Monday, December 20, 2021
Monday, December 13, 2021
Around the World in 35 Dumplings
Only read if you are not hungry!
Xiaolongbao
Served steamed in bamboo baskets, xiaolongbao look different from other types of Chinese dumplings, as the skin is gathered and pinched at the top instead of folded in half. Xiaolongbao are also unique in that aside from the traditional pork filling, a small piece of aspic is folded into the dumpling, which melts when steamed. Thanks to the broth, the filling stays moist and flavorful.
Ravioli
Ravioli is one of Italy’s most famous offerings - so famous that it has been exported across the world. It can be packed with anything from meat to cheese to vegetables, or any combination thereof.
Sichuan spicy wonton (chao shou)
The spicy Sichuan wonton, or chao shou, comes to the table drenched in a spicy chili oil flavored with Sichuan peppercorn and a black vinegar sauce. The chao shou is boiled and the very best specimens are so slippery they're nearly impossible to pick up with chopsticks.
Manti
Manti are Central Asia's take on East Asian dumplings eaten in Turkey, northwestern China, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Adopted by Turks who traveled across Central Asia during the Mongol Empire, these dumplings can be filled with lamb, beef, quail or chicken - or be left unfilled. Turkish manti are served with yogurt and spiced with red pepper and melted butter.
Bryndzové halušky
Bryndzové halušky is a national dish in Slovakia and is a dish of potato dumplings served with bryndza, a Slovakian sheep's cheese, and sprinkled with bacon or pork fat.
Siomay
Siomay is closely related to the Cantonese dim sum snack, shumai. A steamed fish dumpling served with vegetables and peanut sauce was adopted from Chinese Indonesian cuisine. The best way to sample these dumplings is from a street vendor carting a steamer on his bicycle.
Shrimp wonton
The Hong Kong-style shrimp wonton is a thick dumpling holding shrimp and minced pork. It's commonly served with thin egg noodles or on its own in a seafood broth.
Pierogi
Originating in Central and Eastern Europe, pierogi are most commonly thought of as Polish. These dumplings can be stuffed with potato, minced meat, cheese, fruit or sauerkraut. They're usually boiled, then pan-fried in butter with onions.
Modak
Modak is a sweet from Maharashtra, offered to Lord Ganesha during Ganesh Chathurthi, the festival dedicated to him every year between August and September. The teardrop-shaped dumpling is kneaded from rice flour and stuffed with coconut and jaggery - an unrefined whole cane sugar.
Dushbara
Dushbara are classic Azerbaijani comfort food. These dumplings are filled with lamb or beef, and usually served in broth. They are folded by hand, a process made more difficult by their small size. Vinegar and garlic sauce tops it off with an extra kick.
Kartoffelknoedel
Found across Germany,
kartoffelknoedel, or potato dumplings, usually accompany meat dishes. The
Bavarian variant combines both raw and cooked potato, stuffed with a crouton or
bread filling.
Coxinha
This is a popular street food in Brazil: effectively chicken dumplings, made from fried dough with shredded chicken in the middle. They're shaped in the form of a teardrop, supposedly to resemble a chicken thigh - the dish was originally made from thigh meat. Some add potato to the dough before frying, for an extra carby oomph.
Pelmeni
Pelmeni are Russian dumplings from Siberia, likely introduced to Russian cuisine by the Mongols. Similar to Chinese jiaozi, Turkish manti and eastern European pierogi, pelmeni are distinguished by the thickness of the dumpling skin. Pelmeni may be stuffed with anything from meat to mushrooms to cheese, but never with anything sweet.
Dim sim
Some dumpling purists say that the Australian dim sim is merely a bastardized version of Chinese dumplings. Dim sim is a combination of meat or fish mixed with cabbage and enclosed in a wrapper. It may be steamed, deep-fried or barbecued, and is usually much larger than a Chinese dumpling. Dim sims usually taste gingery - a feature of westernized Chinese cuisine found in Australia, North America and Europe.
