Al Dente

Host a Potsticker Party

My mother was born in Beijing, China and many of my favorite childhood dishes are from this region.  I love the variety, rich flavors, and history that Beijing cuisine infuses into every dish.

Moo Shi Pork (also known as Mu Shu Pork) and Hot and Sour Soup are Beijing classics that incorporate the exotic flavors and textures of tiger lily buds, and black tree fungus. The area around Beijing is the only part of China where there are lamb dishes, a legacy of the Mongols who conquered northern China in the 13th century. Wheat, rather than rice, is the staple grain of the region, so wheat is favored and noodles, pancakes and dumplings all made from wheat flour are de rigueur in Beijing.

Besides the better known Beijing specialties such as Beijing Roast Duck and Moo Shi dishes, Beijing street food and snacks known as xiao chi are perhaps to natives the best loved comfort food. These snacks of sweet and savory pastries, dumplings, flat cakes and noodles make Beijing street food one of the most diverse and delicious in China. Many of these delicacies trace their roots deep into Chinese culinary history incorporating Han, Islamic and Imperial cooking traditions.

One tradition that I remember from childhood and still continue today in my own home is making potsticker dumplings or guo tie, during the Chinese New Year. It’s a perennial favorite in northern China and is fast becoming one of the most popular Chinese specialties in the United States as well. They are traditionally made and served during the Chinese New Year when family and friends unite for banquets and celebrations. Making potstickers is a social occasion and the whole family joins in making these meat-filled dumplings and then everyone counts the number of dumplings they can eat. In 2009, Chinese New Year will be on January 26th. 

Trivia: In the Boston area potstickers are still known as “ Peking Ravioli”, a name coined by my mother, Joyce Chen, when we first opened our family restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the 1950’s. 

How about hosting a holiday potsticker party?  It’s a memorable way to entertain, educate and feast your friends. Do as the Chinese do and get your guests to participate in the fun of making and eating potstickers together. Assemble all the ingredients in advance and provide each guest with a dumpling press, which they can use to form the dumplings and then take home as a souvenir. Extra dumplings can be divided and sent home with your friends for freezing. These savory dumplings make a perfect snack, appetizer, hors d’oeuvre or meal and your friends will appreciate the chance to learn a new dish.

End your potsticker party with fortune cookies (perhaps with your own personalized fortunes in them) served on embossed Japanese paper leaves along with a relaxing cup of green tea brewed in Asian teapots with matching tea cups. Made in Vietnam, there are 4 beautiful styles of teapots all handmade and glazed in a traditional Vietnamese crackle glaze of white or wasabi green. Hint: These teapots and cups also make a thoughtful gift for any tea drinker or Asian food lover.

Steam Cooking the Helen’s Asian Kitchen Way

The Chinese have been steaming almost as long as they’ve been stir-frying--and that’s a long time. The bamboo steamer is the cooking utensil of choice for sweet or savory filled buns, hand-formed dumplings, all kinds of seafood, especially whole fresh fish and even desserts. It’s quite amazing what delicacies can come out of a Chinese steamer.

Many people are surprised to discover that Chinese kitchens do not traditionally have ovens. Instead of baking, Chinese steam their breads, cakes and desserts. Steamers are used for preparing anything from appetizers to main entrees to desserts. Besides cooking, steaming is also perfect for reheating leftovers without drying them out, refreshing stale bread and dried fruit.   

Steaming food is fast, easy, economical and healthy. It requires no added fats or oils, so it’s a great way to prepare low calorie dishes that taste delicious. Vegetables stay crisp and crunchy with little loss of vitamins and minerals. Fish, meats and poultry cook quickly retaining their natural juices and tender texture.

The bamboo steamers from my eponymous line, Helen’s Asian Kitchen, are all handmade from natural bamboo--a sustainable and renewable resource. They have tightly woven lids to trap and hold the steam for more efficient cooking. The steamers are durable and strong and assembled without any metal nails or wire which may rust or discolor. They are also beautiful enough to bring right to the table.

Helen’s Asian Kitchen offers several sizes of bamboo steamers, including charming little dim sum steamers perfect for individual serving. In addition, I created three useful steaming accessories to help make your steam cooking easier, safer, faster and ultimately more fun.

Plate Retriever Tongs: Here’s a simple one-handed tool for safely lifting and depositing hot plates and bowls to and from steamers.

Steaming Ring: Transform any sauce pan, stock pot or skillet into a base for your bamboo steamer, freeing up your wok for cooking so you can stir-fry and steam simultaneously; Neighboring burners remain unobstructed from the wide edge of a wok, pots hold more water than woks resulting in fewer refills during cooking. This also means no more scorched bamboo steamers, no more stripped seasoning from your wok, and no damage to non-stick surfaces not meant for boiling water for extended periods of time.

Parchment Steamer Liners: These are a great solution for steaming dumplings, breads, dim sum and vegetables without having them stick to the steamer.  No wet, limp cabbage leaves or tediously cutting rounds of paper. Heat-resistant and perforated with holes to allow steam to freely circulate, these parchment liners are neat and easy--simply discard after use.

For easy holiday entertaining, steam store-bought frozen dim sum, available in most Asian markets and serve them as appetizers or hors d’oeuvres right from the bamboo steamer. It’s fun, easy and delicious!

--Helen Chen

Copyright © 2008 by Helen Chen.  All rights reserved.

Check out Helen’s favorite kitchen products in the Kitchen & Home Gift Guide.