My husband is Cantonese and he is the cook of my family. From about ten years ago I realized that if I don't make dumplings myself, nobody can make it for me in this house. That was when I started to make dumplings quite often. I remember all the techniques from my family but I'm not efficient so usually it takes several hours to a whole day. But I enjoy making dumplings and make more than a hundred each time to freeze and store them. In many mornings I would say, "Today is so-and-so day. It is the day you should have dumplings." And it is true in the Chinese calendar the traditional dish for many special days is dumplings. My husband says he eventually learns that, for Chinese northerners every day is a dumpling day. 😅
Yes let me put together a few recipes for you. What I use most often for dumplings are chives and the amaranth that I mentioned the other day. Usually just either of them with minced pork and I would like to add some chopped shrimps as well. Besides I've developed my own technique of mixing pork with seasoning. I will summarize it to you later when I get back home from this trip. 😄
Amazing! I usually use pork and chives, sometimes napa cabbage. For me, something is still missing from the seasoning, and I can't pinpoint it in the recipes I've found online.
I just played with this today. I voice input the method and ask NotebookLM to summarize it into a recipe. In the picture you can see NotebookLM added a cheesy title for this recipe by itself 😁 I also asked it to put the recipe into a picture but I think the text version has more details. Can you read Chinese? If so, I can also send you the original Chinese version of the input. Please also note that I am not good at cooking at all, and the recipe is not perfect. At home, I usually only cook the 3-4 items that my Cantonese husband cannot cook. 😅
I can't read Chinese, unfortunately, but the picture is amazing! "Hydrate it until it talks" made me smile. I've never tried adding shrimp to dumpling filling — next batch, I'm giving it a shot.
I love reading stories like this 🥰 it makes me understand my husband better too, but also he was fortunate enough to have grown up in a Korea town in NJ (through the 90s) where even though he was Japanese he still found many other Asians peers to play and interact with. It’s just so interesting that the Japanese were always here for a short time and went back to Japan, my husband stayed and to this day we still live in that same Korea town and I am loving all of it 🥰
We ate a lot of dumplings growing up, and I'd often see her make them, even help her at times. I do miss those times, but it's been less and less as time goes on, and what was once home made is now substituted with store bought half the time.
Kim, thank you for stopping by and reading! I’m glad you still keep the tradition alive by having dumplings in your fridge even if they are store brought. It is such a comfort food for me. And so easy to cook, making is another story.
What I learned during my experience with my dad was to appreciate the beauty of who he was in the moment and let go of who he used to be. The small moments of connection during this journey are priceless; I hope you have many little bits of magic like this with your mom.
Thank you for that! Appreciating who he was in the moment instead of holding onto who he used to be is such a hard but important shift. I'm learning that too, slowly.
When I would visit my dad, long after Alzheimer's had taken his memory of who I was, I would put on music and he would dance with me as if we were both forty years younger. Sometimes he'd even sing along to a big band classic, despite no longer being able to form a coherent sentence. Thank you for sharing this beautiful story.
Thank you for sharing that — your dad dancing and singing along, even without being able to form a sentence, is beautiful. I recently discovered the same thing with music. My mom loved a traditional Chinese opera as a teenager, and when I found it on YouTube and played it for her, she knew every song and sang along. I actually got the idea from an Instagram video of a mother who'd lost her speech but still hummed whenever music played. It's amazing how much still gets through.
The love to create food for ones she loves ingrains in her fingers and her muscles. Is it the deepest statement of love?
I saw myself in the little boy who had cold dumplings for lunchbox. When I left home to the US to study, my mom taught me to make fried spring rolls, her northern vietnamese style that rarely anywhere sells because it takes time to make. When I was in the US, I made 50 of them each time and put them in the freezer, and just airfry it for lunch with veggies and rice. I came to the university and my friends looked at me like I was a rich kid that could afford that kind of meal so often. They didn't know I made them myself, and it was so cheap to make them, it reminded me my mom taught me to live healthy with hearty food. And not forget home. And will return home. That little boy in you now must be proud with the food you got every day where people had to go to a restaurant to get it.
Beautiful note and thank you for reading! I’m hoping that muscle memory continues or eventually I can’t teach her.
I remember, when people found out what I was eating they always wanted to trade with me. It was a hot commodity at the lunch table! Sounds like how your peers thought we’re eating an expensive meal!
‘that’s what you feed livestock.’ - my husband who is from Taiwan says this to me whenever I order a salad, which I find funny.
Alzheimer’s is a horrible disease. I’m sorry your mother is suffering from it. Thanks for sharing this heartwarming story.
I often say the livestock- salad reference too!😁
I love it! What a way to describe salad.
I clicked because I love dumplings, then stayed for the moving story. Thank you so much for sharing. I just subscribed!
Aww thank you Marieve! Subscribed backed! Looking forward to reading your content.
This was beautifully written. It made me think about what it means to feel at home in your own culture.
