Monday, August 8, 2011

Managing the Dumplings

We may have figured out a more manageable way to do these dumplings, and it all boils down to having a plan and being organized. I don’t know if this means we’ll be doing this next year, but it surely doesn’t close the door. You just never know.

The key was not letting up and getting too complacent. After a rough day at the market, the last thing you want to do is more dumpling stuff, but that’s exactly what you must do. In the past, I’ve taken Thursday off and just relaxed, but therein lies the fatal error. This time around, I started making fillings, and the more the better. All of the fillings except for beef can sit for long periods in the fridge. The best results for the beef are accomplished if you make it within a day of cooking.

By Friday, we were ready to make dumplings, and we knocked off the chicken and veg, and some of the black bean. We had leftovers from the previous market, so weren’t in dire straights. On Saturday, I’d made the beef and apple, and then made dumplings and cooked on Sunday. By 11:00 on Sunday morning, we were finished, which is unheard of. It felt good to have some of the day leftover to do other things, but more so, to not have the dark dumpling cloud lingering over our heads. I even squeezed in a nap.

All we have to do is make the sauces, and we are ready to roll. Wow, have we turned a corner here? Until the next time, thanks for reading, and thanks to RIC for the pic.

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