Brussels Sprout & Leek Dumplings Recipe

Do you know the difference between dumplings and ravioli? The secret is the pasta, and it occurred to me when I was creating this recipe. To make ravioli you use pasta dough, which, while silky is still toothsome (al dente). Dumplings can use any kind of dough, including slick wonton skins, which are most definitely not toothsome. Of course there are some exceptions to this rule. I've had some very silky udon noodles lately that use soft, slippery noodles and I've had potstickers which definitely use thicker, chewier dough. I used to make fresh pasta but I'm too lazy these days, instead I've been experimenting with using wonton wrappers. In the past I used the wrappers to make Afghani leek dumplings called aushak . This time I made dumplings in a similar way, but filled them with a combination of brussels sprouts, leeks, green onions, a bit of garlic and parmesan. Many kinds of ingredients or even leftovers can go in wonton wrappers to make delicious dumplings--meat,......

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Quicheless Leek Lorraine Recipe

For a time, quiche was the quintessential lunch dish, and then it wasn't. It was all because of one silly book: Real Men Don't East Quiche which was published in 1982. Quiche? Girly? Suddenly no one wanted to to be seen eating quiche. Quiche originated in the Alsace-Lorraine region of France. The Alsace borders Germany, actually the region was once part of Germany. Not surprisingly the name quiche comes from the German word "kuchen" a type of German cake. It's a pastry shell filled with a savory baked egg and cream custard. There are lots of varieties of quiche, some of the most well-known versions are Florentine which has spinach, Alsacienne with onions and Lorainne which has bacon and usually Gruyere cheese. I like quiche but it's a bit rich with cream, eggs, cheese and a butter-laden crust. Welcome to France, eh? A few years ago I came across a recipe for a Gouda, Bacon and Leek Pancake in Bon Appetit, it was similar to a quiche but without a crust ......

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Aushak Dumpling Recipe

I love dumplings! Russian pelmenyi, Italian ravioli and gnocchi, Japanese gyoza, Chinese wontons, potstickers, dim sum...I don't think there is a dumpling I don't adore. But I'm more likely to order them in restaurants than I am to make them at home. In the same category as tamales and blintzes, making dumplings is one of the more time-consuming cooking projects around. That said, sometimes you fall in love with something so much that you need to find a way to re-create it at home despite the bother. One of my favorite dumplings is something I could only find at an Afghani restaurant. Until now that is. Aushak, a boiled leek dumpling with yogurt and meat sauces, is so good it's hard to get enough of them. Perhaps that's why they are offered as both an appetizer and a main dish on the restaurant menu. Leeks make a fresh, green filling that has some body to it, unlike mushy spinach. The two sauces are a balance of a white, yogurt, tangy one and a red, rich, me......

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Leek & Potato Soup Recipe

If I told you that I had a fabulous soup recipe with only three ingredients in it, would you believe me? Leeks, potatoes and water or chicken broth. Oh and a little butter to saute the leeks in, that's it. It seems to be a mantra these days that by using the best ingredients one really doesn't need to do much to turn out a great meal. Leek and potato soup epitomizes this thinking. You can add milk or cream or top it off with a dollop of sour cream if you want to fancy it up, but it's really not necessary. Based on my own research (which is corroborated by the reviews of other cooks who have reacted to the multitude of leek & potato soup recipes posted on epicurious.com ) complicated preparations with more ingredients tend to distract rather than enhance. There is something so comforting about leek and potato soup. Its pale matte green color is comforting. Its smell is comforting. And of course the taste, mellow oniony leeks and potatoes combined together in a thic......

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