Playing with our food

It's back-to-school time, and I'm not sure how other parents are doing right now, but this year marks a big transition for our son, who started middle school. His languid summer days gave way to a sea of lockers, multiple teachers, and a staggered schedule. Lately, he's been keen on seeing our home as a respite. 

Set the stage 

Change is hard, so fluffing the nest will make your family feel better when they cross the threshold. Growing up, my family decompressed while preparing food. It's a great way to bond, so I set the scene. I stream Ray La Montagne, light a candle, and make sure the house is filled with the smell of delicious food - even if just slowly caramelizing onions on a back burner. 

When you manipulate things with your hands, and do it repeatedly, you can enter a flow state. This is when all of your attention is on the task at hand, and all the other things on your mind melt into the background. In this state you are both hyper-focued and relaxed. It's kind of like knitting. The matriarchs of my family had a tradition of rolling and stuffing grape leaves by the dozens. They'd slide into a zone, chatting and laughing - all while being incredibly productive.

Making wontons together

As I was sitting at the dining table pinching little wonton dumplings, my son couldn't help but pull up. He loves crab rangoon, so we made the budget version - sans crab. But really, has anyone gotten any real meat in their crab rangoon? It tasted almost the same, and it was delicious.

But when we ran out of the sweetened cream cheese filling, I didn't want to stop. My middle-schooler was in the flow state, a wonton-making machine humming to himself. So I created a batch of Mongolian beef with cumin, cayenne, and Sichuan peppercorn. Those were delicious as well. In fact, we gobbled them up so quickly, we forgot to take a photo of the final product. 

How to fold a wonton

Below are the steps to folding a wonton.

• Defrost wonton wrappers at room temperature.
• Grab a small finger bowl or ramekin, fill it with a little water, and place it on the table along with the wonton papers, your filling, and a hard, clean surface to work on.
• Remove a wonton wrapper and lay it on a flat, hard surface.
• Dab your fingertips into the tiny ramekin or bowl, and swipe water around the edges of your wonton. 

Place filling in the middle

Take opposite corners and fold them toward one another, pinching them off at the top so that the dough sticks together.

Then fold the two remaining corners together, pinching the dough all along the edges at the top to seal the filling in before frying.

• Fry the wontons until the skin is crispy and golden. It shouldn't take more than a minute or two.
• Drain oil while pulling out, and place on a paper towel. 
• Note: If working with meat, I recommend using fully-cooked meat before stuffing the wontons, to ensure it is cooked thoroughly. Also, I use peanut oil for frying. 
• Enjoy hot with your favorite dipping sauce.

You can fill wontons with anything.  Experiment with different flavors. Whether a savory Indian curry or pork with salsa verde, play with what you have. Making dipping sauces can be just as fun.

Whether you need to decompress or want to introduce an engaging ritual to your family, working with your hands to make something delicious helps to clear your mind and fill your belly with goodness. Happy back-to-school season!