Good morning. Today’s Q&A dives into blue cheese. Where do you stand on the ingredient?

RECIPE BREAKDOWN🤯

Homemade gyoza

Making dumplings at home is easier than you might think.

Gyoza, specifically, are great for prepping in a large batch. They are a crowd-pleasing meal for hosting or feeding a family. Freeze extras, which can be steamed in minutes for a quick meal.

They are also flexible — once you understand the gyoza filling equation you can use any kind of ground meat, vegetables, or seasonings.

Gyoza Filling Framework

Follow the gyoza filling equation below, buy some dumpling wrappers (check the frozen section or your nearest international grocery store), and you’re ready to go.

Gyoza Components

• 1-2 lbs (450-900 g) of gyoza filling (using the equation above)*

• 1 pack (40-60 sheets) of Gyoza or dumpling wrappers

• Neutral oil & water, for pan frying and steaming

Once you have your ingredients sorted, have a folding party — which can be a fun communal event.

• For folding tips, check out the video or recipe FAQs. There’s a few different options.

Bonus sauce framework

• 3 parts soy sauce

• 1 part rice vinegar

• .5 part sesame or chili oil (optional)

• Minced scallion (optional)

This goes hard as a general dipping sauce or stir-fry sauce too.

If you want to follow our pork & cabbage version, check out the recipe — which sticks to this framework:

RECIPE RECCOMENDATIONS🥡

Using up ground meat…

Dumplings are a great candidate for making use of spare ground meat in the freezer. We put together a collection of other recipes that are perfect for cooking with that last pound of ground beef or sausage:

FOOD TRENDS 🚀

Cuisine-Specific BBQ spinoffs

Is BBQ the ultimate fusion food?

When people think of BBQ, they often think of the competing American regions: Texas brisket, Kansas City burnt ends, North-Carolina style sauce.

But a new wave of BBQ identities is sweeping the country. Establishments are leaning into cuisine-specific flavor profiles, seasoning their smoked meats with Mexican chiles and cumin, Egyptian spices, and Korean aromatics.

1. In Lockhart, TX the newly opened Barb’s B Que rose to quick fame this year with Tex-Mex twists throughout the menu: fajita spiced sausages, charro beans, and concha pudding for dessert.

2. In Austin, KG BBQ is pioneering Egyptian spice rubs, lamb offerings, and fresh Mediterranean mezze-like sides to innovate on the classic Texas offerings.

3. In Atlanta, this former K-pop star serves kimchi and other Korean banchan alongside kalbi-style ribs while still paying respects to classic southern smoking techniques.

These are just a few examples of the dozens popping up across the country — BBQ is perhaps the ultimate fusion category, and it’s exciting to see American consumers embrace innovative restaurants in the space. Smoked meats are a blank slate for any cuisine's aroma profile — change a few aromatics and you can be transported to a different part of the world.

Our take: Learning to play with flavor profiles is an important unlock to cooking through different cuisines. That’s why every single Cook Well recipe features a highlighted “aroma profile” so you can start learning the key ingredients that shift dishes across cultural lines.

READER Q&A 🧠

Love it or hate it: blue cheese

Answer: Blue cheese is a polarizing food, but for many, it’s super satisfying. Why?

1) The creamy crumbles provide a rich texture that's both smooth and slightly crumbly.

• This makes it a great option for mixing into dips & dressings or topping salads or flatbreads as a garnish.

2) Its savory umami flavor is deeply satisfying and versatile.

• Because it is an aged and fermented product, blue cheese develops high concentrations of glutamates and savory amino acids, the same compounds that make seared meat so satisfying.

• The umami flavor tempers bitter ingredients (like salad greens) or contrasts well against sweet items like honey or fruits.

3) The funky, bold taste can be compared to spicy food

• The strong aroma and unique appearance make you feel something, an experience that’s intense and provides novelty to your meal. It keeps you coming back for more.

So while the moldy product may look off-putting, blue-cheese lovers aren’t just freaks. From a culinary flavor perspective, our affinity for the stuff makes perfect logical sense.

Learn more about the human, visual, and emotional elements of food on the Cook Well Fundamentals pages.

Have a culinary question? Reply to send it in for a chance to be featured and get your question answered.

READER PHOTO SUBMISSIONS 📸

Want photo credit on Cook Well?

Exciting development: We can now update our website photography with user-submitted photos.

If you want to be featured with photo credit and bragging rights, plate up a Cook Well recipe and then follow our photography guide to submit a photo.

• The guide & instructions are linked on every recipe page by the photographer's name.

EXTRA HELPINGS 🍽️

A read: The Bear Season 3 - A Cultural Phenomenon

In a minute or less: Gochujang Beef Bowl

What we’re watching: Grilled Cheese Greatness

Food science: Make Perfect Rice Every Time

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