The Dumpling Cookbook

I don't eat wheat, and so I almost tossed this book out. But I started using it as a reference for my non-wheat recipes, and was surprised at how well everything turned out. Dumplings are one of those "lost arts" in our society, but are also amazingly easy to make. And very filling. One of the very best comfort foods! They are not nearly as time consuming as you might think. My first batch took about 20 minutes to make. Most of these recipes have very few ingredients, and there is a huge variety. My favorite so far is the wonton wraps, which I made using sweet rice flour instead of wheat flour. This made the tastiest egg noodles I've ever had, plus some really great wonton, which I hadn't had in years (no one makes gluten free wonton wraps yet). Anyway, my recommendation is to get this book, plus a Norelco stainless steel pressure cooker to make some good broth, and your family will be very, very happy.

I have to say that Maria Polushkin has outdone herself with the recipes in the "The Dumpling Cookbook." I have made approximately half of dropped dumplings in this recipe book and they get better each time. The other night I told my husband I was going to make Ricotta Gnocchi for dinner. I've made them before using many other recipes, but they were always like lead balls. He and I were very disappointed in the final product. When he sat down to eat, he bit into one and said, "WOW", these are incredible. He was right; they were the best I've ever eaten. They were like slicing into butter. It was difficult to push myself away from the table.

This book is wonderful!! It spans numerous cuisines to provide a nearly complete listing of dumplings from around the world. The work includes recipes for Chinese dim sum dumplings, Italian gnocci, Jewish knishes, Eastern European perogi, and many more. A must for dumpling enthusiasts!! On the bad side, many of these dumplings are really time consuming to make. Some of the ingredients are also expensive/hard to find so it might prove a fun read but not a useful, everyday cookbook. Still, if you love dumplings, check out this book!!