Asian Dumplings (Shrimpos, Processed)

Today started with a quick review for tomorrow's exam, then straight down to it. All three groups did the same group of recipes -- Shrimp Shao Mai, Pork & Shrimp Potsticker, Vegetable Spring Roll, and Mu Shu Chicken. My group seemed pretty apathetic to the dishes, so I jumped on the shrimps.

First, make the mousse. In the robo coupe goes chopped peeled and deveined shrimp, minced ginger, minced scallion, rice wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, egg white and cornstarch. Blend it so it's a bit chunky. Fold in some minced minced water chestnuts. (Fresh water chestnuts are wonderfully mildly sweet and juicy, nothing like the canned junk you find in cheap Chinese food.)

Unfortunately, most of the dumplings used pre-made wrappers. Looking at the ingredients, there was some questionable ingredients -- yellow dye #6, sodium sulfate, etc.

The technique of making the dumpling was a bit tricky, but I imagine if I worked in a dumpling factory, I'd be able to do it fast in my sleep. Wet the wrapper, plop a spoonful of the mousse in the middle, fold pleats around to make into a little cup, open topped.

Before wacking them in a steamer, dipping sauce: cilantro, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, soysauce, rice wine and roasted green chili (burnt on a burner just like in mod 1) all blended together in the robo coup.

The metal steamer is lined with cabbag leaves to prevent the shumai from sticking, and covered with a bamboo cover. Once the mouse turns completely solid and slightly orange, they're done. They came out pretty damn good, and they disappeared before anyone could think of packing them up to take home.

Tomorrow, an end-of-mod quiz and a day of sushi.

ADDENDA:
Went to a demo of Japanese ingredients after class, there sure is a lot I don't know or even experienced. Learned a cool recipe for a (vegan) green-tea smoothie, though the Japanese chef referred to it as a "smoosie". (Based on the method, it would be pretty easy to make green tea ice cream and green tea soy ice cream....) Afterwards, went to yoga, watched people do all sorts of poses I couldn't dream of attempting. Made me hungry.

BREAKFAST: 6:30am, smoothie, 1 bowl, hunger 3/5

Good milk, good yogurt, banana, cherries, grapes, freshly ground flax. Taaaasty!

AM TASTINGS: 10-11am, shrimp shumai, pork and shrimp pot stickers, fried vegetable spring rolls, water, 1 bowl, hunger 4/5

PM TASTINGS: 1-3pm, green tea smoothie, steamed cod, dried salted cod fish, .25 bowl, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5

DINNER: 6:30pm, large green salad, school-made wild boar ragu with fresh pasta, a few scrapings of mint chip ice cream, 1.5 bowl, hunger 4/5

EVENING SNACK: 7pm, slice of streetza, .5 bowl, hunger 4/5
Feeling hungry, from my local

EVENING DRINK: 8:30pm, 1 cup beer
On the concrete of Maclarren park in Greenpoint, or as my grand dad called it, "Greenpurnt". Alcohol is so overrated.