time tested techniques

the bf and i made dumplings for the first time this week. we bought the wrappers in chinatown awhile ago but couldn't agree on fillings. we settled on some ground pork (only .83 cents a pound, by the way) and ramped it up with traditional chinese spices. neither of us could figure out how to form the wraps into cute little dim sum-y packages so phil used his ravioli techniques and i just sort of rolled them around until parts stuck to other parts. they were really delicious, if a little ugly, and i got a chance to witness phil's masterful spoon-over-spoon filling forming tactics. he's like an encyclopedia of time-tested techniques and he always knows the reasons behind them. i may have to remind him who people are over and over but he'll never forget anything anthony bourdain has told him. ever.