Thx a whole bunch.....

        Wei-Chuan's Publishing
        1455 Montery Pass Rd., Suite 110
        Monterey Park, CA   91754
        (213)261-3880
        (213)261-3299 FAX

They have about 18 different books, plus 2 videocassettes on Chinese
garnishes.  What might be of interest to you is their book
_Chinese Dim Sum_ which goes for $17.95 plus $3.30 for S/H.

Good luck,

In article 9...@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU, la...@dayhoff.med.Virginia.EDU (Lawrence Allen Hite) writes:

Good luck

Larry Hite (la...@virginia.edu) mentions Wei-Chuan's cookbooks, noting
that he can't "really tell you how good the recipes are" because he
hasn't tried very many.

Peter Wung (w...@power.ee.gatech.edu) adds:

My experience with the recipes has not been as good as Peter's.  I
would not only quibble with the directions, but with the ingredient
lists as well.  I got (I gave three of my four books away) the feeling
that the recipes tended to be "off" in a particular way.  I am tempted
to attribute this mild unpleasantness to my being unfamiliar with the
prevailing regional bias of the books, but it is worth noting that I
have eaten in China and am somewhat familiar with a number of regional
styles.  My pet theory is that the recipes may have been altered for
exportation, China being no stranger to export-only goods.

I would also suggest taking classes or obtaining private instruction,
but with the caveat that if you want it to taste like mom's, you'd
better get mom to teach you.

|> I would also suggest taking classes or obtaining private instruction,
|> but with the caveat that if you want it to taste like mom's, you'd
|> better get mom to teach you.

Not necessary true. A lot ingredient used in Chinese cooking could only
be found in Chinese grocery store. (It won't taste the same without it).
And you better know what you look for in the store.
Back to the subject about Dim Sum, if the original poster could be more
specific about which one he is more interesting in. ( there are so many
dishes in Dim Sum). and if he could find a near-by Chinese Grocery Store
to get necessary stuff.

Date: Tue, 3 Mar 92 20:33:55 -0500
From: "Dan Kidorf" <kid...@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu>
Subject: Re: REQUEST FOR CHINESE DIM SUM

========================================================================

GENERAL INFORMATION:

The Chinese New Year arrives in Taipei with much fanfare and ritual.
Several weeks before the holiday, telltale signs of its advent are
clearly visible; clotheslines usually festooned with laundered
pantaloons and tunics become burdened with the weight of fragrant coils
of freshly made sausage.  The marketplace, filled to the brim with the
usual bounty of shellfish, meat, and fish, offers such usual New Year's
delicacies as glutinous rice cake (nian gao), red and white glutinous
rice balls, and mountainous stacks of dried shark's fin, bird's nests,
and silver ears -- prime ingredients fro the New Year's banquet.  The
frequent boom of firecrackers exploding in the streets -- set off to
ward away evil spirits -- becomes more pronounced as the holiday
approaches, and the air fairly tingles with electricity of expectation
and excitement -- for this is the most important holiday of the Chinese
lunar calendar.

In Chinese homes, preparations begin at least a month in advance.
Houses are cleaned from top to bottom, new clothes for the entire
family are made or purchased, and the kitchen teems with activity from
early morning to late at night as many dishes are made ready for the
feasting.  Much of the cooking for the holiday is made in advance.

In northern China a custom that has been observed for centuries still
exists today; women friends and relatives gather before the holiday to
prepare several hundred jiao zi, meat dumplings or Peking ravioli.  The
finished dumplings are arranged on trays and left to freeze in the
chill winter air.  During the holiday, a cauldron of water is boiled,
the desired number of dumplings are cooked, and a hot filling meal is
ready in minutes.  Often a silver coin is placed inside one of the
dumplings, signifying good luck in the coming year for the recipient.

Some families prefer to pan-fry the dumplings (in this case they are
called guo tie), creating a golden crust that gives ravioli the
appearance of golden coins.

The Cantonese are fond of a New Year's dumpling made of glutinous rice
and a filling of powdered sesame seeds and sugar.  This pastry is
believed to symbolize completeness and is served to celebrate the
family unit and ensure a healthy harvest and bountiful year.  In some
parts of eastern China, these dumplings are eaten two weeks after the
New Year, whereas in Fukina, an eastern-province north of Canton, they
are consumed during the Mid-Autumn Festival and are often dusted with a
mixture of sesame seeds, ground peanuts, and sugar.

