Sometimes cooking is a chore – even for me and you. Other days, you make something and you remember why you fell in love with the art of cooking in the first place. Sunday I made something that reignited that joy — Setzu Zeender’s Siu Mai (Chinese dumplings).

Like a craft project, every (easy) step was satisfying — chopping and mixing the stuffing, filling and pleating the little dumpling wrappers, assembling the bamboo steamer basket. Watching the steam rise, I only wished I had a household of guests to serve the dumplings to — siu mai are social!

Fortunately, my husband managed to devour enough (dashing in and out of the kitchen during football commercial breaks) to make up for a lack of guests – and he’s glad to know I stashed extras in the freezer for Super Bowl Sunday.

By the way, the filling for those dumplings can be turned into quick and tasty little burgers. So good.

I’m really glad to finally have Setzu, one of the best cooks I know on this Island, contributing to Cook the Vineyard. I’m hoping to persuade her to share more dim sum with us, as well as other recipes she has gathered during her career as a private cook and baker all over the world: She was born in the Philippines and lived and cooked in Paris, Hong Kong, Singapore and Washington, D.C.