“Favorite Asian Dumplings From Scratch” and A Food Gal Giveaway

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Learn how to make a bevy of Asian dumplings with instructor Andrea Nguyen. (Photo courtesy of Craftsy)

Learn how to make a bevy of Asian dumplings with instructor Andrea Nguyen. (Photo courtesy of Craftsy)

 

There is both an art and a skill to meticulously folding, shaping and cooking all manner of precious little Asian dumplings.

I can’t think of any better teacher to learn from than my good friend and Asian food authority bar none, Andrea Nguyen.

After all, she knows Asian food like nobody’s business. She teaches dumpling-making classes regularly at Love Apple Farms in Santa Cruz. And she wrote the book, “Asian Dumplings” (Ten Speed Press).

Now, no matter where you live, you can learn from her, thanks to Craftsy.

The site offers online classes on everything from cooking to knitting to photography. Started by former eBay executives, it allows you to learn in the privacy of your own home and at your own speed, as you can watch the videos over and over, and even with friends and family. You can even ask questions of the instructors in a virtual classroom.

Andrea’s “Favorite Asian Dumplings from Scratch” includes eight lessons, from “Introduction to Dumplings” to “Making Shrimp Wontons” to “Japanese Pot Stickers” to “Korean Dumplings.” The complete package is $19.99.

Yes, you can make this. (Photo courtesy of Craftsy)

Yes, you can make this. (Photo courtesy of Craftsy)

I had a chance to preview the class for free for this review. The videos have nice production values, like a cooking show you’d see on PBS. There are plenty of close-ups of the food, too, which not only get you hungry but help you follow along easily, especially when it comes to learning how to stuff and fold the dumplings. You’ll also learn where each of these dumplings originated and what makes each unique. Along the way, Andrea offers up stories of her love for dumplings and endless words of encouragement. Crafsy even allows you to share your new-found dumpling skills with your virtual classmates through the posting of your own photos and comments.

I’ve actually been lucky enough to stand alongside Andrea as she’s cooked in her own home kitchen. This video class is the next best thing to that.

CONTEST: One lucky Food Gal reader will win “Favorite Asian Dumplings from Scratch.” The best part about this contest is you can live anywhere in the world to enter.

How to win?

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The Goodies You’ll Find In My New Cookbook, “San Francisco Chef’s Table”

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A dusting of cinnamon completes this anise semolina cake from Aziza that's perfect for the holidays.

A dusting of cinnamon completes this anise semolina cake from Aziza that’s perfect for the holidays.

 

Drum roll, please: My debut cookbook, “San Francisco Chef’s Table,” (Lyons Press) arrives next week.

Available easily on Amazon, it makes for a perfect holiday gift without having to trudge to the mall on Black Friday, too.

The cookbook features spotlights on 54 of the San Francisco Bay Area’s top restaurants, along with 70 of their signature recipes.

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To rev up your taste buds, I thought I’d tell you about some of the recipes you’ll find in the book:

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Nudo’s Italian Torrone and Adopt A Tea Garden Program; Plus A Food Gal Giveaway

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An Italian specialty candy perfect for the holidays.

An Italian specialty candy perfect for the holidays.

 

Sticky, sweet and crunchy — that’s Italian torrone.

This traditional confection is made the time-honored way by hand by Torronificio Trapani in Southern Italy with a family recipe that’s more than 200 years old.

Now, Nudo Italia has made it available in the United States. The gourmet food company sells a 7-ounce, 10-inch-long slab for $15.

Recently, I had a chance to try a sample.

The white nougat looks like Christmas, itself. It’s packed to the gills with almonds, too. Orange honey gives it a rounder flavor. And the bitter edge of the almonds ensures this treat isn’t cloying.

It’s a stick-to-your-teeth candy that’s fairly addictive.

A nice up of tea is a perfect accompaniment, what with its welcome tannins to counteract the sweetness.

A sample from the Darjeeling Adopt a Tea Garden program.

A sample from the Darjeeling Adopt-A-Tea-Garden program.

Nudo offers a unique way to enjoy its tea by offering a Darjeeling Adopt-A-Tea-Garden program. Here’s how it works: Choose one of five Nudo tea gardens in Darjeeling, India to adopt for a year. Each features a different flavor profile. Then, each quarter for $29 per quarter, you’ll receive a 125-gram tin of loose leaf tea straight from your garden. Each container is enough for 40 cups.

In this way, you’re helping to support a local, family tea farm in India.

You’ll also get quite the tea education in the process by being able to taste tea from the same garden throughout the year, discovering how the flavors change over time. For instance, I found the First Flush (summer harvest) I sampled to be quite delicate and green tasting. In comparison, the Monsoon Flush (winter harvest) was quite robust and earthy.

CONTEST: One lucky Food Gal reader will win not only a sample of Nudo Italia’s torrone, but a membership in the Darjeeling Adopt-A-Tea-Garden program that includes an “adoption certificate” plus one shipment of Golden Harvest Darjeeling tea. Entries, limited to those in the continental United States, will be accepted through midnight PST Nov. 30. Winner will be announced Dec. 2.

How to win?

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For Thanksgiving: A Pie That’s Not What You Think It Is

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Something a little different for dessert on Thanksgiving.

Something a little different for dessert on Thanksgiving.

 

Nope, it’s not pumpkin pie.

Not sweet potato, either.

Use your 20-20 vision and you’ll realize it’s actually carrot tart.

Those of you who have followed me long enough know that I am not a pumpkin pie fan. I love almost everything else that’s pumpkin, though, if that makes any sense. So, every Thanksgiving, I try to offer up something that is decidedly not pumpkin pie.

“Vanilla Carrot Cream Tart” fills the bill perfectly. It’s from the new “The Chefs Collaborative Cookbook: Local, Sustainable, Delicious Recipes from America’s Great Chefs” (Taunton Press), of which I received a review copy. It’s written by Portland, Ore.-pastry chef turned food writer, Ellen Jackson, and members of the Chefs Collaborative.

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The non-profit organization was founded in 1993 by a few visionary chefs, including John Ash, Rick Bayless, Susan Feniger, Nora Pouillon, Michael Romano and Alice Waters. Their goal was to encourage employees, diners and other chefs to join the food revolution promoting sustainable, organic, local and smart eating choices.

The cookbook includes 115 recipes from member chefs, including Jesse Cool, Dan Barber, Vital Paley and Hugh Acheson. There are handy sections explaining meat labels, the raw milk debate, and GMOs.

The carrot tart recipe is from Phoebe Lawless of Scratch Baking in Durham, NC.

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