Dumplings 2. This is the first class I signed up for at the Hot Stove Society Cooking School. It started with me trying to find something fun to do in Seattle over the weekend. I am always interested in signing up for cooking classes to learn something new, and to try some new food.
Dumplings and are not new to me. My brother and sister-in-law started me on the path to be a dumpling fan. My first dumpling was made by my brother. It was technically a potsticker. I know they are all different, but for simplicity’s sake, we call them dumplings.
Back in North Dakota, and a good part of the country, when you use the term Dumpling, people more than likely don’t think if Asian dumplings. In my home town, we would be referring to potato dumplings, a staple of the Czech pioneers that founded my little village.
Some people may think of the dumplings in Cracker Barrels Chicken n’ Dumplins dish. Others may think of Apple Dumplings. Well, I mean Asian dumplings. As evidenced in the featured image.
My first with the Hot Stove Society was Dumplings 2. My coworker said I must have the prerequisite experience to skip Dumplings 1. Nope, Dumplings 1 and Dumplings 2 are two different classes independent of each other.
The class started off with a quick check-in, then finding a spot at one of two large tables. The spot you choose had a simple black apron, and a wooden token for a glass or wine or beer at the bar. We were served a lovely salad of ribbons of melon (cantaloupe) and prosciutto garnished with some micro greens and mint leaves. Two roasted peppers were included but I could not recall the name. I wasn’t hungry enough to try them either. I was assured they were mild.
I introduced myself to those around me and we discussed previous classes that some had taken there before. I learned that some had taken a knife skills class and another took a pasta class. Fortunately, I had taken a similar class or taken on preparing homemade pasta on my own.
Jaime, our instructor, did quick introductions and had the two tables break into two groups. We would be working in teams of four and would work on preparing, cooking, and eating one type of dumpling within a 25 minute period. We were to then move clockwise to the next station.
Two of the stations had a dedicated instructor while the other two were covered by Jaime. My dumpling rotation was as follows:
- Pan Fried Japanese Curry Chicken Dumplings
- Fried Shrimp and Pork Wontons
- Shu Mai (steamed Chinese pork dumplings)
- Pelmeni (meat-filled Siberian dumplings)
The class was fun and I enjoyed the fact we were able to create and enjoy different types of dumplings. The class was only scheduled for 2 hours so a lot of prep had been done prior to our arrival. Each station had round or square wrappers covered in wet towels to keep them from drying. Fillings for the dumplings and sauces for dipping were also prepared prior to class.
The only station where we worked on the wrappers was at the Pelmeni station where we rolled out dough that was already made into thin sheets. Using a round cutter, we took the circles of dough and filled similar to the other dumplings.
Students were not limited to just the complimentary glass of wine or beer. Tyler our bartender made the rounds during the two hours to let students open a tab and order more drinks. Ice water was readily available for those like me that only wanted the one drink.
The layout of the kitchen/classroom gave everyone room to work. The cook tops were close together but everyone could see how the dumplings were cooked, steamed, boiled or fried.
Class ended with the staff placing out totes of fresh vegetables from their garden. Paper sacks were also provided for students to take some of the fresh produce home. A small retail area is available in a corner of the kitchen with various products for sale such as cookbooks, aprons, towels, serve ware, KitchenAid mixer accessories, seasonings, etc. They had displayed items that we used during the evening to make the decision to purchase them for future use, that much easier.
I left the class with not only having had a good time, good meal, and some new skill, I also left some of my money there in the form of purchases. Living for the next 12 months or so in Seattle, I don’t have these items in the apartment. I figured it was a good investment and would be encouragement to prepare more meals on the awesome gas range we have.
My next class, is the next day and I will learn to make Gyoza. Stay tuned for details on that class.
Sarah Roonie 