My mother makes hands down the best Chinese Potstickers. Here’s a convenient take on her traditional recipe which requires no dough making! The Gyzoa is a like small sized Potsticker with thinner dough. It’s traditionally a Chinese hors d’oeuvre made popular by the Japanese and a hit with just about everyone I know!

1 package fresh gyoza skin wrappers (12 oz. or 14 oz.)*
1/2 cup water for sealing  the gyoza
Canola oil or Pam cooking spray
1 cup water (divide 4 times for cooking each batch of gyoza)

Filling:
½ pound head cabbage (8 oz.)
1 teaspoon salt and ¼ cup water to marinade the cabbage
1 pound lean ground pork
2 scallions, including the green top
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger root
1 egg
2 tablespoons soy sauce (Kikkoman brand)
2 teaspoons pure sesame oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar

Sauce for Dipping:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon red hot chili oil (optional)

Preparation:
Shred cabbage and finely chop. In a bowl, mix the cabbage with 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ cup water. Use one hand to mix the cabbage with the salt water for 1 minute. Leave the cabbage to rest and marinade in the bowl for at least 15 minutes.

Wash and trim the green onions, finely chop. Peel and finely grate the fresh ginger root. Use another bowl to combine the ground pork with the onions, ginger root, egg, soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and sugar. Mix together thoroughly and set aside.

Use both hands to pick up a small amount of marinated cabbage and squeeze to drain the salt water from the cabbage. Drop into the meat mixture bowl. Continue until all the cabbage has been squeezed dry of salt water. Mix the cabbage with the meat mixture together thoroughly and set aside.

To Assemble:
In a small bowl, fill 1/2 cup water for assembling the gyoza. Place a round gyoza wrapper in the palm of your hand. Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of the wrapper (careful not to overstuff the wrapper). Use the fingers of your free hand to moisten all sides of the exposed dough (around the filling) with water. Fold the wrapper in half and pinch the top. Then crimp each side of dough tightly with your fingers to seal. Tap the sealed dumpling to flatten its bottom so that it stands upright. Repeat to finish assembling all the gyoza.**

To Cook:
Spray cooking oil onto a non-stick 10 inch frying pan over medium heat. Place about 16 gyoza dumplings in the pan. Add ¼ cup water to pan, cover with lid and cook for approximately 6 to 7 minutes. When the water is absorbed and the bottom of gyoza is lightly browned, the dumplings are ready. Serve immediately or use spatula to transfer the gyoza onto a cookie sheet, cover with tinfoil (so the gyoza skin will not dry out) and keep warm in the oven. Repeat to cook remaining gyoza. Serve with dipping sauce if desired.

Makes 60 to 65 gyoza
Preparation time: 1-½ hours
Cooking time: 4 batches about 25 to 28 minutes

*Gyoza Wrappers are 3 inch round, thin, soft, fresh flour dough. They come in about 65 pieces and are sold next to the wonton wrappers in the produce section of most supermarkets.
**You can make the gyoza ahead of time and freeze on a flat tray. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer bag and keep frozen for later use.

When my mother was a young girl in school, she was always delighted to see the soy sauce egg in her lunch box. They made for a great snack. The Chinese also believe that eggs symbolize a round, smooth year so they are an ideal treat for a birthday or Chinese New Year!

12 large eggs
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt to boil the eggs
2 scallions, including the green top
1 oz. fresh ginger root
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce (kikkoman brand)
1 tablespoon rice or cooking sherry wine
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons red hot chili oil

To Cook:
Place eggs in a medium size pot with 4 cups of water and salt over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium, cover the pot and boil for approximately 10 minutes. Drain the hot water from the pot, rinse the eggs with cold water and peel off the egg shells. Wash and trim the green onions, slice them in half. Use a heavy knife to crush 1 oz. fresh ginger root. Place the peeled hard-boiled eggs back into the empty pot. Add green onions, crushed ginger root, water, soy sauce, wine, sugar and chili oil. Cover pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for approximately 25 minutes while stirring the eggs occasionally. When all the liquid is nearly absorbed, the eggs will become reddish brown in color. Remove pot from heat. Discard the green onions and ginger root. Let the eggs cool for 20 minutes. Cut each egg lengthwise in half and then into quarters. Serve the eggs room temperature or cold. If any sauce remains, just spoon some on top of the cut eggs for additional flavor. Refrigerate the eggs. They taste even better the next day.

Makes 12 soy sauce eggs
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: Total about 40 minutes