Hi, Lani here!
It is a crisp September day here in Sonoma County, and it's clear to me that autumn has arrived. There are nutty, spicy notes in every caffeinated beverage around town. The whiff of hazelnut in the cafés remind me strongly of the start of fall quarter at UC Davis. The Russian River is low and the banks are wide, giving us more room for sunbathing during the rolling heatwaves. I see vines hanging heavy with fruit on my drive up and down 116. The mornings in Sebastopol are foggy and take a few extra hours to burn off. The sunsets are vanilla. There’s also a layer of lingering anxiety about wildfires. But we had our first hint of rain last week (!!) during which I actually hydroplaned for just a second in my truck and felt joy. I have to say, I’ve been really enjoying the rhythm of producing this newsletter every few months just for the grounding experience of being present with the changing seasons.
Grounding and breath work have become ever more important in maintaining balance this summer, because it has been very, very busy over here at Big Spoon HQ. I haven’t sent many emails or shared much on social media, and we’re still on a hiatus at the farmers markets. The past couple of months have been packed with a mixed bag of developments. But through the ups and downs, I have been working hard on building the business to be stronger than it was before.
You know that saying about building the bike while you’re riding it? We’ve been doing that for four years. That bike was looking pretty worse for wear. We had long outgrown jumping from kitchen to kitchen, spending an hour every day loading the truck, cooking all day, then packing everything back up and playing a never-ending slide puzzle to fit it all into our one-car garage.
The obvious solution was to find the business a space of its own. But renting a warehouse is expensive, and would have significantly increased our overhead. For many reasons, including uncertainty about the future of our business, some personal health challenges, and a trademark lawsuit that compounded both, it took us longer than we wanted to take that leap.
It took months of processing the events of this year before I felt confident enough to move forward. I’m excited to share that Big Spoon Sauce Co. now has its own dedicated warehouse space! We're tucked into a business park in Windsor, with good friends and collaborators as neighbors. Most of the summer was spent transforming the space from a dusty wood shop into a food-safe facility. Huge thanks to my parents for putting in so many hours on an exceptionally challenging paint job. It was us vs. raw, damaged drywall, 16-foot ceilings, sawdust clouds, and 90-degree days with no AC or running water.
Another major part of rebuilding the theoretical bike has been hiring help. I’m absolutely thrilled to be building a team! After years of working in a silo, I’ve been so gratified to see how seamlessly folks have stepped into the process.
My hope is to continue shaping our new space into a place where most of our operations can happen, and eventually, to host small cooking workshops and club pickup events of our own.
We’re still healing from the challenges this year has brought. That process hasn’t been linear. But there’s growth and forward motion again, and I am very grateful to be able to continue creating inventive takes on Chinese flavors while supporting our local food system here in Sonoma County.
Thank you so much for sticking with us.
Fall seasonal!
You might know her already. But in case you haven’t met the Kraken yet, she’s a feisty monster from the deep. Kraken stands apart from Green Gems, our only other recipe that highlights green chiles and Sonoma Coast seaweed, by turning up the heat. This blend features poblano, anaheim, jalapeño, and serrano chiles, balanced by sustainably foraged nori and kombu from Bodega Bay.
These peppers were grown by Ben Shleffar at Teravana, a nonprofit tucked into 700+ acres of sun-drenched land in Cazadero. The organization is dedicated to distributing food to the community in ecologically beneficial ways and cultivating crops using Indigenous practices to honor the land’s original stewards.
Back in March, during the full moon, we drove up to Cazadero to visit the land and help seed the peppers. Alongside our friend Emily Schromm, Teravana landmate and the person who introduced us to Ben through her work connecting local growers and producers, we tucked each seed into its starter tray and wished it well on its journey. It was so fun to be present for that part of the process! At the time, most of the areas destined for rows of corn, beans, and peppers were just being prepped for their very first planting season, which made participating in Teravana’s inaugural harvest feel extra special. A big thank you to Ben and Emily for these beautiful chiles!
Recipe: Fish + shrimp dumplings
Oh boy oh boy. With sweater season comes DUMPLING SEASON. Not that there is a specific season for dumplings, but I find myself more drawn to the activity of making them from scratch when the weather turns chilly.
