Pork and Vegetable Dumplings

 2 pounds bok choy

 1/2 pound ground pork
 1 egg
 1 teaspoon cornstarch
 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
 1 tablespoon soy sauce
 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
 2 teaspoons Asian fish sauce
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
 1 (12 ounce) package round dumpling wrappers
 1/2 cup soy sauce
 2 1/2 teaspoons sugar
 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
 2 tablespoons thinly sliced scallion greens

1. Fill a large saucepan with cold water, and bring to a boil. Add the heads of bok choy, and
gently boil until tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove bok choy from
saucepan, and plunge into a bowl of ice water. Drain, discarding the liquid, and finely chop.
Place bok choy in a clean kitchen towel or a double thickness of cheesecloth, and squeeze
out all of the water. Transfer to a bowl, and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine pork, egg, cornstarch, oil, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ginger,
fish sauce, salt, and pepper. Add chopped bok choy, and mix well.

3. Place a dumpling wrapper in one hand, and spoon about 1 tablespoon of meat mixture
into the middle of the wrapper. Dampen fingertips, and moisten entire edge of the wrapper.
Fold dumpling in half to enclose filling, and pinch the two edges together tightly, forming a
semicircle. Repeat this process until all the filling is used up.

4. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add as many dumplings as will fit without crowding.
Gently stir them up from the bottom to prevent sticking, cover, and bring back to a boil,
about 1 minute. Uncover, add 1/4 cup cold water, replace cover, and bring water back to a
boil. Boil for about 2 more minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Continue
until all have been cooked.

5. Make the dipping sauce by combining remaining 1/2 cup soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil,
and scallion. Mix well, transfer to small serving dishes, and serve with dumplings.

Yield: 6 servings
Spinach and Tofu Dumplings

 5 ounces baby spinach

 5 ounces firm tofu, cut into 1/4-inch dice
 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
 2 small jalapenos, seeded and minced
 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
 1 1/2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
 Salt and freshly ground pepper
 45 square wonton wrappers
 1/4 cup soy sauce, plus
 2 tablespoons soy sauce
 2 tablespoons unseasoned rice vinegar
 1 teaspoon honey

1. MAKE THE DUMPLINGS: Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the spinach and
cook for 20 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the spinach to a colander. When the
spinach is cool enough to handle, squeeze it dry, then coarsely chop it. Keep the water hot.

2. Transfer the spinach to a medium bowl and stir in the tofu, cornstarch, jalapenos, soy
sauce and sesame oil and season with salt and pepper.

3. Working with 4 wonton wrappers at a time, dampen the edges and mound 1 1/2
teaspoons of filling in the center of each wrapper. Fold 1 corner of each up over the filling
and seal to make triangles. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.

4. MAKE THE DIPPING SAUCE: In a small serving bowl, stir the soy sauce with the vinegar
and honey.

5. Return the water to a boil. Add the dumplings and simmer over moderate heat, stirring
gently, until the edges are al dente, about 3 minutes. Carefully drain in a colander and
transfer to a platter. Serve with the dipping sauce.

Yield: 10 servings
Shrimp and Spinach Dumplings With Asian Dipping Sauce

 1 cup baby spinach

 6 ounces shrimp, shelled, deveined, and pulsed to a coarse paste in a food processor
 3 tablespoons finely chopped rinsed canned water chestnuts
 2 scallions (green parts only), finely chopped
 1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
 2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
 1 teaspoon sugar
 1 teaspoon medium-dry Sherry
 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 24 wonton wrappers
 Large soft lettuce leaves for lining steamer
 2 tablespoons soy sauce
 2 tablespoons water
 1 teaspoon sugar
 Squeeze of juice from finely grated peeled fresh ginger
 Dried hot red pepper flakes or Asian chile paste to taste

1. Make filling: Cook spinach in 1 inch simmering water in a small saucepan, stirring, until
wilted, about 5 seconds. Drain in a sieve and rinse under cold water until cool. Squeeze to
remove as much moisture as possible. Finely chop spinach and stir with remaining filling
ingredients until blended.

