Recipe for vegetarian steamed dumplings with sweet-and-sour sauce

Whether or not Chinese New Year marks a major event in your life, it?s easy to love many of the foods associated with it.

Dumplings are a traditional choice for the holiday, which this year begins Feb. 10. And while there are seemingly endless variations on the simple theme of stuffing rounds of dough with something savory and delicious, the basic steamed dumpling is among my favourites. Not the least because it is incredibly weeknight friendly.

I always start by using purchased wonton skins as the dough. These skins, which are available in various shapes and sizes, are widely available, inexpensive, need no prep, cook quickly and are easy to work with.

For the filling, you can use virtually anything you like. Seasoned ground meats (pork, poultry or even beef all work quite nicely) are wonderful, especially when combined with diced vegetables, such as carrots and onion. The only trick is to make certain the ingredients aren?t watery, as this will ruin the texture of the dumplings.

If your filling contains many vegetables, it?s a good idea to give them a quick stir-fry before adding them to the mixture. This helps remove excess water. For smaller amounts of vegetables, this isn?t necessary. You?ll also want to opt for lean ground meats for the same reason.

For this dumpling recipe, I decided to go vegetarian and used purchased seasoned and baked tofu in the filling. If you?d rather use meat, substitute an equal amount of diced or ground meat and skip the food processing step. You?ll also need to steam for a bit longer (use an instant thermometer to check the progress and ensure you hit a safe cooking temperature).

For this recipe, I use a simple fold-and-pinch method of forming the dumplings. It requires no special equipment or skill. But if you make a lot of dumplings, consider getting a dumpling press sold for just a few dollars at Asian markets. These clamshell-style presses neatly fold and crimp the dumplings into attractive packets.

VEGETARIAN STEAMED DUMPLINGS WITH SWEET-AND-SOUR SAUCE

Seasoned baked tofu is sold with the other refrigerated Asian items, usually in the grocer?s produce section.

Start to finish: 45 minutes

Makes 48 dumplings

For the dumplings:

12 ounces seasoned baked tofu, cut into cubes

6 scallions, ends trimmed

2 cloves garlic

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, leaves and stems

1/2 cup finely grated carrots

1 whole egg or 2 egg whites, beaten

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

1 teaspoon hot sauce

12-ounce package 3-inch square wonton wrappers

For the sweet-and-sour sauce:

1/2 cup rice vinegar (cider vinegar can be substituted)

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons apricot jam

2 tablespoons ketchup

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons water

In a food processor, combine the tofu, scallions, garlic, cilantro, carrots, egg, hoisin, soy sauce, sesame oil and hot sauce. Pulse until the tofu is finely chopped, but not ground, about ten 1-second pulses.

One at a time, place 1 teaspoon of the mixture in the centre of each wonton wrapper. Dunk your fingers in water, then use them to wet the edges of the wrapper. Gather the edges of the wrapper over the filling, pinching them together to form a small bundle. Repeat with the remaining filling and wrappers.

In a large saute pan, bring about 1 inch of water to a boil. Set a bamboo or other steamer basket over the water, then lightly coat it with cooking spray.

Working in batches if necessary, arrange the dumplings in the steamer (they should not touch), then cover and steam for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the sweet-and-sour sauce. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the vinegar, brown sugar, jam, ketchup, soy sauce and hot sauce. Bring to a simmer. In a small glass, mix the cornstarch and water, then add to the saucepan. Simmer for another 2 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Serve the dumplings with sweet-and-sour sauce on the side for dipping.

Nutrition information per dumpling: 50 calories; 10 calories from fat (20 per cent of total calories); 1 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 5 mg cholesterol; 9 g carbohydrate; 0 g fibre; 4 g sugar; 2 g protein; 135 mg sodium.

Source: http://o.canada.com/2013/01/25/recipe-for-vegetarian-steamed-dumplings-with-sweet-and-sour-sauce/

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How To Start A Business ? WKSBDC ? Small Business Assistance ...

Here you will be introduced to the basic steps of starting a small business. Topics include: researching your idea, legal structures, registration requirements, writing a business plan, and available financing options. Checklists will be provided.

Time & Place

Wednesday, February 6, 2013
6:00-8:00pm

Topeka-Shawnee County Public Library

Source: http://washburnsmallbusiness.com/2013/01/24/how-to-start-a-business-20/

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Justin Timberlake 'Suit & Tie' Director Wanted To Make 'Best Lyric Video Ever'

'My intention was to make this fully realized and a lot of it has to do with Justin,' says director Laban Pheidias.
By Gil Kaufman

Justin Timberlake
Photo: RCA

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1700762/justin-timberlake-suit-tie-lyric-video-director.jhtml

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Katrina survivor moves 'Idol' judges to tears

By Craig Berman, TODAY contributor

There aren?t many events in recent years that touched Americans more than Hurricane Katrina, and there aren?t many reality competitions that understand the art of building an audience like ?American Idol.? It should be no surprise that the two met in the Baton Rouge auditions, to produce one of the best performances thus far in season 12.