Kraken Sauce is a 10/10 dumpling sauce. I think most of that comes from the garlic chives. When those funky aromatics hit hot oil, the entire kitchen smells like a dim sum takeaway spot on Clement St. The associations have somewhat limited my own personal uses for Kraken Sauce, given I’m just chasing this sensory experience from childhood, but I’m not mad about it.
I’ve used this recipe for dumpling workshops and, most recently, at our summer feast with Marla Bakery in Santa Rosa. They’ve always been a hit! Shrimp is a traditional pairing for garlic chives at dim sum restaurants. Ask for gau choy gau next time you visit one. Until then, a batch of this homemade version is sure to rock your world. This recipe makes about 60 dumplings.
Ingredients
Wrappers
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cup boiling water
- 1/2 tsp salt
(Alternatively, pick up a package of ready-made dumpling wrappers from your nearest Asian grocery store.)
Filling
- ½ lb. (~225 g) shrimp, peeled + deveined
- ½ lb (~225 g) filet of black cod or white fish of choice
- 6-8 cloves (20 g) garlic, minced
- 2 T (32g) oyster sauce
- 2 T (16g) corn starch
- 1 T olive oil
- 1 t sesame oil
- 1 t salt
- ½ t white pepper
For serving
- Kraken Sauce + fresh scallions or cilantro for serving
Make the dough
Boil your water. Using a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, add flour and salt and stir to combine. Measure out 1 1/2 cups of boiling water. Pour the water into the flour in a slow stream with the dough hook on low-medium speed, working to incorporate the water into the flour and salt. You might not need all of it. Let the dough work up into a ball. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and cover with a towel. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the filling
Chop shrimp in a food processor using the pulse function, being careful not to pureé. You want a rough dice so that your dumplings have texture and a satisfying chew. Scrape into a large mixing bowl. Repeat with the fish. Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl and mix well to incorporate.
Fold the dumplings
Dough should be well-hydrated and springy to the touch! Using a bench scraper, cut the ball of dough in half and then half again. Portion the dough into equal-sized balls. It's helpful to use a kitchen scale: you're aiming for portions that are 12-15 g each.
Using a rolling pin, roll out each ball into a circle. It's fine if they aren't perfect. Keep your stack of wrappers well-floured so that they don't stick together.
WONTONS
Place a small spoonful (less than 1 Tbsp) of filling in the center of one of the dumpling wrappers. Fold the bottom part up so that the dumpling forms a half circle, then press all the way around to seal. If the edges don’t seal together easily, dip your fingers in water and use it to help make the edges more tacky. Flip the dumpling over, grasp the two corners, and connect them by pinching one on top of the other.
Place each one on a plate or sheet pan when done. Be careful not to place them too close together, or they’ll stick. Repeat with the rest of the filling until it’s gone.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, and drop 8-10 dumplings in. Add some oil to the water to prevent them from sticking and ruining your hard work.
Cooking time varies. Watch the dumplings until they float, then pour some cold water into the pot to stop the boil. This allows the inside to finish cooking fully while keeping the wrapper from overcooking and getting mushy. Repeat this process for the rest of the dumplings.
Transfer to a bowl and top with chopped herbs and all the Kraken Sauce your heart desires.
POTSTICKERS
Place a small spoonful (less than 1 Tbsp) of filling in the center of one of the dumpling wrappers. Fold the bottom part up so that the dumpling forms a half circle and seal that midpoint. Fold three pleats on each side and form the dumpling into a half moon shape so that it stands up on its own.
Place each one on a plate or sheet pan when done. Be careful not to place them too close together, or they’ll stick. Repeat with the rest of the filling until it’s gone.
Place a non-stick pan over medium heat. When hot, add a few tablespoons of oil and add the dumplings. Let the bottoms sear for a minute and then add 1/4 cup water. Cover to steam.
When the water is nearly all cooked off, uncover the pan and cook until the water is gone and each dumpling has a crispy bottom.
Transfer to a serving plate and top with chopped herbs and all the Kraken Sauce your heart desires.
