Easy Peasy Pinching and Pleating

Had a lovely chat with my friend Shaoyu today about the ins and outs of her jiao zi, and she gave me some VERY useful tips for making yours even better at home:

• When adding the water to the meat mixture, stream it in slowly and in batches.  Stir for two to three minutes after each addition to make the filling just right.
• For the easiest mixing of dough, use a bread machine on the dough cycle.  It does all the heavy work in mixing and kneading the dough, and you can just sit back and relax.

Shaoyu (Dr. Shaoyu Chi) is a fellow tech-wiz and uber-savvy instructional designer – I mentioned to her that I get a kick out of the fact that even in the kitchen we’re applying modern innovation to age-old processes.  We can revamp a dim sum recipe as easily as we can convert a synchronous, face-to-face course into an engaging online or hybrid option.

Hey, you’ve got to be a three-for in this tough economy – why not web designer, instructional designer and culinary tinkerer?

Thanks again, Shaoyu!