Let's Make Dumplings!

Starred review from June 7, 2021
In this fetching follow-up to the illustrated cookbook Let’s Make Ramen, chef Amano and comic artist Becan tackle the art of dumpling-making. As they note in their genial introduction, filled doughy treats appear in cuisines across the planet (think the Polish pierogi or Mexican tamales), but here they dial in on Asian choices, such as Cantonese shumai, Tibetan momos, and Korean mandu. Solid recipes (calling for either handmade and store-bought wrappers) and entertaining stories—including one about a forgetful cook who accidentally invented pot stickers—showcase the authors’ detailed yet playful approach to their craft. They even offer a chapter of their own “riffs,” featuring a Chinese takeout–inspired sesame chicken dumpling and breakfast baozi filled with bacon and scrambled eggs. Ending on a sweet note, Malaysian buns are offered with coconut jam filling, while Cambodian rice dumplings get a fragrant finish from steamed banana leaves. Thorough instructions combine the quirky and the functional (including how to freeze dumplings, since “you may as well go big and stock for your future self”), while the primer on folding techniques for seven different shapes is surprisingly simple. Those previously too intimidated to attempt dumplings at home owe it to themselves to pick up this stellar guide.

Starred review from August 1, 2021

With the same approachability and humor that made a success of their first collaboration (Let's Make Ramen), chef Amano and illustrator Becan have created another winning recipe collection. Here the focus is on making dumplings--specifically, dumplings and wontons from across Asia. The cookbook begins with a helpful list of pantry staples and cooking equipment, and subsequent chapters explore the varied folding techniques, fillings, shapes, and sizes of dumplings, along with several ways to cook them (boiling, steaming, pan-frying, deep-frying). Becan's bright, detailed illustrations are especially beneficial for showing how to make and fold dumpling and wonton wrappers. The recipes are divided into sections for traditional savory dumplings (like Korean Dumpling Soup) and traditional sweet ones (like Cambodian Rice Dumplings), plus sauces and Amano's creative riffs on dumplings. Amano encourages modifying recipes as necessary, giving home cooks the guidance they need to make a recipe their own. His asides throughout the book offer historical insight and draw on his Japanese heritage. VERDICT Like their previous cookbook, Amano and Becan's latest will be welcomed by new and advanced cooks looking for fun approaches to the ever-popular dumpling.--Stephanie Sendaula, Library Journal

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 1, 2021
Amano and Becan (Let's Make Ramen, 2019) return with another comic book cookbook, this time focused on dumplings. While dumplings come in many forms from cultures all over the world, this book focuses on a selection from communities throughout Asia. Starting with lists of ingredients and equipment that, while not required, will make the process easier, the benefits of an illustrated cookbook are immediately apparent. Not only can readers see the tools, steps, and techniques, the author and illustrator are depicted providing the narrative, making it feel much more like a conversation than a typical cookbook. Types of dough, folding techniques, and methods of cooking are all illustrated clearly and with helpful tips throughout. With a bit of historical background and a clear respect for how these foods have evolved, Amano and Becan provide traditional recipes as well as their own variations on the originals, including both savory and sweet dumplings along with sauces and broths. It will be difficult for readers not to get excited about making these "bundles of highly seasoned ingredients in dough wrappers," as this book is so successful at making the process approachable and the dumplings themselves look delectable.

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