by Steven Doyle
There is never a bad time to enjoy a dumplings. The very amazing fact about dumplings is that they have this long and illustrious history and cross over many cultures. Look to the Polish for their beautiful piroshky, the Italians and their own ravioli, and our absolut favorite: the xiao long bao, or soup dumpling. For soup dumpling fans there is an even better version called sheng jian bao which is the same except it has a fried posterior. Continue reading
Filed under Crave, Steven Doyle
by Steven Doyle
Few things rock my world as much as xiao long bao. The mighty dumpling power-packed with a meatball, (beef, pork, crab, the usual round up) supplied with a generous amount of broth and pleated into a package of steamed love.
Most agree that the xiao long bao’s story begins in the Shanghai suburb of Nanxiang over nearly 150 years ago. It is believed that Huang Mingxian wanted to create a dumpling that would surprise and delight the guests of his restaurant, Ri Hua Xuan. The elegant pleated dumpling was made by adding aspic – or a jellified meat stock – to pork mince, so that once steamed the aspic would melt, thereby filling the inside of the dumpling with a flavorsome broth. Continue reading
Filed under Crave, Steven Doyle
by Steven Doyle
Generations have celebrated certain restaurants in Dallas, enjoying the cuisine that made Dallas strong and certainly has given it character. Today we pay homage to a select handful of these Dallas classics and hope you will continue to enjoy them as time honors them with continued success.
I recall some old favorites including Zeider Zee, The Beefeater, Prince of Burgers and Southern Kitchen. Perhaps you have some memories of restaurants that come to mind.
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Filed under Crave, Steven Doyle
by Steven Doyle pictured: Gnudi
Dumplings are simply cooked dough. Each culture has their own version and they can be steamed, poached, boiled, baked or fried. When thinking dumpling, many will immediately gear towards the Asian cultures with their plentiful varieties, but there are so many more representations of the dumpling and most are available in Dallas.
When looking for the perfect dumpling look no further than a pierogi, the boiled or baked dish with Central European roots can be filled with meat, cheese, fruit and even sauerkraut. A popular filling in the United States is the venerable potato. Continue reading
Filed under beer, chefs, Crave, Dumplings, fun with food, Party!, Steven Doyle
by Steven Doyle
I have plenty of Jewish friends and several have invited me to their traditional Christmas dinner, which is sweet and I thank them. I will probably accept one or all of those invites, but curiously there will be no dry turkey, cranberries or pumpkin pie for that matter. Most include a trip to the local Chinese restaurant for that truly traditional Christmas meal.
This odd tradition might date as far back as the day before Jesus was born, where there was no room at the inn — or a decent restaurant open late that night. Perhaps the only choice in Bethlehem was the local Chinese restaurant serving up kung pao or General Tso chicken and those little dumplings that have been seared in schmaltz to a fine crisp. Continue reading
Filed under Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, Steven Doyle
by Steven Doyle
For reasons unknown I go ballistic over soup dumplings about this time of year. There is no xiao long bao season that I am aware of, but perhaps this is typically the hottest time of year and I want to settle in for some lighter bites. Or perhaps I get my fill of the juicy dumpling then wait it out for a year before devouring thousands of them once again. Regardless of the reason, I have been on a self-inflicted soup dumpling tear.
Before we get started, I realize that Dallas is not the Mecca of the little dumpling. I have found better bliss in New York, Canada and of course, China. But this is where we live and I set out to find the very best in our own backyard. Continue reading
Filed under Dumplings, Steven Doyle