2. Fill wrappers and steam dumplings: Stack a few wonton wrappers (keep remaining
wrappers covered) and cut into rounds with a 2 1/2-inch cutter. Spread 1 slightly rounded
teaspoon filling onto each round, spreading up to but not over edge. Bring up edge of each
round, pleating to form a cup and leaving open at top.

3. Bring enough water to a boil in a wok so that bottom rim of steamer (not basket) rests in
water. Line steamer rack with lettuce. Arrange dumplings over lettuce, making sure
dumplings do not touch each other. Cover with steamer lid and steam until filling is cooked
through, 8 to 10 minutes.

4. Make dipping sauce: Stir together all sauce ingredients.

Yield: 24 servings
New Year's Dumplings

 1 1/2 pounds Napa cabbage, trimmed and finely chopped

 1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
 1/2 pound ground pork
 1/3 pound garlic chives, trimmed and minced
 10 tablespoons dark soy sauce
 1 1/2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, plus more for sauce
 1 1/2 tablespoons rice wine or sake
 2 tablespoons peeled and minced ginger
 1 tablespoon cornstarch, plus more for dusting
 40 round dumpling or gyoza skins
 2 tablespoons safflower oil, plus more if needed
 2 1/4 cups water

1. In a medium bowl, combine cabbage and 1 teaspoon salt. Toss to combine. Let stand, at
room temperature, for about 1 hour. Squeeze liquid from cabbage, and transfer to a large
bowl.

2. Add pork, chives, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine, ginger, cornstarch, and
remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Combine thoroughly using your hands or a wooden spoon.
The mixture should be thick and rather sticky.

3. Lightly dust a baking sheet with cornstarch. Place about 1 1/2 teaspoons of filling in the
center of a dumpling skin. Use your finger or a pastry brush to moisten edge of dumpling
skin with water. Fold skin over filling to form a half-moon shape. Press edges to seal. Place
on prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining filling and dumpling skins.

4. To make the dipping sauce: In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup water, remaining and 1/2
cup soy sauce. If desired, add a little sesame oil; set aside.

5. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of safflower oil over medium-high heat. Add
half of the dumplings, folded edge down, placing close together so they stand up, and cook
until golden, about 2 minutes. Add 1 cup water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a
moderate boil, and cook until skins are translucent and filling is cooked through, 7 to 10
minutes.

6. Uncover, and allow liquid to evaporate. Loosen dumplings from pan with a spatula,
adding a small amount of safflower oil, if necessary. Continue cooking until bottoms of
dumplings re-crisp, about 1 minute more. Turn out onto a serving platter. Repeat with

Yield: 40 servings
Chicken and Dumplings

 1 (2 to 3 pound) whole chicken

 2 cups all-purpose flour
 1 teaspoon baking powder
 1 cup hot chicken broth
 1 egg

1. In a large stockpot or Dutch oven cover the chicken with salted water and simmer until
cooked through. When tender, remove chicken from pot. Remove meat from bones and
keep warm while making the dumplings.

2. TO MAKE DUMPLINGS: Sift about 2 cups of flour and 1 teaspoon baking powder into a
large mixing bowl. Make a well in the flour/powder mixture; pour in 1 cup of hot chicken
broth, mixing first with a fork, then with your fingers. Add the egg and mix well again.

3. Knead the dough for a few seconds on a floured board. Separate the dough into 4 or 5
parts and roll as thin as possible. Cut into 1 1/2 or 2 inch wide pieces. Break these into 2
inch long strips. Drop into boiling chicken broth and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with
previously prepared meat.

Yield: 3 servings
Chinese Vegetable Soup with Egg Dumpling

 10 cups homemade or low-sodium chicken stock, skimmed of fat

 2 (2 inch) pieces of fresh ginger, peeled
 4 tablespoons brown rice wine
 8 dried shiitake or black Chinese mushrooms
 8 dried tree-ear mushrooms
 2 ounces ground pork
 3 eggs, beaten with
 1 tablespoon water
 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
 1/4 teaspoon salt
 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
 1/4 teaspoon sugar
 1 tablespoon finely chopped scallion
 1 teaspoon fish sauce
 2 (2 ounce) packages bean-thread noodles
 1 pound bok choy, sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
 1/2 cup thinly sliced bamboo shoots, preferably fresh
 3 ounces Chinese ham, cut into 1/4 -inch-thick slices

1. In a large saucepan, combine stock, 1 knob of ginger cut into 3 slices, and rice wine.
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from heat, strain
and discard solids; set aside.

