Don't Forget Your Fortune Cookie!

I recently attended a cooking class taught by Master Chef Joseph Poon at his Asian Fusion Restaurant.

I first met Chef Poon a few years ago, when I took one of his "Wok 'N Walk Tour of Philadelphia Chinatown", which teaches the history, culture, and foods of the Asian community. The 3-1/2 hour walking tour includes a meal, Chinese vegetable carving, and stops at fortune cookie factory, Chinese herb store, Asian bakery, Asian grocery store, fish market, a Buddha Temple and a Chinese Calligraphy classroom.

Master Chef Joseph Poon is an extremely energetic and enthusiastic man. His training began when he was a teenager working in airline food service in Hong Kong. He was fascinated by the head chef’s carved fruit and vegetable centerpieces and sculptures. When the chef refused Poon's request for a lesson, Poon purchased several hundred potatoes and practiced until he mastered the skill himself. The art has become one of his trademarks.

Poon showed that same tenacity when he arrived in Philadelphia with $8 in his pocket and a limited knowledge of English. He worked as a dishwasher, then waiter, in construction and in a fortune cookie factory – holding as many as three jobs at a time.

Hoping some of his energy and enthusiasm would rub off on me, I decided to learn how to cook my own Dim Sum from the Master Chef. He told this little grasshopper that "To master the food - one first learns it's history".

Dim Sum translates as "to touch the heart", which these delicious bite-sized morsels have surely done for hundreds of years. The varieties of Dim Sum are endless, but they are usually savory meats, seafood, and crisp vegetables wrapped in unleavened wheat or rice flour dough. Not all Dim Sum are wrapped in dough, however, some are small meat balls that may be a combination of shrimp and pork, lobster and pork, pork and vegetables, or finely minced beef with water chestnuts. There are many other forms of Dim Sum.

The Dim Sum tradition began in China over two thousand years ago when they were introduced in Peking at the palace of Emperor Ming Huang of the Tang Dynasty. At the palace Dim Sum were used as appetizers, snacks, and desserts - uses that still continue.

When the Mongols conquered China around 1300 AD, they brought the art of Dim Sum to the area around Canton in the south. Mongols used pastry made from wheat flour, but rice dominated southern China so doughs made from rice flour were created. Today you can enjoy both wheat and rice dough.

Originally a Cantonese custom, Dim Sum is inextricably linked to the Chinese tradition of "yum cha" or drinking tea. Tea houses sprung up to accommodate weary travelers journeying along the famous Silk Road. Rural farmers, exhausted after long hours working in the fields, would also head to the local tea house for an afternoon of tea and relaxing conversation.

The popularity of Dim Sum spread until they became the food staples of street vendors. Fresh cooked Dim Sum served from counters and carts are the Chinese equivalent to American fast food. The tea house is a very much a part of everyday life in China today.

The hardest part of Dim Sum class for me, was standing next to the ultra hot wok, remembering how to cut out and fold the dough, and having to wait before I could eat some Dim Sum!

The mixing, chopping, and blending of the meats and vegetables was a blast - but I was really humbled when it took me nearly 25 times longer than the Master Chef to dice a single scallion. His fingers were an invisible blur as he moved the knife and scallion to create a perfect dice - while mine was a gooey, clumpy, soggy mess. At least I didn't cut off my fingers and "my" scallion still tasted good after cooking though!

The cookbook I got for class is titled "Dim Sum: The Art of Chinese Tea Lunch"

As I get bold and adventuresome, I might be tempted to share pictures and recipes of my very own "home made" Dim Sums.

You can find some of Master Chef Poon's delicious recipes here

By the way, my fortune cookie said, "Look no further, true love is right next to you." Little Iggy (or is it the Pointy-Haired Boss?) loves me!