My husband is Cantonese and he is the cook of my family. From about ten years ago I realized that if I don't make dumplings myself, nobody can make it for me in this house. That was when I started to make dumplings quite often. I remember all the techniques from my family but I'm not efficient so usually it takes several hours to a whole day. But I enjoy making dumplings and make more than a hundred each time to freeze and store them. In many mornings I would say, "Today is so-and-so day. It is the day you should have dumplings." And it is true in the Chinese calendar the traditional dish for many special days is dumplings. My husband says he eventually learns that, for Chinese northerners every day is a dumpling day. 😅
It is such a comfort food! I would love it if you could share some of your northern dumpling recipes to me so I can make them with my mom.
That nothing like some Cantonese Dim Sum!
Yes let me put together a few recipes for you. What I use most often for dumplings are chives and the amaranth that I mentioned the other day. Usually just either of them with minced pork and I would like to add some chopped shrimps as well. Besides I've developed my own technique of mixing pork with seasoning. I will summarize it to you later when I get back home from this trip. 😄
Amazing! I usually use pork and chives, sometimes napa cabbage. For me, something is still missing from the seasoning, and I can't pinpoint it in the recipes I've found online.
Enjoy your trip!
I just played with this today. I voice input the method and ask NotebookLM to summarize it into a recipe. In the picture you can see NotebookLM added a cheesy title for this recipe by itself 😁 I also asked it to put the recipe into a picture but I think the text version has more details. Can you read Chinese? If so, I can also send you the original Chinese version of the input. Please also note that I am not good at cooking at all, and the recipe is not perfect. At home, I usually only cook the 3-4 items that my Cantonese husband cannot cook. 😅
I can't read Chinese, unfortunately, but the picture is amazing! "Hydrate it until it talks" made me smile. I've never tried adding shrimp to dumpling filling — next batch, I'm giving it a shot.
I bet those 3-4 items you make are delicious!
I love reading stories like this 🥰 it makes me understand my husband better too, but also he was fortunate enough to have grown up in a Korea town in NJ (through the 90s) where even though he was Japanese he still found many other Asians peers to play and interact with. It’s just so interesting that the Japanese were always here for a short time and went back to Japan, my husband stayed and to this day we still live in that same Korea town and I am loving all of it 🥰
Thanks for reading!! That is cool that your husband was surrounded by Asian culture. I feel like I missed out on that growing up.
How have you found living in K-town to be?
I like it 🥰 lots of great food 🥰 lots of well dressed and put together Koreans strutting about, so all in all 10/10
Beautiful and emotional. <3
Thanks for making me think about my own mom. ^^'
We ate a lot of dumplings growing up, and I'd often see her make them, even help her at times. I do miss those times, but it's been less and less as time goes on, and what was once home made is now substituted with store bought half the time.
Kim, thank you for stopping by and reading! I’m glad you still keep the tradition alive by having dumplings in your fridge even if they are store brought. It is such a comfort food for me. And so easy to cook, making is another story.
Definitely a big comfort food of mine as well!! It really makes me feel at home, haha. ^^
Dumplings and wontons! Quick meals and childhood staples that are always nice to have in the freezer.
What I learned during my experience with my dad was to appreciate the beauty of who he was in the moment and let go of who he used to be. The small moments of connection during this journey are priceless; I hope you have many little bits of magic like this with your mom.
Thank you for that! Appreciating who he was in the moment instead of holding onto who he used to be is such a hard but important shift. I'm learning that too, slowly.
When I would visit my dad, long after Alzheimer's had taken his memory of who I was, I would put on music and he would dance with me as if we were both forty years younger. Sometimes he'd even sing along to a big band classic, despite no longer being able to form a coherent sentence. Thank you for sharing this beautiful story.
Thank you for sharing that — your dad dancing and singing along, even without being able to form a sentence, is beautiful. I recently discovered the same thing with music. My mom loved a traditional Chinese opera as a teenager, and when I found it on YouTube and played it for her, she knew every song and sang along. I actually got the idea from an Instagram video of a mother who'd lost her speech but still hummed whenever music played. It's amazing how much still gets through.
The love to create food for ones she loves ingrains in her fingers and her muscles. Is it the deepest statement of love?
I saw myself in the little boy who had cold dumplings for lunchbox. When I left home to the US to study, my mom taught me to make fried spring rolls, her northern vietnamese style that rarely anywhere sells because it takes time to make. When I was in the US, I made 50 of them each time and put them in the freezer, and just airfry it for lunch with veggies and rice. I came to the university and my friends looked at me like I was a rich kid that could afford that kind of meal so often. They didn't know I made them myself, and it was so cheap to make them, it reminded me my mom taught me to live healthy with hearty food. And not forget home. And will return home. That little boy in you now must be proud with the food you got every day where people had to go to a restaurant to get it.
Beautiful note and thank you for reading! I’m hoping that muscle memory continues or eventually I can’t teach her.
I remember, when people found out what I was eating they always wanted to trade with me. It was a hot commodity at the lunch table! Sounds like how your peers thought we’re eating an expensive meal!