Year of the Ox(ygen)

So many things to celebrate in early February – let’s all just take a breath, people! We had just finished birthday and vaccination festivities last week when we were met with Lunar New Year, Valentine’s Day, and President’s Day! We are fully aware that most people would chronicle their Valentine’s Day celebration here, but we aren’t most people. We chose Lunar New Year for our culinary adventure this week. I had Monday off of work, so I agreed to make Chinese dumplings with Ben, which I knew could stretch into an all-day affair. We intended to pair the dumplings with hot and sour soup, and end with brigadeiros (Brazilian fudge balls) for dessert as an attempt to end with a sweet Valentinesy twist. Yes, we are aware that the meal plan lacked cultural cohesion. We’re not saying you have to meet us in the middle, but if there are dumplings and fudge balls in the middle, why wouldn’t you?

Phil has wonderful memories of his Aunt Janet, whose family lived in Taiwan for decades, coming home on furlough and producing dumplings. “What is happening here?!” Phil recounts, tasting a world completely foreign to North Newton, Kansas.

We embarked upon our meal plan with high aspirations. I had made the dumplings and soup before, and the dessert looked really easy. We started by making dessert. 

Brigadeiros

3 tablespoons butter

14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk

2/3 cup cocoa powder

Pinch of salt

Toppings of your choice (sprinkles, cocoa powder, mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts)

Melt butter, stir in sweetened condensed milk, cocoa, and salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick, 7-15 minutes. Spray a pie plate with cooking oil, plop the mixture onto it, cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for an hour. Scoop out ping-pong ball sized pieces, roll them into balls, and roll them in the topping of your choice. Chill and serve.

Pork Filled Dumplings with Jiaozi Sauce

Adapted from Extending the Table…A World Community Cookbook (Joetta Handrich Shlabach)

1 1/3 cups cold water

4 cups flour

1 pound ground pork

1 tablespoon green onion, minced

1/2 teaspoon ginger root, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil

1 egg

Dash of pepper

1 large head cabbage (preferably napa) finely shredded, with all excess liquid squeezed out

1. Mix flour and water to form dough, and knead about 5 minutes. Cover and let rest 15-30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make filling by mixing all remaining ingredients.
3. Roll half of dough into long rope, about 1-inch in diameter. Cut into 1-inch pieces and shape into balls. Flatten and roll out each piece into a very thin disk, about 3 1/2 inches in diameter. Repeat with remaining dough.
4. Place one heaping teaspoon filling onto each dumpling disk. Using your fingertips, dampen edges of disk with a little water. Fold dough firmly over filling, pressing and rolling edges to form half moon. Set on lightly floured or oiled surface, not touching each other, until ready to cook.
5. Fill large sauce pan or pot half full of water. Bring to a boil. Add dumplings, 10-15 at a time, and return to boil. Add 3/4 cup cold water, bring to a boil, add 3/4 cup water, bring to a boil, add a third 3/4 cup water, and bring to a boil. Scoop out dumplings with slotted spoon. Serve piping hot, dipped in Jiaozi Sauce.

Jiaozi Sauce

1 cup soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sriracha (optional)

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons sugar

4 teaspoons rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds

Combine all ingredients, and dip fresh, hot dumplings into sauce.

Somewhere along the way, Ben started referring to me as “Lady”, as in “Look, Lady…”  and “Oh, Lady, it’s fine.” The cabbage broke my spirit so thoroughly that I had to tell him that hot and sour soup was off the table. The 7,000 dumplings would have to suffice. “You’re kidding me, Lady.”

We know that our dumplings aren’t quite as good as those made by Aunt Janet, or by New China Royal on Washington Boulevard, but sometimes a dumpling is more than the sum of its parts. Sometimes, it is the guy keeping you company in the kitchen, laughing at the cabbage in your hair, calling you Lady, and swilling root beer straight from the 2-liter bottle. May our Year of the Ox be one of breathing easier, as we all eventually get vaccinated and make our slow ascent to normal life. Next year, maybe we can have dumplings together (but only if they’re carry out – we’re not going through this again!)