Food chat: What are the differences between dumplings and pot stickers?

Washington Post

Every week, the Washington Post Food staff fields questions about all things edible. Here are edited excerpts from a recent chat.

What’s the difference between dumplings and pot stickers?

I believe it’s a case of rectangles and squares. Dumpling is the more generic term to refer to wrappers filled with ingredients that can then be boiled, steamed or pan fried. There can be other types of dumplings, too, such as in chicken and dumplings. Pot stickers refer only to the pan-fried dumplings. – Aaron Hutcherson

Many recipes for vegan cream or cheese sauces use soaked and pureed cashews to replace the dairy products. Is there a substitute for cashews for those who are allergic or concerned about the negative environmental and ethical impacts of cashew production?

Yes, cashew cream is a beautiful thing. For those who are allergic, try using blanched slivered almonds, which also “cream” up pretty well when soaked/pureed.

As for the environmental/ethical impacts, you might look for a Fair Trade certified brand – they’re rare, but I’ve been buying from one of them, Beyond, and can vouch for the product. – Joe Yonan

If kepac manis is “sweet soy sauce,” can I make an acceptable substitute by adding sugar or honey to regular soy sauce or, since it’s what I have in the kitchen, Kikkoman? Please specify quantities.

Yes, you can sub 1 tablespoon soy sauce and 2 tablespoons brown sugar for 3 tablespoons kecap manis. – J.Y.

I am trying to eat healthier and get more fiber in my diet. I also like to bake. I recently bought whole wheat pastry flour. Can I just substitute that for white flour when making cakes, cookies and muffins? Or should I do half wheat, half white? Will the baked items taste substantially different using whole wheat pastry flour?

Whole-wheat pastry flour is a really good pick for baking because it’s actually made from a different type of wheat than regular whole-wheat flour – it’s softer and lower-protein. So, you get nice and tender results without as much of the prominent whole-wheat flavor. Ellie Krieger uses it exclusively in a lot of her recipes for us. It’s an especially good option for cookies and muffins.

Cakes you might want to be a little more cautious, at least at first, since those generally need more structure than the other types of baked goods. Starting a cake recipe with a 50-50 mix of the whole-wheat pastry and all-purpose is a reasonable plan, and then if it seems to work, you can move even more in the direction of cutting all-purpose.

That being said, there are lots of recipes out there that would be designed to use whole-wheat pastry flour from the get-go. So, you wouldn’t have to worry at all. – Becky Krystal

When I see recipes for removing water from cooked cauliflower rice (or defrosted frozen spinach), they usually suggest wringing it out in a towel. I don’t want to waste paper towels, nor end up with a dish towel covered with stuck-on veggie bits. Could I just spread it out on a sheet pan and dry uncovered in the oven at a low temp? If so, what temp and for how long? Alternatively, what about dry sautéing on a low flame in a skillet until the excess water evaporates?

I guess it really depends on what you’re going to cook, but I’d be worried about doing too much precooking and altering the texture using one of the methods you’re asking about. Honestly, I use my dish towels. I got a big, inexpensive pack of 24 and just do whatever I want to them. I wring zucchini and spinach in mine. After I’m done, I rinse them off and toss them in the laundry. It does seem like the least fussy and lowest-risk solution to me. — B.K.