were finished steaming. These were a little more difficult and only the brave attempted to make these. Xiao Long Bao are dumplings with a soup/broth filling and bits of meat. In the end I think it was a tempeture issue. The soup dumplings were not so soupy. Seems the steam had taken the broth away. We ate them anyway, proud of our attempt. Talk about ways to improve, kinda like we were a team that had just battled an honorable adversary.

The end of the night still full and eating, we talked and laughed more. Patted ourselves on the backs for a great meal. Still talking about food. Always, searching for that ultimate meal.