16 Days of Glory: Part 1

To celebrate the opening of the 2008 Summer Games and to christen our new home, we had a few friends over to watch the Opening Ceremonies from Beijing. Dinner was a potluck theme: Chinese dishes that could be shared. Despite pouring rain and unseasonably cold August weather, we grilled, we cooked, we drank, we ate. It was a fabulous evening. With so much food to go around, the next few posts will be dedicated to the Opening Ceremonies feast. Grab a TsingTao, watch some Track & Field and enjoy! Beef Potstickers (Brought by my sister, the uber-chef)

Adapted from The Best of Gourmet: The World at Your Table

• 1/4lb ground beef (we used 93%)
• 1.5 Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp peanut oil
• 1 Tbsp minced peeled ginger
• splash rice wine vinegar
• 1/2 bunch scallions, chopped fine
• wonton wrappers

To assemble the dumplings: Stir together beef, oils, ginger and vinegar. Stir in scallions. Lay out wonton wrapper, place a scant teaspoon of filling in the middle. Moisten 2 edges with water. Fold over and press to seal. Do not over fill the wonton. Stand each dumpling seam side up and press down to make a flat base. Repeat to make more dumplings. Tip: Place on a dish dusted with cornstarch to keep from sticking while you make the rest.

Heat additional oil (preferably peanut oil) in a nonstick skillet over moderate heat until hot. Remove from heat and arrange dumplings in circle-they should touch each other. Cook uncovered over moderate heat until oil reheats. Drizzle with 1/3 c water, cover and steam for 8-10 minutes. Remove lid and shake to loosen the potstickers. For creative serving, put a large plate on top of the skillet and flip the pan over to remote in one fell swoop -- the wontons will come out in a star pattern. To ensure the wontons don't stick to the pan, add a little more water just before removing them to deglaze the pan and loosen them up.

Serve with your favorite dipping sauce (We used Trader Joe's Gyoza Sauce)

Makes ~24 potstickers.