I’ve had dumplings without a filling. It’s not a requirement.
It seems every food style has at least one variation on the theme of "meat/veggie/cheese with a starch wrapped around it," dumplings, empanadas, ravioli, etc.
English (at least in my idiolect) uses "dumpling" for two rather different food items: either something like a Wonton, with dough around a filling, or something with no filling like these boiled Jamaican dumplings: http://jamaicans.com/dumpling/
Many (most?) languages have two different words for these foods.
Bad matzoh balls can be hard, heavy, and doughy, but good ones are light and fluffy (considering they’re saturated with soup). They’re just as light as the dumplings that come with chicken ‘n’ dumplings.
I’m more concerned with Christopher’s liking Tommy Atkins mangoes, especially in his role as a chef. That’s like saying Hershey’s bars are one of your favorite kinds of chocolate, or that Velveeta is one of your favorite cheeses. I mean, to each their own, but most connoisseurs would laugh in your face.
The chicken and dumplings qualifier is important. The word 'dumpling' in English comes from that style: you just sort of dump floury dough into water, and then you have a dumpling, no fillings required.
How so?
Gnocchi literaly translates as "dumplings."
Not exactly. It's translated as "dumplings" because that's what the general consensus is that they are. It literally means "lump" or "knot" (as in wood).
So does that make them knot dumplings, or not dumplings? :V
Really, the only mangoes I love are the ones I've picked from trees in Venezuela, where I grew up. So, like, be snobbish about mangoes all you like - mangoes that fresh are hard to find most anyplace else.
This is true. Regardless of breed, the freshest fruit is the best fruit. Fresh-off-the-tree mangoes are one of life’s great pleasures.
A friend of mine makes a mean matzah lasagne at Passover. I think Chefs Christopher and Adam would be intrigued!
I have to go against the grain (ha pasta pun *hi-fives self*) and say I loved this episode. While I couldn't get past the Miss Info ep and have been backlogged since then, this episode was amazing and extremely easy and I would venture to say that the soothing voices of Chefs Adam and Christopher be put into the hall of fame with misters Bob Ross and Fred Rogers. I found the salt bit hilarious (oh, you're a card) and loved the entire episode thoroughly. This is my favorite non-episode by far. Thank you a million for doing this and making my entire day.
Also Christopher, should you be able to contanct your Il Alimento counterpart, would you please inform him that a) I love the entire podcast, but I would greatly appreciate a part 2 to episode 77, b) as he probably already knows, pumpkin and beets are used in tomato-free marinara, and I eagerly await his reaction to these sauces. and c) I would suggest they review more French cuisine, as I am saddened by how little time they pay to the country that brought me my love of the culinary as well as my culinary education.
Au revoir,
Chef Flash Fire