Brik
Brik is a spectacularly gooey Tunisian specialty. The word "brik" is thought to derive from Turkish, but this is a thoroughly Tunisian dumpling, a deep-fried triangle of deliciousness, often with an egg popped inside for extra gooey flavor. It can be filled with tuna, harissa and parsley, or anything from capers to cheese and meat.
Banh bot loc
Banh bot loc are Vietnamese pork and shrimp dumplings, with wrappers made from tapioca flour. When cooked, tapioca flour becomes clear, giving the dumpling its appearance and the wrapper its chewy texture. There are two major variants: wrapped in banana leaves and steamed, or boiled.
Empanada
An empanada is pastry stuffed with meat, fish or other fillings, then baked or fried. In Argentina, the traditional fillings depend on where you are - olives are often worked into the filling in Mendoza, for example. Usually, though, you'll have a choice of meat - chicken and beef are classics.
Tangyuan
Tangyuan is a Chinese dessert - sticky balls made from glutinous rice flour containing a sweet filling, such as ground peanuts or black sesame paste, and served in a bowl of sweet soup or rolled in ground peanuts. Tangyuan is a favorite treat during the traditional Lantern Festival. Some tangyuan are served as smaller, unfilled rice balls in a soup made from cane sugar. In dessert shop chains all over Hong Kong, tangyuan are served with ice cream, topped with a drizzle of syrup.
Chicken and dumplings
Chicken and dumplings is probably the ultimate in Southern comfort food in the United States. Chicken soup is a dish found all over the world, but the addition of dumplings gives the soup an extra something. American dumplings are usually a mix of flour, vegetable shortening and milk - in this case, dropped directly into the chicken broth. The broth may be a clear chicken soup, or thickened with flour or cream.
Kimchi mandu
Mandu, the Korean take on dumplings, are more closely related to manti found in Central Asian cuisine than to Chinese or Japanese dumplings. Mandu are stuffed with kimchi and are often folded into circular shapes, a technique rarely found in Chinese cuisine.
Canederli
Canederli are golf ball-sized dumplings made from bread, stuffed with things like speck (a type of cured ham), cheese and onion. Italians flock to Alto Adige for traditional canederli.
Bawan
Bawan is a Taiwanese street snack commonly found in night markets around the island. A translucent wrapper made from rice flour, corn starch and sweet potato starch holds a stuffing of pork, bamboo shoots and mushrooms. Bawan is served with a sweet and savory sauce. The dumplings are steamed, then deep-fried to keep the wrapper from drying out.
Momo
Momo are dumplings found in northern Indian, Nepali and Tibetan cuisine. They may be filled with meat, vegetables or cheese, and are usually served with a tomato-based dipping sauce. Enterprising Nepali vendors in Kathmandu have also taken to filling momos with Snickers and Mars bars, especially in areas frequented by tourists.
Uszka
Uszka are similar to Polish pierogi and are usually served in soup. The word "uszka" means "little ears" in Polish. They're usually filled with minced meat and mushrooms and put in borscht soup. Uszka stuffed with bolete mushrooms and chopped onions without meat are served in clear borscht for Christmas Eve meals in Poland.
Gyoza
Related to Chinese pot stickers, Japanese gyoza tend to be made with thinner wrappers and filled with minced pork. Frozen gyoza are found in most grocery stores all over the world, but the best restaurants for gyoza always turn out to be holes-in-the-wall outside of Tokyo subway stations.
Crab rangoon
Found on Chinese takeout menus in the United States, crab rangoon are deep-fried dumplings served as a side dish. They're stuffed with cream cheese and imitation crab meat made from a fish-based paste. It may not be an authentic Chinese dish, but love of fried cheese crosses cultures.
Teochew fun gor
Not your typical pork-filled dumpling, the Teochew fun gor is usually packed with peanuts, chives, dried shrimp, pork, radish, mushrooms and cilantro. The wrapper is made of a combination of wheat flour, tapioca flour, corn starch and potato starch, giving the fun gor its translucent appearance. Teochew fun gor is most popular in Cantonese dim sum restaurants.
