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U.S. Foreign Service Officer headed to Wuhan, China

The mission of a U.S. diplomat in the Foreign Service is to promote peace, support prosperity, and protect American citizens while advancing the interests of the U.S. abroad. The work that diplomats do has an impact on the world as they serve at one of any of the more than 270 embassies, consulates and other diplomatic missions in The Americas, Africa, Europe and Eurasia, East Asia and Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, and South Asia.

The duties of a Consular Officer include to provide emergency and non-emergency services to American citizens and protect our borders through the proper adjudication of visas to foreign nationals and passports to American citizens. We adjudicate immigrant and non-immigrant visas, facilitate adoptions, help evacuate Americans, combat fraud, and fight human trafficking. Consular Officers touch people’s lives in important ways, often reassuring families in crisis. They face many situations which require quick thinking under stress and develop and use a wide range of skills, from managing resources and conducting public outreach to assisting Americans in distress.

Dumplings


Chinese dumplings are high on the list of my favorite things to eat here. Last year, Sean and I had a few cooking courses from students to learn how to make a few of our favorite dishes including dumplings. Our goal was to be able to cook some authentic Chinese food for our parents at home.

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Chinese Dumplings (Jiaozi 较子 Pronunciation = jow-zuh)

Ingredients (Enough for 6 adults)

*These amounts are estimates only and should not be considered exact. If you think your mix needs more/less of something, then by all means follow your instinct. Keep in mind that in China, measuring cups are not used at all so our recommended ingredients are rough guesses at most. Don’t worry – they will turn out fine and be delicious whatever you do.

1 lb ground pork

¾ head of Chinese cabbage

1 ½ cups leeks / small green onions (use the green stem part only)

1 Tb. chopped ginger root

2 Tb. salt

1 tsp. msg

¼ Cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

3 garlic cloves chopped

Pepper and onion seasoning to taste

1-2 packages of wonton/dumpling wrappers (about 75-100)

Directions

Cut the leeks and cabbage into very small pieces. Add the salt and oil. Add the rest of the ingredients but add the meat last followed by the eggs. Mix softly but thoroughly.


To make a dumpling, take a small amount of the mix (small spoonful) and put it in the center of the wrap. Dip your finger in a bowl of water and wet halfway around the edge of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper together and pinch the edge together firmly. Click here for some visual directions. Place the dumpling aside and move on to another.


When you have about 15 dumplings made, drop into boiling water for about 3 minutes. Pour some cold water in to stop the boiling (just a little bit) and then boil for 3 more minutes. Remove the dumplings and they are ready to eat. Serve with dipping sauces (usually vinegars). Uncooked dumplings can be frozen.


The idea of dumplings in a Chinese home is that you simply use whatever you have in your house to make a simple and tasty mix. There really is no one way to make a dumpling and this recipe is Sean’s memory of our experiences thus far. Many Chinese families like to make dumplings during special occasions or with company as the task of folding the wrappers is time-consuming and allows for a lot of fun and conversation. Enjoy!

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The week before we returned to China we all (my mom and dad, Sean's dad and his girlfriend and Sean and I) had a big Chinese meal together - chopsticks and all. I can't really take credit for the cooking - Sean did it all but I helped with the grocery shopping, table setting and food preparation. We made dumplings, sweet and sour pork and eggs with tomato. Everything turned out great and we had a lot of fun. I've included the rough recipe that we used above. We've made dumplings with a few people and they never use a) a recipe b) measuring tools c) consistent ingredients - they just throw stuff in with an amount that feels right. The only tools they use in cooking are chopsticks and a bowl. That's it.


This week is the holiday for National Day so I have been busy traveling and enjoying time off from school and away from the computer. Last night Steve and his family came over to celebrate and we made dumplings together and played some games. Ariana and David joined in the fun as well. Making dumplings is definitely a team effort with delicious consequences. I hope to continue the tradition in the U.S. when I go back as well.

Read More 1 Comment | Posted by Sarah Sanderson edit post

1 Comment

  1. Erica on October 7, 2010 at 11:11 AM

    oooh..a new recipe for me to try! I'm going to make an attempt at making some dumplings!

     


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    Sarah Sanderson
    I am currently in Mandarin language training as a new diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service. Sean and I depart for Wuhan, China in November 2019 for my first tour in consular affairs.
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