Our family cooks amazing dishes. One of the many things we love is Asian dumplings. Who doesn’t love dumplings? They’re amazing, delectable, and mouth-watering, especially homemade dumplings! We live in rural Western North Carolina in the middle of nowhere so we have to keep ourselves busy and content and one way we do that is by cooking ethnic foods that we can’t get otherwise. We moved here from Connecticut, where there was plenty to do.
We make the good homemade stuff right here in our kitchen. Take a moment and think of the things you get in a sit-down restaurant, drive-thru, or somewhere besides your kitchen. Ask yourself: is the food that I make better than the easy alternative from a drive-thru? Your answer should be a big fat yes! Of course, if there is work needed to make good food then you know it’s better. We as a family like to avoid drive-thrus and other less-healthy restaurants. We try to work hard as a family to eat healthily and in order to eat healthily, you have to make the food. So, if we want Chinese food, we make it!
It’s hard sometimes, but we don’t just change our minds and say “let’s go to KFC” because the work is hard, or it takes a long time. No! That is all wrong and I don’t like to think like that. I like to think positively and ask myself “what am I trying to do here? What am I getting out of this?” We do the hard work and make homemade food as a family because it creates so many significant memories and there’s something at the end of our hard work to enjoy after.
I am an adopted child. Making food with my adoptive family is especially fun for me because in the past, living with my birth family, I never had the opportunity to do things like making homemade food. We hardly ever bought our own ingredients to make recipes at home together. We barely had a full meal in front of us to eat! If we did eat something it was food from the bodega down the block (if you’re wondering what a bodega is, it’s a small grocery store that sells different authentic Latin food, usually found in urban areas). Don’t get me wrong the food was good for someone who hardly ever ate a full meal but it’s sad to me now because I realize what I was missing.
I really enjoy making home-cooked food with my family. Making food with my family like dumplings makes me content and helps me stay busy. Everyone in my family has a role in making dumplings, whether it be prepping ingredients, washing dishes, or making other sides to go with dumplings. Have you ever heard the quote “many hands make light work”? It is actually true! We have many people in our family to help and with many people involved, less work is needed from each person.
My aunt Michelle makes the dumpling filling for us and cooks the dumplings afterwards. My uncle Will helps with cooking the dumplings and makes other flavorful dishes to go with them. My dad, my sister Amyna, my aunt Michelle and I help fold the dumplings together. My mom and grandma help with cleaning up after everyone by washing the dishes and counters.
Some of the dishes we eat with dumplings are fried rice and hot and sour soup. Sometimes we also have Char Shui pork or Lo Mein. Making our meals is time-consuming but just remember it is also worth it.
I help with folding the dumplings as I said earlier. They’re really fun to fold. The way I learned to fold dumplings was to put at least three pleats on each side. We lay the wrappers all out on a big tray. I’m going to explain the way I fold them by step.
First, make sure you have all the ingredients and equipment laid out: a small bowl of water, a big bowl of your dumpling filling, a stack of dough wrappers, and a tray to put your finished dumplings on. Most importantly, wash your hands! Now you want to lay one of your dough wrappers out on a flat surface and scoop a small amount of filling on to your dough wrapper. Then dip your finger into your water dish and rub around the edges of your dough wrapper. This is to make them stick together instead of falling apart. Next you pick your dough wrapper up and add pleats on each side. Finally, put your finished dumpling on the tray to rest before cooking.
We make dumplings all the time so when I make them I try to strive for more pleats every time. I seem to do more and more pleats as I grow. The more time you spend making food with your family at home, the more important moments you make together.
Learning these basic cooking skills to make dumplings is important. Being with family and getting to do things together and be there for each other is also important. Now that I’m finished with giving you the basic steps and my experience with making homemade Asian dumplings, I recommend trying it one day. Gather your friends and family to help you with this meal. It is time for you to make an involved home-cooked meal for yourself, family, and friends!
Love this!!
Awesome job. They look delicious.
Great read too!!
Yum! This looks delicious
Great job! Everything looks so good.
“I seem to do more and more pleats as I grow.” I loved that part. And I seem to love you more and more are you grow Lilli! This is a great article and you have inspired me to try to make them at home too! Although maybe I will wait until I can have you over so I have the master to teach me! Xoxo
This was written beautifully ! You and your family are so fortunate in so many ways! Keep cooking and stay safe!
Lilli did an amazing job here! What an interesting article and so very well written. Makes me want some of that wonderful food. Yummmm!
Lilli did a wonderful job! Truly amazing ❣️👏🏻
Lilli did a truly amazing job here.! Such an interesting article. She makes food preparation shared with family sound so special and fun!
Mouthwatering goodness!!
What an amazing article you’ve written. Your combined family and cooking story really made me feel your heart. I sensed your love for both. I really enjoyed it.
Omg this looks amazing, what a great job!
Lilli, I am so incredibly proud of how far you’ve come as a writer since I became your teacher! Keep up the great work and those look absolutely delicious! 🙂
Great job on the blog Lilli! I love that you enjoy cooking with your family. Some of my best memories now and as a kid involve cooking with my family. Dumplings are definitely a labor of love, but always so fun and so worth it in the end. I hope you will pass these memories and recipes down to your own family some day. 💜