My efforts to prevent “death of home cooking”: Teaching Dumpling Class

Do you know the differences between Jiaozi, Shui Mai, Ha Gao, Bao, Wontons… etc? These are the names of different Chinese dumplings.

It’s ok, I cannot keep track of ravioli, tortellini, cappelletti either! Let’s just have some fun making them and quickly eating them all before they get cold. Over the past 5 years, I have had the unique pleasure of offering a kind of class that is atypical to say the least — DUMPLING CLASS!

What exactly is a dumplings class???!!!

Making dumplings is NOT cooking!! Really! It’s not hard work anymore when you gather your friends and families ( assuming, of course, you actually like them) to share the tasks. You don’t have to do all the hard work alone. That’s what I am here for! Think of all the opportunities to laugh at each other‘s cooking disasters and failed experiments ;-). What better way to gain the upper hand in a sibling rivalry than by making better dumplings than your sister?

So many dumpling stories roll about in my mind! I can think of family X, who flew into Seattle from across the country, to reunite with loved ones and also learn about some dumplings in the process. I remember the sheer joy that brightened their faces during the class. It meant so much to me.

Or I can think of parents from the Y family, whose 6–9 year olds were tasked with learning the art of Shui Mai. Dumplings were their favorite food before the class, and now they can make their own!

These are the kinds of personal transformations I witness regularly while teaching these classes.

Dumplings can be a challenge of course, but with proper preparation and perseverance, anything is possible.

At the end of the day, I am satisfied if I can somehow contribute to making people’s bellies happy with laughter and delicious dumplings for a few hours. In an age of over consumption where people eat out almost nightly and cobwebs start growing in the kitchen from neglect, I offer my clients a way to make use of their hands, some simple ingredients, and learn about some ancient culinary traditions in the process — all in the comfort of their own kitchens.

I am glad I have done my small part in preventing the “death of home cooking!”