Burnell Taylor, an unemployed 19-year-old from New Orleans, lost everything during the storm and moved with his family to Baton Rouge in the aftermath. Photos helpfully provided to the audience showed the devastation of his household, but Taylor noted one positive that came from the experience.

?I realized I knew how to sing after Hurricane Katrina,? Taylor said.

Taylor proved it with a stirring performance of ?I?m Here? that closed the show with perhaps the best performance of the season. It got a standing ovation from three of the four judges (Nicki Minaj stayed seated) and made Mariah Carey cry.

?All I can say is somewhere there?s a spotlight right now just waiting for you to walk into it,? Keith Urban said.

?That is what we came for,? Minaj said. ?I feel like we?ve been flying all around this country for that. That thing that can?t even be put into words. That thing that gives everybody chills and goosebumps. I?m so happy you did that because that wasn?t even an audition, that was just entertainment for us.?

Which begs the question -- what would cause Minaj to stand? And how dare she bring up ?goosebumps,? which we all hoped had been retired along with Jennifer Lopez.

Apart from that, Baton Rouge was filled with folks who were more quirky than inspiring.

I mean, it?s great that Ms. Greater Baton Rouge (Megan Miller) went against her doctor?s advice, risked infection, and hobbled in on crutches and sporting a wicked knee brace. But ?Idol? has dealt with a lot more serious health concerns in recent seasons. Just ask Phillip Phillips, Crystal Bowersox and Casey Abrams.

Charlie Askew was unexpected because he was so socially awkward, but ?Idol? takes guys like him every year and they always seem to do surprisingly well. After all, doesn?t everyone feel socially awkward at times? Especially teenagers?

Maddie Assel became the latest singer nominated by a family member and dragged out of their hometown by Randy Jackson to get four yes votes and a trip to Hollywood. It?ll be interesting to see how she and the rest of the shy types who needed that extra push to try out do in the more intense atmosphere of the next round.

We had firefighter Dustin Watts, but there are firefighters, policemen and the like every year. And Dr. Calvin Peters sang well, but it?s not like there was a lot at stake for him. If he washes out on the first day in Hollywood, he?s still a doctor, plus he has the advantage that any pressures the ?Idol? producers put on him can?t match what he needed to get through medical school.

No, it was Taylor who stole the show, and who will be Baton Rouge auditioner everyone remembers.

Were you moved by Burnell Taylor and his amazing story? Let us know what you thought of the Baton Rouge auditions on Facebook!

Related content:

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Source: http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2013/01/25/16695877-katrina-survivor-moves-american-idol-judges-to-tears-standing-ovation?lite

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RAmos W42 tablet boasts quad-core Exynos chip, sells for around $200

It's been a long, long while since we last heard about RAmos 'round here, but that doesn't mean the Chinese company isn't trying to remain relevant in the electronics game. As such, we're more than happy to tell you about the outfit's newest Android slate, the 9.4-inch RAmos W42, which is powered by a wallop of Ice Cream Sandwich, Mali-400 GPU and a Samsung-made quad-core processor -- more specifically, it's the Exynos 4412. Other tablet specs include a not-too-shabby 1,280 x 800 IPS display, 1GB RAM, 16GB of built-in storage (expandable by way of microSD) and the now-accustomed front and rear cameras. The W42 appears to be up for grabs at e-tailers like the one linked below for about 200 bucks -- now, with some great options around that same price, only time will tell whether or not folks are tempted by this very one.

Filed under: Tablets

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Via: Liliputing

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/24/ramos-w42-tablet-with-exynos/

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Symantec third-quarter profit beats Street, splits chairman, CEO jobs

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Symantec Corp beat earnings expectations and said it is splitting the chief executive and chairman jobs ahead of a Wednesday meeting to unveil a new strategy it hopes will end years of investor disappointment.

Symantec, the maker of Norton anti-virus software, reported profit of 45 cents per share, excluding items, for its fiscal third quarter ended December 28. That topped the average analyst estimate of 38 cents, according to a poll by Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Revenue rose 4 percent from a year earlier to $1.79 billion, beating the average view of $1.74 billion.

The company named independent director Dan Schulman to the position of non-executive chairman, replacing Steve Bennett, who will remain CEO and president.

Symantec fired CEO Enrique Salem in July, tapping then-chairman Steve Bennett to take the post. Over the course of the Salem's term as CEO, Symantec shares fell about 19 percent, while the Nasdaq Composite Index climbed about 77 percent.

Schulman, on Symantec's board since March 2000, is president of the Enterprise Growth Group at American Express Co. He also worked at Nextel Corp and AT&T Inc.

Symantec shares rose 3.3 percent to $21.55 in premarket trade.

(Reporting by Jim Finkle; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/symantec-third-quarter-profit-beats-street-splits-chairman-140411736--sector.html

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Indonesian governor inspires, but can he deliver?

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) ? Cheering crowds greeted the new leader of this Asian megacity as he toured its flooded business district atop a handcart typically used to haul garbage. Men, women and children waded through dirty water to shake his hand, shout greetings and hear his vague promises that their lives will get better.

