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Ingredients (Makes 70 to 80 dumplings)
1/2 medium head chinese cabbage
1 tablespoon kosher salt
500g ground pork
1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
1 bunch coriander, minced (about 3/4 cup)
3 tbsp soy sauce
2-inch piece fresh ginger finely minced (about 3 tbsp)
2 large eggs, whisked
1 (350g) package round dumpling, wonton, or gyoza wrappers

Assembling the dumplings

Slice the half-head of cabbage down its length, through the root, to make 2 quarters. Then slice each quarter into very thin strips, cutting cross-wise. Toss the slices with the salt in a large mixing bowl and set aside for 5 to 10 minutes. While it rests with the salt, the cabbage will start to release liquid. When it’s ready, grab handfuls of the cabbage and squeeze out the water. Transfer the squeezed cabbage to another mixing bowl. To the bowl with the squeezed cabbage, add the ground pork, sliced green onions, coriander, soy sauce, ginger, and eggs. Work the mixture together with your hands until fully combined.

Clear a large space on the counter. Set a small bowl of water, the bowl of filling, and a parchment-lined baking sheet nearby. Open the package of dumpling wrappers and arrange a few on the work space in front of you. Place 1 scant tablespoon of filling on each dumpling wrapper. It doesn’t look like much filling, but using any more gets messy and makes the dumplings hard to pleat closed! Once you get the hang of pleating the dumplings, you can try adding a bit more. Dip your finger in the bowl of water and run it around the edge of the dumpling. This will help it to seal closed.

Lift the dumpling from the work surface and fold it in half. Press the top closed. Use your opposite thumbs to fold a tiny pleat on either side of the dumpling, then press firmly to seal the dumpling closed. You may need to dab a little water under the pleat to make it stick closed.Repeat. Continue filling and pleating the rest of the wrappers using the remaining filling. As you finish each dumpling, line it up on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

You can cook the dumplings immediately, or freeze them on the baking sheet. Once frozen solid, gather them into a freezer container and keep frozen for up to 3 months.

Cooking the Dumplings
Sear the dumplings in a skillet:
Film a skillet with about a tablespoon of oil and warm over high heat. When the oil is shimmering, arrange the dumplings in the pan as close as they’ll fit without actually touching. Cook until the bottoms have turned brown and golden. Pour 3 tablespoons of water in the pan — the water will immediately sizzle and begin to steam. Cover the pan immediately and reduce the heat to low. Cook the dumplings for 3 to 5 minutes if fresh, or 6 to 8 minutes if frozen. When done, the wrappers will appear translucent and noodle-like; the filling will be opaque and warmed through (you can cut one open to check). Transfer the cooked dumplings to a plate and serve with soy sauce or other dipping sauce.

Steamed dumplings:
Line a steamer basket with parchment and steam over simmering water for about 6 minutes if fresh, 8 minutes if frozen.

Making crunchy caramel popcorn is a two step process. First you make a simple caramel sauce on the stovetop by boiling butter and brown sugar for a few minutes. Then you coat the popcorn with caramel sauce and bake it in the oven until dry and crispy. The whole process takes a little over an hour, and keeps well in sealed containers for several days.

Ingredients
1/2 cup unpopped corn kernels (10-12 cups popped)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions
Arrange two oven racks in the top and bottom third of the oven and preheat the oven to 250°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment. Once you start making the caramel sauce, everything comes together quickly so have all the ingredients and equipment you need handy.

Make the popcorn. Warm 3 corn kernels and the oil in a large lidded saucepan over medium heat. When the kernels pop, add the rest of the corn kernels to the pan, shake to coat with oil, and put the lid on the pan. Pop the corn, shaking the pan occasionally, until the popping slows. Empty the popped corn immediately into a large heat-proof bowl. This makes about 10 cups of popcorn; make the popcorn in two batches if your pan is not large enough.

Make the caramel sauce. Melt the butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Mix in the sugar until the sugar is completely moistened. Increase the heat to medium high and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, boil for 3-4 minutes while stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan continuously. (Boil for a minute less if cooking on an electric stove.) The exact cooking temperature isn’t critical with this recipe, but ideally you want the sugar mixture to reach between 250°F and 300°F. The longer you cook the syrup, the crunchier it will be. For very crunchy popcorn, stop cooking when you see the first wisps of smoke coming from the sugar mixture.

Off the heat, add the vanilla, salt and baking soda, and stir until combined. The sugar mixture will bubble up violently. Continue stirring until you form a thick, glossy sauce.

Combine the caramel sauce and popcorn. Slowly pour the caramel sauce over the popcorn while stirring the popcorn (it helps if you have a partner for this step — one person pouring while the other stirs the popcorn). Continue stirring the sauce into the popcorn until all of the kernels are coated.
Bake the caramel popcorn. Divide the popcorn between two baking sheets, spreading the popcorn out into an even layer. It’s ok if the popcorn clumps together. Bake for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes and breaking up any clumps.

Let the popcorn cool completely on the baking sheets. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container for up to a week.