13. Try some new kind of food - Vietnamese? Middle Eastern? CRAZY Sushi?


Well, I definitely have eaten vegetable dumplings before, but I feel like making dumplings merits crossing #13 off my list. When I found dumpling wrappers in the Asian market near my house, I knew that I had to try and make them! But when I thought about it, I didn't really know what vegetables you wrap inside. Upon investigation, I found pre-made dumplings in the freezer aisle made with carrots, celery, mushrooms, sesame oil and taro powder.

I bought celery, carrots, scallions and and a mixture of maitake, cremini and portabello mushrooms to stuff the dumplings. Not sure how to combine the ingredients, I tried chopping the carrots and celery in a food processor. Before I knew it, the entire package of dumpling wrappers had disappeared into the steamer basket - probably 50 dumplings!

I was trying to think what the insides of vegetable dumplings look like when you go to a restaurant, and really all that comes to mind is a dark mass of unknown ingredients. I want to learn more about what goes on when a person makes dumplings who knows what he/she is doing....looks like I wasn't totally off.

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