I don't even know where to start 'cuz I'm so freaking excited to share, you guys! I feel like I've been bursting at the seams with excitement, waiting to share this post with you guys. A few weeks ago, Moses and I left town early one Friday afternoon and drove up to hang with one of my favorite humans, Stephanie, and her insanely awesome hubby, Mike. You know when you meet someone and you instantly feel like you've known them forever? Well, that's kinda how I feel about Steph and Mike. Confession: I've been reading Steph's blog(s) since forever, like way back when she was over at momofukufor2, so I actually do feel like I've known her forever, or at least for a while. Her warm, approachable, and engaging writing style drew me in from the get-go and guess what, she's exactly like that IRL!! I first met Steph IRL this year out in New York for the Saveur Blog Awards and instead of it being an awkward, 'hi, nice to meet you IRL,' situation it was more like a 'GAHHH it's been too long since we've hung out' kinda scenario. So naturally when Steph mentioned that she and Mike were coming to Southern California, Moses and I made sure to find a weekend to escape LA and relax, hang, and cook with our friends. Steph and I had grand plans to cook up a bunch of dim sum, but here's the thing, when two friends who haven't seen each other in months get together and start chatting, ambitious dim sum plans fall to the wayside and things like selecting playlists and discussions about pretzel-shaped floaties take priority. 

Can I just tell you that making dim sum is infinitely more fun with a partner?! Or maybe a team? I kinda wish we forced the boys to help because cooking with friends is so much more fun than solo missions, especially when making dim sum! As I mentioned earlier, we initially had a slightly more ambitious plan to make all the things but laughter and chatter got in the way (stupid fun :D), so we ended up scaling down to just two dishes. You'll have to head to i am a food blog for all the barbecue pork bun deets but first, can we talk about these dim sum sticky rice wraps?

If you're thinking these wraps look somewhat familiar but you can't place them, it's because they are like something you've probably ordered off a cart at your favorite dim sum restaurant but also, sorta different?!? Lol. Let me explain. See, you typically find sticky rice wrapped up in lotus leaves but, unless you've got access to a Chinese grocery store, you might not find lotus leaves, and then what!? Well, parchment paper to the rescue is what! Yup, while you might not get some of the aromatics you'd get with lotus leaves, you get everything else. You get that perfectly steamed, super sticky rice but in a really friendly parchment pouch. And the best part is that the rice doesn't stick to parchment the way it does to the leaves!

I highly recommend staying in one of these Sundays and having your own #dimsumdays. I had an absolute blast making these wraps and (panda shaped!!) barbecue pork buns with Steph and an even better time enjoying them. Talk about all the joys of dim sum but at home, without the wait or confusion. And yeah, confusion, because there's usually at least one instance when I order something I didn't intend to order and I'm like, "HUH?!?" Also, it's so much more fun eating dim sum when you don't have to leave the house and also know that there's a pool, sunshine, and even a hot tub waiting for you when you're finished. Happy Sunday, guys!! 

Dim Sum Sticky Rice Wraps

Barely adapted from The Woks of Life

Makes 8-10 wraps

INGREDIENTS

MARINADE

• 2 Tbsp. light soy sauce

• 1/2 tsp. ground white pepper

• 1 Tbsp. oyster sauce

• 1/2 tsp. five-spice powder

• 1 Tbsp. finely grated ginger

• 1 Tbsp. Shaoxing wine

• 1 tsp. cornstarch

RICE

• 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2" cubes

• 3 - 4 Chinese sausage links (lap cheong)

• 4 c. sticky (sweet) rice

• 2 Tbsp. dark soy sauce

• Canola oil, for cooking

• 6 c. coarsely chopped mushrooms (we used baby bellos)

• 3 c. sliced green onions

• 1 tsp. sea salt

• 5 sheets parchment paper (12" x 16") , cut in half

TOOLS

• Large pan

• Measuring cups and spoons

• Sharp knife

• Wooden spoon

• Steamer basket and pot

• Parchment paper sheets

• Kitchen string

FIX

1. In a medium bowl, stir together the marinade ingredients and add the chicken pieces. Stir well and refrigerate. Soak the sticky rice overnight, drain, and mix with 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce. Set aside.

2. Over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons oil to a large pan. When the oil is smoking slightly, add the mushrooms and stir-fry until they’re browned, tender, and most of the moisture has evaporated. Remove from the pan and set aside.

3. Heat your pan over medium-high heat again with two to three tablespoons oil. Brown the chicken and Chinese sausage. Mix in the mushrooms, green onions, and salt. Stir-fry for a couple minutes to let the flavors meld together.

4. Mix the chicken mixture with the soaked rice. Put about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of the mixture in the middle of one parchment half. Bring the shorter ends together in the middle and fold a couple times to secure and form a seal, bring the other two ends in, folding into the center, tie with kitchen string like a package, and steam for about 90 minutes. Make sure to check your water levels every 30 minutes and top off with boiling water if/when necessary.

5. Serve with some sweet soy sauce and sriracha and enjoy! 

Note: If you're not serving right away, cool and refrigerate; to reheat, steam for 10 to 20 minutes until heated through. They can also be frozen and steamed straight out of the freezer for 30 minutes or until heated through.