Shiitake And Shrimp Dumplings – Foodie Friday

First things first, congratulations to Chef Jill McCoy on her "official' graduation from Le Cordon Bleu. Chef Jill has been working and cooking outside the classroom for some time now but but being a chef is like being a doctor. You have to actually go out in the real world and prove that you can do the job before they will give you the long white hat. Jill was officially proclaimed a chef this past weekend at ceremonies in Austin Texas.

Now, let's get back the reason we are here, food. Despite the fact that Chef Jill had a few other things going on last week she put up with my ranting about needing a great date night recipe for Valentine's Day. It's on a Sunday this year so the opportunity to cook at home and the snuggle afterwards is prime.

My request was something that would be fun to make as a couple. Something that would require minimal work but wasn't ordinary. I also wanted something that was delicious but not over filling. There is nothing like over filling to quell the fires of romance even among the most in love couples. Here is what Chef Jill suggested for you and I.

This Asian inspired dish certainly fills the bill for out of the ordinary. It basically is an Asian version of what we in South Louisiana might call a mini-meat pie. The ingredients are easily attainable at almost any supermarket and the prep time and cooking time are minimal.

In the world of mushrooms Shiitake mushrooms are some of my favorite. They have a nice hearty and earthy flavor. When you combine them with the delightfully fresh taste of shrimp and scallions you've got a rich tasty morsel that won't leave you feeling as if you just inhaled a King Cake.

You can buy the dumpling wrappers pre-made. In fact, I would recommend that you do that since they seem to be a little sensitive to guys with fat fingers. The only issue I had with the whole dish was my tendency to over stuff the wrapper with too much shrimp and mushroom. Don't do that, it will make you mad.

What will make you smile is how easy these dumplings cook up and just how wonderful they taste. No,  you won't feel weighted down by your meal and when you consider that eating with chopsticks automatically leads to laughter then you know you and your beloved with have a good time eating as well as creating this wonderful creation.