Year of the Ox January 27, 2009

By way of Sam, there are 50 things you should say before you die, one of which is “There’s nothing I’d rather be doing.”

My running problem is not an endurance problem or even a motivation problem.  It’s an inertia problem.  I love to run, but I also love to sit and when I’m sitting, it is very tough to transition into running.  But as much as it can be like pulling teeth to get my shoes on, a mile or so into a run I always think, “There is absolutely nothing else I’d rather be doing*.”  And inertia works both ways; once I start running, I want to run forever, I don’t ever want to stop.

(*That’s not 100% true – there are a few things I would rather be doing.  Top two includes eating pizza and “crosstraining” with the Fiance, nudge nudge wink wink giggle.)

I booked a last minute trip to New York City for this weekend.  One of my best friends just got out of her first relationship and is a little down to say the least, so I’m flying out to forcefeed her cupcakes until the sugar rush kicks in and she feels a little better.  The only advice I could think to give her was “Go running” because running is a panacea for us all.  Personally, I’m psyched for a change in scenery and excited to go running in Central Park.  I plan on refueling with snacks from all the hot dog and falafel carts around the city.  If anyone has suggestions for places to stuff my face, holla!

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It’s Chinese New Year, so Fiance and I made dumplings last night to celebrate.  I’ve been folding dumplings my entire life, but I’ve never actually made it from soup to nuts, so I was hesitant about how the filling would turn out but it came out very flavorful.  You can either roll out your own dough with flour and water, or to save time, you can buy wrappers at your local grocery store.  American stores will sell wonton wrappers near the tofu section, but if you have an Asian market or live near Chinatown, you can buy thicker dumpling wrappers “Shanghai-style” which are more authentic. (Wonton wrappers are MUCH thinner and they’re supposed to be served in soup.)

Ingredients:
1/2 pound Napa cabbage, finely minced
1/2 pound ground pork
scallions, finely minced  (I used 3, but you can use more if you like a more powerful onion flavor)
minced ginger (I used about a tablespoon)
1 1/2 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 teaspoons of sesame oil
pinch of salt

Directions:
MIX EVERYTHING!  It’s a lot of fun squishing the pork around with your bare hands.
Put a small ball of filling in the middle of a wrapper, wet the edges and then fold to close.  Make sure it’s tightly sealed, so it doesn’t burst during the boiling.  Boil for about 5 minutes, and make sure not to overload the pot because they can stick together.  You can enjoy with a variety of dipping sauces, including soy sauce, oyster sauce, etc. but I like mine traditionally Chinese – dark vinegar with a splash of chili oil and red pepper flakes.  Yum!

Pork and Cabbage Filling

The Finished Product

Always Have Dessert: The Lemon Bar Edition