"Come the dry season, we need to do something real, something concrete," Jakarta Gov. Joko Widodo said last week. "We need a breakthrough, whether that be a massive reservoir or whatever."

It's the kind of populist moment you see from many of the world's big-city mayors, but it's not typical for Indonesia, the largest economy in Southeast Asia. More than 14 years since dictator Suharto was overthrown, its politicians are still mostly drawn from the same stock: wealthy businessmen or former generals running more on connections and money than experience in government.

Enter Widodo, known universally by an affectionate nickname, "Jokowi." He comes from Solo, a smallish city in the middle of Java, and speaks Indonesian with the thick accent of people from those parts. He dresses simply in a white shirt and slacks, resembling one of the office workers who cram into Jakarta's falling-apart buses every day.

Widodo's trip through his inundated city of 14 million reflected his hands-on approach to leadership, a style that helped him win election in September against an incumbent who was backed by the establishment political parties.

The 51-year-old has made several moves aimed at shoring up support among the poor, including a big increase in the minimum wage, but many tough decisions, including those surrounding Jakarta's woeful infrastructure, remain ahead of him. The city is wracked not only by floods, but by corruption, worsening traffic congestion and a widening gap between rich and poor.

"I don't feel under any burden," he said in a 25-minute chat at a street-side coffee shack two weeks before the floods struck. He played to a gallery of photographers who snapped wildly every time he brought a cheap glass of joe to his lips.

"My task is simple," he said. "Just stop the floods and fix the traffic."

Widodo, a former furniture producer, was credited with bringing a new style of governance to Solo when he became mayor there in 2005, even though lasting achievements there are perhaps harder to pin down.

He was supported by the country's main opposition party, but appeared to distance himself from it, saying his alliance was "with the people." Many ordinary Jakartans believed him, as well as progressives and liberals, who helped in a savvy, social media-driven campaign that swept through the city's young, relentlessly online population.

"The old schemes don't necessarily lead to success anymore," said Frank Feulner, a governance specialist with the United Nations who was based in Indonesia for many years. "It's quite a development to see such a clean candidate in such a dynamic city. The fact that the political and commercial epicenter of the country has made this move is an encouragement to everyone else."

Widodo's choice of deputy cemented the idea that this was going to be a different kind of Jakarta administration. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama also began his career outside the city and developed a reputation for being tough when dealing with inefficient and corrupt staff.

One clip, uploaded by Purnama's office to YouTube, shows him angrily ordering public works officials to cut their budget by 25 percent, suggesting they have been marking it up. It has close to 1.5 million hits.

Widodo leaves much of the city's day-to-day administration to Purnama. "I'm the one who goes out and about. He improves the system from inside," he said.

One of Widodo's first acts was raising the minimum wage in the city by a whopping 40 percent to around $230 a month, winning him friends among the unions and those in formal employment, but concerning some economists who fear it will result in layoffs. He is also rolling out a health insurance scheme and free schooling for the poor, though how the city intends to pay for this over the long term is unclear.

His traffic plans include more buses to ply the city's dedicated lanes, some of which have already arrived, more roads and a scheme that would restrict the amount of cars that travel into the city center each day based on whether their license plate ends in odd or even number. He has postponed a plan to build a mass transit rail system like other Asian capitals, worried that ticket prices would be out of reach of the city's poorest.

On flood mitigation, he is proposing widening rivers, moving slum dwellers from their banks, new reservoirs outside of the city, a flood canal, 1,000 wells in downtown areas to absorb the groundwater that accumulates when the heavens open and campaigns to stop littering the waterways that crisscross the low-lying coastal city. Similar proposals were made by past governors, but they produced little.

Marco Kusumawijaya, director at the Rujak Center for Urban Studies, voted for Widodo, but is already a little concerned at what he is seeing.

"He showed signs of openness during his campaign but now I am a bit doubtful," he said. "He seems to be oscillating between 'yes' and 'no' on flood control and transport issues. I am disappointed that he and his team didn't do much homework during the campaign."

Back in Solo, people still speak well of Widodo, in large part because of his down-to-earth image and communication skills. After a first term, he won re-election there in 2009 with more than 90 percent of the vote.

But Setyo Herwanto, a researcher at foreign-funded civil society pressure group, raised some doubts about the longevity of his achievements during his seven years in charge of the city.

He said there was system in place to continue free school and health care he had initiated, and that many other of his well-published schemes to move traditional street sellers and fix traffic are no longer in place. "They were 'goodwill gestures' only. He left behind no legal framework," he said.

Yet Widodo's supporters in the opposition party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle, are already talking about him being the man that will lead their party back into power. Few believe that he will run for president in next year's polls, but five years down the line, he is already being talked up as a likely candidate.

A day after Widodo hosted a car-free New Year's Eve street party, opposition lawmaker Prasetyo Edi Marsudi expressed his hopes as the governor shook hands with Jakartans in the area where the party was held ? a venue the floods would inundate two weeks later.

"You see that man there," he said. "He serves the people, not the leaders. In 2019 he will be president."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/indonesian-governor-inspires-deliver-060621985.html

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