Samosa
Usually triangular in shape, samosas are a deep-fried snack popular in south and southeast Asia. They may be filled with a variety of stuffings, including potato, onions, peas, lentils and ground lamb.
Khinkali
Straddling Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia, it's not surprising that Georgia has its own dumpling. The khinkali resembles the xiaolongbao. It's formed by gathering the pleats of the wrapper at the top and stuffed with spiced beef and pork. Khinkali are usually served with coarse ground black pepper.
Gnocchi
Gnocchi are small, thick pasta shapes that can be made from semolina flour, potato, flour, eggs, cheese, or a combination of the lot. They originated in northern Italy, though are eaten throughout the country today, with recipes varying from region to region. Gnocchi are prepared like other pasta dishes, and may be served in tomato-based sauces, pesto sauces or with any other sauce you might find on pasta.
Daifuku
Duty-free shops in Japanese airports are packed with what look like mountains of pre-wrapped boxes of Japanese treats. Many of these boxes actually contain daifuku. They are a type of mochi (glutinous rice cakes), only they're stuffed, usually with sticky-sweet red azuki. Daifuku are popular as gifts in Japan, specialty stores that create a dazzling array of varieties move countless boxes over holiday periods.
Amish apple dumpling
The apple dumpling is popular across the United States, and common among the Amish, especially in and around Pennsylvania. A peeled and cored apple is stuffed with cinnamon and sugar, then wrapped in a piece of dough and baked until the apple becomes tender. The pairing of the apple dumpling, fresh from the oven, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top makes for a divine dessert.
Ravioli del plin
Every region of Italy produces its own filled pasta, of course, but these, from southern Piedmont, are particularly prized. Much smaller than regular ravioli - they're barely bigger than Bolognese tortellini - they're filled with either a meat mix (which often includes rabbit) and served with a glaze of meaty sauce, or contain a vegetable mix, often cabbage with rice. As well as being small in size, the pasta is also rolled super thin, so the dumplings seem to melt in the mouth. "Plin" isn't the place where they came from; the word derives from a local dialect word for "pinch," as the pockets are pinched together by hand.
Shish barak
This is the ultimate Lebanese comfort food: lamb dumplings, similar to manti, and served drenched in yoghurt - usually goat, rather than cow, to give the flavor a bit more bang. The lamb is mixed with pine nuts and spices before being wrapped in the dough, and slow-cooked in the yoghurt with water. It's labor-intensive - requiring constant stirring, to keep the consistency.
Ashak
These vegetarian dumplings hail from Afghanistan, and are also similar to manti. Recipes vary, but the stalwart is some kind of green vegetable inside, which can be chives, scallions, or celery, as they make it in Venice's refugee-run Orient Experience restaurant. Ashak are normally topped with a stewy lentil kind of sauce, and yogurt.
Source: https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/dumplings-worlds-best-35/index.html
Monday, December 6, 2021
Hot Toddy
Greetings all!
Warm up with this hot drink – easy to make and very soothing! Some believe that it also has medicinal properties because it is served hot and has honey!
Serves: 1
Preparation
Time: 10 minutes
Difficulty
Level: Easy
Ingredients (with variations)
- 1 bag herbal tea (optional)
- 8 oz. hot water
- 1 oz. Bourbon (or your favorite liquor)
- 1 tsp. honey
- 1 slice(s) lemon, to garnish (you can also add 2 tsp of lemon juice)
- Cinnamon sticks, to garnish (you can also add ground nutmeg)
Instructions
- Steep herbal tea bag in hot water for 5 minutes.
- Remove tea bag and add Bourbon and honey to mug.
- Stir well.
- Garnish with a lemon wedge and cinnamon sticks.
Bon Appetit! Let me know how you like it!
Monday, November 29, 2021
As Simple As the Tides [Tidal Meditation]
Think of your breath cycle as the surf lapping the shore. Let your belly rise and fall with every wave to release tightness, keeping the transitions between your breaths soft.
