Viet World Kitchen

How to Make Pot Stickers from Wonton Skins

They say that if you’re given lemons make lemonade. Twice in the past twelve months, I’ve been handed wonton skins to make pot stickers. Instead of pivoting to cook up wontons, I used the wonton skins to make pot stickers. I had to because I’d promised pot stickers to a client and a class. Local markets didn’t have pot sticker (gyoza) wrappers or the person in charge of shopping for me wasn’t clear on what was needed. After the initial 5 seconds of shock and panic, I took a breath and finessed the dumpling situation.  

You may think, “What’s the big deal? A dumpling skin is a dumpling skin.” That’s not really true. There are differences in thickness and ingredients. Then there’s the filling itself. Pot sticker fillings are usually soft and very moist whereas wonton fillings are firmer, often times with cornstarch added for binding. Consequently, pot sticker wrappers are relatively thick whereas wontons skins are gossamer by comparison.

So what did I do in the face of a wet pot sticker filling and thin wonton skins? I punted with the following strategies:

High on Spice: 4 Kinds of Sichuan Peppercorns to Try

The U.S. ban on Sichuan peppercorn imports was lifted in 2005 and the spicy numbing pods have been making their rounds in food-centric circles. Yes, you can buy the Asian spice online and even at Whole Foods! Chinese markets have a big supply these days too. The kind that’s typically found is brick-colored and mostly comprised of potent husks occasionally still holding a dark colored seed. The flavor is menthol like. My tongue usually goes numb from the edges to the center.

It’s a strange Asian spice. The first time I tasted Sichuan peppercorn, I thought I was going to die, like someone had slipped me something. When my dad tried some Chinese candy with Sichuan peppercorn (I got them in Chengdu), he was alarmed by the flavor and effect. “What’s going on?!” he said.

But there’s a wide range of Sichuan peppercorns and I’ve been collecting them in my spice drawer and freezer. The spice is used in many parts of Asian, not just Sichuan, which is why there are variations. Here are four that I’ve gathered:

Year of the Snake: Lucky Dumpling Party Tips

When it comes to Chinese astrological signs, I suck. While I know my own – I straddle the curious monkey and preening rooster who cooks well, I don’t take it all that seriously. Some people are dialing it in for the upcoming Year of the Black (or Water) Snake, which starts on February 10. By some accounts, it will be one of instability and extremities but will generate overall peace and prosperity. I feel like that is my life in the main.  

Through web searches, I found out that snakes are sexy, lucky, and wise, albeit inclined to a certain measure of laziness. Famous snakes include Pablo Picasso, Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Onassi, and Brooke Shields. Snakes gets along well with roosters, oxes, horses, sheep, and dogs. If you’re a rat, tiger, rabbit, or dragon, you’ll be an okay friend of a snake. Monkeys and snakes tend to create too much drama. I’m kinda covered during 2013, I suppose.

This stuff is lots of yin-yang, good and bad, lighthearted fun. I read Chinese astrological signs like I read my daily horoscopes. Their ambiguity offers constant life lessons. If they were spot on, I’d head to Vegas during my “four-star” days.

That said, it’s always good to start a new year with a positive outlook. I make my plans for Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) around the 3 C’s: cleaning, cooking, and celebrating. Since I am usually not with my family, I invite close friends over for a feast. More often than not, there are dumplings on the menu. I occasionally make an entire menu of dumplings and invite friends over to help out.

Roasted Kabocha and Vegetable Dumplings Recipe

I’ve had pumpkin dumplings in Monterey Park and Beijing, their pretty tangerine-colored filling of grated winter (hard) squash were unpleasantly bland and sometimes undercooked. It’s an Asian dumpling that I’ve let simmer on the back burner for a while and didn’t tackle till this week, when faced with leftover roasted kabocha squash. My husband Rory said, “Let’s make Italian raviolis with the kabocha.”

I responded with this dumpling filled with roasted squash, earthy shiitake and parsnip, and upbeat celery. The seasonings involve fried shallot, lots of ginger and enough garlic for pungent depth. I wanted the ingredients to support and elevate the natural sweetness of the kabocha. I’d planned on adding soy sauce but in the end, there was so much great flavor from the vegetables that the only seasoning I added was salt. 

In other words, gluten-free dumpling eaters, this filling is for you too! No need to get the wheat-free tamari out. See the link at the end of this post for gluten-free dumpling dough options. 

Winter & Spring 2013 Cooking Classes

Ah, the new year. Time for reflection, refreshing and restart. Take a half step back and a full step forward. If you subscribe to an Asian mindset toward the new year, you can celebrate twice – first for the solar calendar and then again for the lunar calendar. (February 10, 2013 will launch the Year of the Snake.) That means you can take your time to set goals and meet them!

I’ve been cleaning my office and making sure that I square away past commitments and have new ones in check on my schedule. Last year was crazy with the book launch, travel and events. I hope to mostly stay close to home this year, especially because I have the book manuscript to work on.

Additionally, I’ve  committed to teaching a number of local cooking classes. They are all hands-on classes and geared for lots of learning and fun.

It used to be that I had to travel faraway to teach engaging, intensive classes but this won’t be the case in 2013. Thus far, the class schedule includes: