Dumplings and Banh Cuon

Asian foods wrapped in dough seems to be the theme this week. But please pardon the photos, because photos taken in the dark don't turn out too swell. Plus, yours truly was tired after these labor intensive dishes and sort of threw everything onto a plate and clicked. I need a professional photographer and food stylist. Here are photos from the last few days.

Big, fat, juicy pork and Chinese chive dumplings. Simply the best food to keep in the freezer. These are boiled and topped with my favorite hot sauce, Lao Gan Ma (literally translated: old godmother. The red jar has a black and white photo of a cranky middle aged Chinese woman on it). Much thanks to T for helping wrap these suckers! Congrats to us both--nary a one has broken during cooking!

Banh cuon, something you'd never want to keep in the freezer. Transluscent rice paper wrappers filled with pork and mushrooms, served with deep fried scallions, bean sprouts, and nuoc cham (that wonderfully tangy Vietnamese sauce made of garlic, limes, fish sauce, etc.)Note to self: banh cuon is prettier in single layers. Click here for the recipe, made available by the lovely Chowhound Carb Lover and her mommy.

Taiwanese shaved ice isn't wrapped in dough, but it's fun enough for a photo. Taiwanese style includes more grains and herbs. I had mung beans, pearl barley, adzuki (little red) beans, and grass jelly. Koreans use vanilla ice cream and fruit, so I had some Hagen Daaz, sliced strawberries, and sliced bananas. Both top with shaved ice and sugar water, and the Taiwanese add some sweetened condensed milk as well. Yum!