Member-only story
Chinese Pork Potstickers
A Great Dish to Try While Quarantining
POTSTICKER
[POT-STIK-ER] NOUN
1. A pan-fried or steamed Chinese dumpling with ground meat or vegetable filling.
2. My second favorite thing in the world to eat.
Everyone knows how much I love classical French food. Steak frites, Moules frites, Duck confit, Blanquette de Veau, Choucroute. What people do not know is that my French mother was an avid cook of all Asian cuisines and I probably ate as much Chinese food as I ate French food growing up.
My father loved languages and mastered them like no one else. In 2 years he mastered both Mandarin Chinese and Arabic. Two languages that are very hard for Westerners. My father’s technique was simple and effective. He immersed himself fully into the adoptive culture putting himself in a position where he only had to speak one language or another for the entire duration.
The Chinese phase was my favorite because it involved many eating forays into the dining rooms and ‘secret menus’ of Chicago’s China Town. Most great Chinese restaurants offer two menus, one catering to American palates who love their General Tso’s Chicken and Sweet and Sour Pork. And the other offering sea cucumbers, jellyfish salad, and steamed duck feet for the Chinese.