Dumplings have a prominent place in Chinese cuisine; they are prepared
in numerous variations for holidays and festivals and they are consumed
on a daily basis in several parts of China.  In the north, where wheat
provides the area with its wealth of noodles and steamed breads,
dumplings frequently act as a staple substitute for rice, in addition
to being served as a meal themselves.  The same is true in western
China.  In the east and the south, dumplings are considered to be a
type of dim sum (dian xin) and are commonly served as a snack with tea
or wine.
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The origin of dumplings is undocumented, but it is believed that these
pastries, along with other wheat products, were introduced to China
from the west -- most likely Persia or central Asia.  They quickly were
adapted to Chinese ingredients and were incorporated into the daily
diet.  As these snacks were adopted by various cuisines, their
ingredients were altered slightly, depending on the products of the
area.  In the north, dumplings were filled with lamb, pork, and
chives.  In Sichuan province, the filling included a mixture of pork,
cabbage, and dried shrimp.  In the eastern and southern regions, more
delicate variations of the dumplings evolved (such as hun dun and shao
mai), with stuffings of shrimp, bamboo shoots, and black mushrooms.
The methods of cooking dumplings have regional characteristics as well;
in the north they are boiled, whereas in the east they are steamed on
beds of pine needles that have been anointed with sesame oil.
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JIAO ZI PI: (Dumpling skins) - Makes 50

The texture of these fresh pasta products is positively silky in
comparison to the commercially prepared kind.  Making them by hand is a
very time-consuming process, but the result is certainly worth the
effort.  Commercial dumpling skins (gyoza) will work just fine.

        2.5  C all-purpose flour
       1.25  C boiling water

1. Place the flour in a mixing bowl and add the boiling water.  With a
wooden spoon, mix the ingredients to a rough ball.  If the dough is too
hot to handle, let it cool a bit; then turn it out onto a lightly
floured surface and need for about 5 minutes, until it is smooth and
elastic.  If the dough is too sticky, need a few tablespoons of flour
into it.  Cover the dough and let it rest for 25 minutes.

2. Cut the dough in two and form each half into a long snakelike roll
about 1 inch in diameter.  Cut each half into 25 pieces.  With a cut
edge down, press each into a circle.  Using a small rolling pin or a
tortilla press that has been lightly floured, roll out each piece into
a 3-inch circle.  Cover the circles with a cloth or towel to prevent
drying.
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JIAO ZI: (Fifty dumplings)

Meat dumplings typify the hearty, wholesome qualities of northern
home-style cooking.  Traditionally, they are filled with pork, cabbage,
and flavored with a generous amount of Chinese garlic chives.

        1.5 C   finely minced Chinese cabbage (Napa)
        1   t   salt
        7.5 lb  ground pork
        1   C   finely minced Chinese garlic chives, leeks, or scallions

        Dumpling Seasoning:
        2   T  soy sauce
        1   T  rice wine (shaohsing)
        2   T  sesame oil
        1.5 t  minced ginger
        1.5 t  minced garlic

1.  Place the minced cabbage in a large mixing bowl, add the salt, toss
lightly to mix evenly, and let sit for 30 min.  (this is done to remove
the water from the cabbage, so the filling will not soak through the
dumpling skin.)  Take a handful of minced cabbage and squeeze out as
much water as possible.  Place the cabbage in a mixing bowl.  Squeeze
out all the cabbage and discard water.  Add the pork, minced chives,
and "dumpling seasoning".  Stir vigorously in to combine the
ingredients evenly.  (If the mixture seems loose, add 2 T cornstarch
to bind it together.)

2.  Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of each
dumpling skin, and fold the skin over to make a half-moon shape.
Spread a little water along the edge of the skin.  Use the thumb and
index finger of one hand to form small pleats along the outside edge of
the skin;  with the other hand, press the two opposite edges of the
skin together to seal.  The inside edge of the dumpling should curve in
a semi-circular fashion to conform to the shape of the pleated edge.
Place the sealed edge dumplings on a baking sheet that has been lightly
dusted with cornstarch or flour.

3.  In a large wok or pot, bring about 3 qts of water to a boil.  Add
half the dumplings, stirring immediately to prevent them from sticking
together, and heat until the water begins to boil.  Add 1/2 C cold
water and continue to cook over high heat until the water boils.  Add
another 1/2 C cold water and cook until the water boils again.
Remove and drain.  Cook the remaining dumplings in the same manner.
(This is the traditional method of cooking dumplings; for a simpler
method, boil for about 8 minutes, uncovered, on high heat.)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----

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GUO TIE: (Pan fried dumplings) - Makes 25

Literally translated, guo tie means "pot stickers," and anyone who has
not used a well-seasoned pan to cook these dumplings will understand
the appropriateness of this title; the dumplings often refuse to
dislodge themselves from the pan.

      3.5 T  peanut oil
        5    meat dumpling from above
        1 C  boiling water

Heat a large wok or well-seasoned skillet until very hot.  Add three
tablespoons of oil and and heat until hot.  Place the dumplings in the
pan, pleated side up.  Fry the dumplings over medium heat until their
bottoms are a deep golden brown.  Add the boiling water to the pan and
cover.  Reduce the heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes.  Uncover,
and pour out the water.  Lightly rinse the dumplings for 5 seconds
under hot running water to remove excess starch.  Drain.  Place the
pan containing the dumplings over medium-high heat.  Drizzle 1/2 T of
oil around the dumplings and fry until the bottoms are again crisp
(about 2 minutes).  Loosen any dumplings that seem to be stuck to the
bottom.
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SHAO-MAI: (Steamed pork dumplings, Cantonese style)

For those who have the recipes for any kind of those delicacies, would you
mind sharing them with me?!?!?

Sounds like annatto seeds to me.  Try any Carribean, Mexican, Central American,
or South American market you can find.