If you have tension in your body, imagine how it might be soothed if you were caressed by the sunlight or immersed in the ocean.
Think of other sensations you might experience on this beach. How does the air smell? Is there a breeze?
Welcome any feelings that surface and release them with every exhale, as simple as the tides.
~ from MyLife, as read in the August-2021 issue of the Real Simple magazine
P.S. Extra benefits if you can add loving and grateful thoughts towards someone.
Monday, November 22, 2021
Optical Illusions
Greetings all!
Do you like optical illusions? Do you like personality tests? Read on!
I think optical illusions are super-fun because there are several ways to interpret them – and we all see them differently! Apparently the way we interpret optical illusions might reveal how you experience the world.
Here are several optical illusions from https://www.ranker.com/list/pictures-that-reveal-personality-traits/donn-saylor. Take a look and see if you agree with the explanations of your character below depending on what you see first!
Do You See A Young Woman Or An Old Man?
Photo: playbuzz
The young woman/old man illusion is one of the more psychologically revealing optical puzzles. If you immediately see the back of a young woman's head, you tend to be an optimist, and your natural inclination is to look on the bright side of life. Your impulsivity and thirst for adventure may be a little too much for some people, but you are generally viewed as a positive person who makes others comfortable and happy.
If you see a
mustachioed old man looking downward, you are more of a critical thinker. You
also possess a great deal of sensitivity and empathy. Those who know you
turn to you for support and guidance because you are both a logical adviser and
an understanding friend. You have very high ideals, and while some people may
fall short of these ideals, your innate compassion allows you to quickly
forgive them.
Do You See A Lynx Or A Bird?
In the accompanying image, do you immediately see a lynx? Or do you see a bird with its wings spread? Your answer could tell you a lot about how you approach work.
Those who
see the lynx tend to be big-picture thinkers: people who can come up with
ideas, assemble teams, and ensure projects are followed through to the ultimate
goal. Those who see the bird first are natural entrepreneurs, go-to types who
can always be counted on to know how to get things done.
This image
was created by Company Funding Circle, who worked closely with
psychologist Dr. Rebecca Spelman to develop the test.
Do You See A Young Woman Or An Old Woman?
Viewers will either see a young woman in hat and veil looking back, or an
old woman with a protruding nose looking to the left of the image. What
this picture supposedly reveals is less about personality or character and
more about age.
According to
researchers, young people see the young woman first, and older folks see the
older woman first. So, perhaps if you're a young person who sees the old woman
right off, you've got an old soul. If you're an older individual who instantly
identifies the young woman, perhaps you're young at heart.
Do You See A Vase Or Two People Facing Each Other?
A Danish psychologist and philosopher named Edgar John Rubin first
devised this classic optical illusion. What does it say to you? Is it an
image of two people in profile facing one another, or an ornate vase?
If you see
the vase first, you are seeing the bigger picture with less focus on the
details, so you are likely a "bigger picture" thinker. If you see the
two people in profile first, your eyes are picking up on the details of each
silhouette, so you are likely someone who zeroes in easily on
particulars and senses the steps that must be accomplished to reach a goal.
Do You See A Woman Looking In A Mirror Or A Skull?
This is "All is Vanity," an 1892 drawing by artist Charles
Allan Gilbert. Viewers tend to see one of two things: a woman looking in
a mirror, or a large, ominous skull.
Given the
popularity and long history of this image, its interpretation in relation to
the viewer's personality has been the subject of much debate. There is the
classic interpretation centering on detail. If you first see the woman, you
probably tend to life's details and make concrete steps to goals, but
if you see the skull first, you might be a bigger-picture thinker who is better
at aiming for long-term objectives.
Much has
also been said about this image's dual meaning. The woman looking in
the mirror could be seen as vain, and the skull could be a reminder that,
in the end, vanity gets us nowhere because we all end up in the same condition.
Perhaps, then, what one immediately sees says something about their own
vanity.
See more here: https://www.ranker.com/list/pictures-that-reveal-personality-traits/donn-saylor
What did you think? Drop me a line!