2. Place all the mushrooms in a bowl; cover with 2 cups very hot water. Soak until soft,
about 20 minutes. Drain, discard the liquid, and remove and discard the stems; set aside.

3. Grate the other knob of ginger to obtain 1 teaspoon and combine it with the pork, 1
tablespoon of the egg mixture, cornstarch, salt, 1/4 teaspoon vegetable oil, sugar, scallion,
and fish sauce and set aside.

4. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large soup ladle over a medium flame. Place about 1 tablespoon
of the beaten egg in the ladle and swirl it, making a 3-inch circle, until the edges are set and
the center is still wet. Use chopsticks to place about 1/4 teaspoon of pork filling in the
center. Fold one side over, making a half circle. Use the blunt end of the chopsticks to
gently press the edges together. Repeat until all the eggs and filling are used up. You
should have 16 dumplings.

5. Pour broth into a large saucepan and add the mushrooms and all of the remaining
ingredients. Place dumplings on the top. Bring broth to a boil, reduce heat to low, and
simmer for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Yield: 8 servings
Turkey Soup with Cheddar Dumplings

 1 tablespoon olive oil

 4 carrots, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced into half-moons
 1 onion, diced
 3 3/4 cups homemade or low-sodium canned chicken stock
 1 cup all-purpose flour
 1/3 cup yellow cornmeal
 1 teaspoon baking powder
 3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning
 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
 3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
 1 large egg
 1/3 cup milk
 3/4 pound cooked turkey, cut into 1-inch cubes
 Ground pepper

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add carrots and onion. Cook,
stirring occasionally, 3 to 4 minutes. Add stock and 2 cups water; bring to a simmer. Cover,
and cook until vegetables are just tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in
cheese and corn. Add egg and milk; stir vigorously to make a slightly sticky dough. Using
lightly floured hands, form dough into 1-inch balls; set aside.

3. Add the turkey to soup; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil; add
dumplings. Cover; cook until dumplings are cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. Serve warm.

Yield: 6 servings
Apple Dumplings

 1/2 cup sugar

 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
 1 egg, beaten to mix
 4 Golden Delicious apples, peeled and cored

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Set
aside.

2. On a floured surface, roll out one of the puff-pastry sheets to a 13-by-13-inch square. Cut
the square in half and cut each half into a 9-by-6-inch rectangle. If you want to make the
optional decoration in Step 3, reserve the scraps. With the beaten egg, lightly brush 1 inch
along the edges of one of the rectangles. Put one of the apples, upside down, in the middle
of the rectangle and pour enough of the cinnamon sugar into the center cavity to reach the
top. Gather the four corners of the pastry and pinch them together. Pinch the edges
together to seal. With scissors, trim any excess pastry from where the edges meet. Repeat
with the remaining pastry, apples, and cinnamon sugar.

3. If you like, use a small knife to cut eight small leaves from the scraps of pastry. Brush the
backs of the leaves with the beaten egg and attach two of them to the top of each dumpling.

4. Chill the dumplings for 15 minutes. Put them on a heavy baking sheet and lightly brush
them with the beaten egg. Bake the dumplings for 8 minutes. Reduce the heat to 400
degrees F and continue cooking until golden, 20 to 22 minutes longer. Don't bake too long
or the dumplings may burst.

