If you have never tried making your own dumplings from scratch, this is your chance to learn from one of the most acclaimed chefs who is going to ease you into this rather meditative, artful, and delicious activity. What better way to spend your Sunday evening?
Michelin Star, 3 Stars on NYT, Iron Chef Winner, Top Chef Master...the list goes on! She is a superwoman in the culinary industry and her name is Anita Lo - the first female chef to be invited as a guest chef at the White House (under the Obama administration.) Chef Anita will teach you her classic Pork and Garlic Chive Dumplings recipe from her cookbook SOLO. You can expect to feast on a well-balanced, home-cooked meal in a plump little package that can be ready in minutes for upcoming nights when you don't feel like cooking - this recipe makes enough for excellent leftovers for your freezer.
Chef Anita will be walking you through step-by-step from prepping the ingredients, making your own dumpling wrappers from scratch (so prepare to get your hands dirty and play with the dough!) folding, cooking to perfection, then finally plating and enjoying the fruit of our labor as you connect with her and other fellow food lovers.
The chef will be using techniques that are approachable for any home cook. No experience or fancy kitchen equipment are required! We will send you a list of ingredients & equipment required to cook along with Chef Anita in real time. Some of the essential ingredients you will need include: napa cabbage (or green cabbage), ground pork, shrimp, scallions, chives, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, salt and black pepper, AP flour, rice wine vinegar, sesame seeds, and soybean or other non-flavored oil such as canola. If you are not crazy about pork, do not fear! Ground chicken, turkey, or shrimp will work well as a substitution.
Where can you purchase your shrimp...? We're glad you asked! Greenpoint Fish & Lobster Co. is our preferred partner for those living in the Greater NYC area. Orders are available for pickup (114 Nassau Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222) or those living in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and select Manhattan post codes can place orders for delivery through Mercato (https://www.mercato.com/shop/greenpoint-fish-lobster-co)! We encourage all guests to support local and sustainability driven suppliers.
Prepare your mis-en-place ahead of the session (according to the recipe), grab a glass of your favorite drink, and get ready to cook along with a world-renowned chef! You will have the opportunity to engage with Chef Anita throughout using the Zoom chat box. There will also be time at the end for a formal Q&A.
Anita Lo is a chef and cookbook author (Cooking Without Borders and SoLo, a Modern Cookbook for a Party of One which won Eater’s Cookbook of the Year and was nominated for an IACP award) based in New York City. She is best known for her work at Annisa, a contemporary American fine dining restaurant in the West Village which she owned and operated for 17 years and which received a three star rating from the New York Times and a Michelin star among other accolades. She was the first female chef to collaborate for a state dinner at the white house under the Obama Administration. She has appeared on numerous television shows and films including Top Chef Masters, Iron Chef America and The Heat. She is currently working with the Tour De Forks, hosting culinary tours around the planet.