>  ML> Real milk has taste variations, too, largely from the
>  ML> feed used by the dairy but also (some say) from the
>  ML> breed of the cows.
> It's been decades but I distinctly remember the weird taste of local
> milk in parts of Newfoundland where cattle grazed on seaweed at low
> tide. The milk tasted like dulse had been soaked in it!

At least you wouldn't be walking around with a big goiter.

> Recent new taste: Roslind brought home a single packet of a new to
> Yellowknife brand of instant noodles to try out. Shin Ramyun is a

It's got a good reputation and commands a premium at the
Asian stores. I'd hoped to get it at a discount at Lotte
or H Mart (which gets most of its nonperishables through 
Lotte), but it turns out the manufacturer is in cahoots 
with Lotte, and there is apparently price support. Hence, 
I've not tried it!

> brand of instant noodle produced by the South Korean food company
> Nongshin. Shin means spicy and Ramyun is Korean for ramen. The broth
> is quite red from ground chilies. I liked it but she found it too

Not much surprise there. He who cannot eat chiles is not a
true man (claimed to be a Chinese saying), ergo Roslind is 
not a true man!

> hot for her tastes but quite nice diluted 50/50 with Lipton chicken
> noodle soup. Google images show a soup that is even redder than
> ours so I suspect the version made for the home market is hotter

Artist's conception?

> than the export one. Will buy again. For those who care: no MSG.

There's got to be an umami source - ramen just cries out
for it.

>       Title: Lithuanian Samogitian "Zeppelins"

Various other cuisines have this pretty exact same thing -
starchy outside, savory inside, child's-fist-size, fried in
deep fat. I particularly favor the Chinese ones that use 
mashed taro as the outside.

> ... This delightful food is engineered by top industrial chemists

Lilli once was watching a documentary about the design
of these crunchy pretzel dough arrangements with cheese
filling, the name is on the tip of my ear, and it was
a truly amazing enterprise, totally cynical of course,
but who can blame profiteers for maximizing opportunity.

Taro puffs (wu gok)
categories: dim sum, appetizer, Chinese
Yield: 12 puffs

h - Filling
3 oz ground pork
1 ts soy sauce
1 ts minced fresh ginger
3 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
salt
pepper
1 pn sugar
1 ts cornstarch
1/2 ts sesame oil
1/2 Tb oyster sauce
1 ts sherry
1 Tb water
1 Tb canola or peanut oil
2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
h - dough
1 lg taro root (3/4 to 1 lb)
1/3 c wheat starch
1/3 c boiling water or as needed
1 pn salt
1 1/4 ts sugar
1/4 c lard or solid vegetable shortening, room temp

For filling
Combine pork, soy sauce and ginger in a small bowl.

Toss shrimp with a pinch of salt. Rinse. Drain well 
and dry with a paper towel. Chop fine.

In a small bowl, mix another pinch of salt, a grind 
or two of pepper, sugar, cornstarch, sesame oil, 
oyster sauce, sherry and water. Stir.

Heat oil in a small skillet. Add pork. Stir, breaking 
up pieces with a spatula, until cooked through. Add 
shrimp, tossing with spatula, until cooked. Add sauce 
mixture, stirring. Remove from heat and add scallions. 
Transfer to a small bowl and cool, then refrigerate 
for several hours.

For dough
Peel taro, removing tough outer layer of flesh along 
with the peel. Chop into 1 to 2" square pieces. Steam 
over boiling water for 30 to 45 min until soft.

While taro is cooking, put wheat starch in a bowl. 
Gradually add the hot water, stirring with a wooden 
spoon. Stop adding water when the mixture resembles 
frosting. Set aside, covering if it begins to dry out.

Let taro cool 5 min, then place in a clean bowl. Mash 
with your fingers, discarding any hard pieces.
Place 1 c mashed taro in the bowl with the wheat 
starch mixture, along with salt and sugar. Mix with 
your fingers until blended. Then work in lard or 
shortening, kneading for a couple of min until the 
dough is the texture of mashed potatoes. Gather dough 
into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 
at least 2 hr.

Assembly
Line a baking sheet with waxed or parchment paper.

On an unfloured work surface, roll dough out to a 12" 
log. Cut into 12 equal pieces, then roll each into a 
ball. Chill dough balls for at least 15 min.

Remove dough balls from refrigerator one at a time. 
With your hands, flatten ball into an oblong circle, 
then make an indentation in the middle. Add 1/2 Tb of 
filling to the center of the dough, flattening it a 
bit with your fingers. Bring up the sides of the dough 
over the filing, forming a football shape. Pinch the 
dough sides together. If holes form in the dumpling 
making the filling show through, patch with some of 
the extra dough from the ends. Place dumpling on the 
prepared baking sheet, then proceed to form the rest.
Refrigerate.

Frying
Pour at least 1 1/2" canola or peanut oil in a small 
saucepan with deep sides. Heat oil to 370F over 
medium-high heat. If the oil is not hot enough, the 
dumplings will fall apart. Fry dumpings 2 or 3 at a 
time. When dumplings are placed in the pan, the oil 
will boil up. As soon as the dumplings begin to float, 
turn the heat down to medium-low. If they stick, 
separate gently with a slotted spoon. When dumplings 
are browned, after 2 to 3 min, remove with a slotted 
spoon to a cooling rack placed over waxed paper or
drain on paper towels.

Serve hot (best) or at room temperature.

adapted from Andrea Nguyen, Asian Dumplings by gourmandistan.com
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