Yield: 4 servings
Easy Chicken and Dumplings

 3 tablespoons butter
 1 medium onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
 5 medium carrots, cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch pieces
 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
 1 cup (spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
 1 (14.5 ounce) can reduced-sodium chicken broth
 Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
 1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
 10 tablespoons milk, divided
 1 (10 ounce) package frozen peas

1. In a Dutch oven (or a 5-to-6-quart heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid), heat butter over
medium. Add onion, carrots, and thyme. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is
soft, about 5 minutes. Add 1/4 cup flour and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add broth and bring
to a boil, stirring constantly; season with salt and pepper. Nestle chicken in pot; reduce heat
to medium-low. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, make dumplings: In a medium bowl, whisk together remaining 3/4 cup flour,
dill, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. With a fork, gradually stir in 1/2 cup milk ( 8
tablespoons) to form a moist and soft batter. It should be just a little thicker than pancake
batter and should easily drop from the tip of a spoon. (Add additional 2 tablespoons milk if
too thick.) Set aside.

3. Stir peas into pot. Drop batter in simmering liquid in 10 heaping tablespoonfuls, keeping
them spaced apart (dumplings will swell as they cook). Cover, and simmer until chicken is
tender and dumplings are firm, 20 minutes. Serve.

Yield: 4 servings
Jewish Turkey-Wonton Soup

 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

 3 (1 pound) turkey legs
 Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
 6 cups water
 6 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
 2 garlic cloves
 1 celery rib, coarsely chopped
 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
 1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
 1 bay leaf
 1 sprig thyme
 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
 1 celery rib, finely diced
 1 small red onion, finely diced
 40 square wonton wrappers
 4 teaspoons chopped fresh dill

1. In a soup pot, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Season the turkey legs with salt and pepper,
add them to the pot and cook over high heat until browned on all sides, about 7 minutes.
Add the water, stock, garlic, chopped celery, carrot, yellow onion, bay leaf, thyme sprig and
peppercorns and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over moderately low heat until the
turkey legs are tender and the meat pulls away from the bone, about 1 hour.

2. Transfer the turkey legs to a large plate and let cool slightly. Pull the meat off the bones
and coarsely chop it; discard the skin. Return the bones to the pot and simmer the turkey
stock for 1 hour longer.

3. Meanwhile, in a medium skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the diced
celery and red onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 5 minutes; transfer
to a food processor. Add the turkey, season with salt and pepper and pulse until the turkey
is finely chopped.

4. On a work surface, lay out 10 wonton wrappers. Scoop 1 tablespoon of the turkey filling
into the center of each wrapper. Moisten the edges of the wrapper with water and fold it in
half on the diagonal, creating a triangle; press the edges to seal. Transfer the wonton to a
baking sheet and keep covered with a damp cloth. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and
filling.

5. Strain the turkey stock into another pot and skim the fat from the surface. Season with
salt and pepper and bring the stock to a simmer. Add the wonton, cover and cook until the
wrappers are just tender, about 5 minutes. Ladle the soup into bowls, garnish with the dill
and serve.

Yield: 8 servings
Potato Dumplings

 2 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

 Two 1-inch-thick slices white bread, crusts trimmed and bread cut into 1-inch cubes
 1 tablespoon butter, melted
 Salt
 2 large eggs
 1 to 1 1/2 cups flour
 1 teaspoon pepper
 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan with enough salted
cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the potatoes are tender,
12 to 15 minutes. Drain in a colander, then transfer to a bowl and mash thoroughly.
Spread the mashed potatoes on a plate and set aside to cool.
2.
Meanwhile, on a rimmed baking sheet, toss the bread cubes with the melted butter and
salt to taste. Bake until the croutons are crisp and slightly browned, about 10 minutes.
3.
In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add the cooled mashed potatoes, 1 cup flour, 1
1/2 teaspoons salt, the pepper and nutmeg; stir with a large wooden spoon until a
heavy dough forms. If the dough is too wet to form into dumplings, add more flour,
about 1/4 cup at a time; the dough should be slightly sticky.

4. On a work surface, cut the dumpling dough into 12 equal pieces. Press a crouton into a
piece of dough and shape the dough into a ball around the crouton (wet your hands to
prevent the dough from sticking). Repeat with the remaining dough and croutons.
5.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Carefully drop the dumplings into the water
and cook until they float to the surface, about 10 minutes. Remove and serve.