How I select what cook book to purchase.

Erna: When it comes to purchasing books for the kitchen shelf. How do you select what to buy? 

I'd buy a book that tells me more than just a list of ingredients, it's history or the scientific... ok maybe not scientific, but the mechanics of the cooking methods. The how's and why's.

I find this very important, for me at least. I'm a persistent cook in my own kitchen. If I didn't get it right the first time. I'd try to trouble shoot. I know sounds like I'm fixing a computer, but, really getting the right book to answer or the least lead me to my answers makes me a better cook the next time.

An example of how I select my books for the kitchen. A few months ago I was looking for a book that teaches you on how to actually mix the and prepare the dough. Then eventually baking it. A step by step guide. I've look into forums, YouTube, read articles by renown bakers. Still my results were  the same. Dense ugly wrong made bread! Till I found the book by Ken Forkish "Flour, Water, Salt, Yeast" .

When I read the introduction. I knew I just had to buy the book. It was the one. I was comfortable with the way it was done because the author himself, was a novice in bread making with the passion to bake good tasting bread. A corporate man who left his job to go learn to make bread and now a successful owner of his own bakery. A dream I wish to live in someday.

It was also the way he wrote the content of his book. Although the guide of methods in baking seems daunting as it is quite technical. However, clear information such as  written in the book is what I needed.  With it's step-by-step pictures to show you how it's done. Not forgetting his notes on time management. As I am a stickler for organisation and structure his book was perfect. 

Since then I've baked loaves and loaves of breads with his recipe and it all came out exactly how the book had intended. 

As you can see. I do take my books up to a personal level. This may sound bohemian and almost ridiculous, but I do find an emotional attachment to the cook books I read. Stories of real people, doing things they love and strive to achieve the best are the kinda of people I'd like to learn from. And that's what this book did for me.

So there. That's my formula on finding the right book for me. 

Making Gyoza Skins

When cooking in batches, its always good to make dishes that can either be eaten as a meal on its on or prepared as a side dish to your mains. It is also good to consider making something that you can freeze in batches!

One of my favourite things to make that I can freeze and eat it with soup, rice and noodles - would be gyoza or potstickers also plainly known as 'dumplings'. Gyoza was popularised in Japan during World War II, during the Chinese invasion in 1930. It incorporates ingredients that are usually minced and all of it just mixed in together. 

Other than the filling, the skin of the gyoza is just as important. Making the skin too thick, you create a rather doughy dumpling. You can easily find the gyoza skins ready made in supermarkets, but the whole point of this excercise is to practice making things from scratch to make your pockets fuller at the same time keeping your tummy filled!


This recipe comes up to less then MYR 2.00 you can make batches and batches to keep. Your gyoza skins kept in the fridge could last up to a month. But it is best to fill your gyoza's up immediately if you can.


What you need:


Option A
2 cups of all purpose flour
a pinch of salt
hot water (enough to hold the dough together)

Option B

1 cup of all purpose flour

1 cup of rice flour

a pinch of salt

hot water (enough to hold the dough together)

I've used both the mix, the all purpose flour makes the dough a bit heavier, were as the rice flour mix makes the skin much more lighter and when crispier when fried.

Mix all the above in a bowl till it forms a soft dough. Leave to rest for about an hour. After an hour punch the dough a bit more to let out the air. Make sure you cover the dough with a damp towel to avoid it from drying up. When ready, make equal part dough balls - as big as a tennis ball. Then roll it out to a 1 inch log and cut them into 1 inch sized cubes.

To make perfect circles, I use this egg shaper. To know if you got the right thickness, the skin should be thin enough to let light shine through the dough like the photo below. At the end - you'll have a stack of gyoza skins, which you should wrap with a plastic wrap. Make sure to dust each layer with a bit of flour to prevent it from sticking to each other.