Wild Ginger

Good Shao Mai are a delicious treat and make a wonderful appetizer. Then can be made ahead and frozen for up to a month, but are best steamed after being freshly made. The filling here is enough for about 16 shao mai, so you may double or triple the recipe depending on whether you're cooking for dinner with the family or doing a tray of hors d'oevres for a party. You can buy round dumpling wrappers - alternatively, you can use the 3 inch wonton squares and cut them round with a cookie cutter.

PREPARATION

1. Mix all filling ingredients in medium bowl and let it sit for 30 minutes to let the flavors mingle. Refrigerate until ready to make dumplings.
2. Holding a wonton skin in the cup of your hand, place two rounded teaspoons of filling in the center. Cup your hand with the filling filled wonton in your palm. Gather the side of the wonton wrapper up around the filling, gently folding small pleats around the side, gently pressing into the filling and forming a cup shaped dumpling. This is an open topped dumpling - you don't need to gather the edges together and close at the top.
3. If you have a bamboo steamer and a wok, then put three inches of water in the bottom of the walk, place the steamer above it and boil the water in the wok. Cut rounds out of wax paper to fit your steamer and generously poke with holes for the steam to pass through. Alternatively, you could use the traditional Napa cabbage leaves instea of wax paper. Cover the wok and steam until the dumplings are cooked, about five minutes.
   
   If you don't have a wok and a steamer, use a collapsable vegetable steamer basket, liberally annointed with cooking spray so the dumplings won't stick. Fill a dutch oven or stew pos with enough water to come up almost to the bottome of the steamer basket - cover and steam.
4. Serve, with dipping sauces.

For use with appetizers like potstickers, shao mai or egg rolls. This sauce can be made a day ahead and refrigerated overnight.

PREPARATION
Bring vinegar and sugar to boil in small saucepan, stirring briefly, until sugar dissolves. Pour into bowl; stir in garlic, fish sauce, and red pepper flakes. Serve.

For use with appetizers like potstickers, shao mai or egg rolls. This sauce can be made a day ahead and refrigerated overnight.

PREPARATION
Bring soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and water to boil over medium heat, stirring briefly, until sugar dissolves. Pour into bowl; stir in scallion, ginger, and sesame and chile oils. Serve.

Good curries are as individual as their cooks an reminiscent of great jazz where masterful creations emanate from a basic theme. So, here's a basic theme - a master curry recipe - which you can build upon, deviate from, take flight and make it your own. Experiment. Have fun.

INGREDIENTS
Whole Spice Blend (Optional)
1 1/2 cinnamon sticks (3-inches)
4 whole cloves
4 green cardamom pods
8 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf

Curry
1/4 cup vegetable oil ( or canola oil)
1 medium onion , sliced thin
4 large cloves garlic , pureed in a minichopper with 1 tablespoon water (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger , pureed in a minichopper with 1-2 teaspoons water
1 1/2 pounds top sirloin or boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 3/4-inch cubes, or 6 chicken thighs, skinned, or 1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
Table salt
3 plum tomatoes (canned), chopped, plus 1 tablespoon juice, or 2/3 cup crushed tomato, or 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 bunches spinach (1 1/2 pounds), stemmed, thoroughly washed, and chopped coarse (optional)
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves (optional)
2 cups water
1 jalapeño chile , stemmed and cut in half through the stem end
1/2 cup Indian split peas (channa dal), or 4 medium boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes, or 4 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, or 1 cup green peas
2 - 4 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves (use the lesser amount if you've already added the optional cilantro)

PREPARATION
1. Heat oil in large deep skillet or soup kettle, preferably nonstick, over medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. If using whole spice blend, add to oil and cook, stirring with wooden spoon until cinnamon stick unfurls and cloves pop, about 5 seconds. If omitting whole spice blend, simply add onion to skillet; sauté until softened, 3 to 4 minutes, or browned, 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Stir in garlic, ginger, selected meat (except shrimp), ground spices, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and tomatoes or yogurt; cook, stirring almost constantly, until liquid evaporates, oil separates and turns orange, and spices begin to fry, 5 to 7 minutes, depending on skillet or kettle size. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until spices smell cooked, about 30 seconds longer.
3. Stir in optional spinach and/or cilantro. Add the water and jalapeño and season with salt; bring to simmer. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until meat is tender, 20 to 30 minutes for chicken, 30 to 40 minutes for beef or lamb.
4. Add selected vegetable (except green peas); cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro. Add shrimp and/or peas if using. Simmer 3 minutes longer and serve.