I had my sticky rice dumplings made and cooked at the end of yesterday. I can’t say I am ecstatic with success. Quite the contrary. I am rather disappointed with the result after many hours/days of labour. I thought this was my first attempt at it but memory brings up I had made them before with my mother some thirties years ago. It was also in July. It was warm and we were working in my newly renovated kitchen and house. It was a lovely time spending the afternoon with my mother.

Then I had her guidance. Now I’m relying on YouTube. The outcome is not the same. I consulted several videos and recipes. I soaked my rice and peanuts too long. The rice came out too soft and not quite sticky. Not all rice are equal. This one came from the Asian market. It’s too long and thin. The one from SuperStore is short and fat. I like it much better.

I could not gage how much of each ingredient to put in. I undersized. Then there’s the folding of the bamboo leaves. I couldn’t get the hang of it till I was almost finished but they’re wrapped and tied with no leakage. Are they delicious? I can’t tell yet. I tried one for lunch. It was too small to pass judgement on. It could stand to have more of everything in it. Would I try it again? Of course. The process is a labour of love, a creation of art besides making food. It is not fast. It is slow. I couldn’t hurry. It gives me time to meditate. It is a learning curve. I will do better next time.