Gathering to eat with friends and family is great, and having everyone pitch in to help get dinner on the table adds to the experience. Cooking together is one of my favorite ways to spend time without screens with the people I love.
This all-in-one dinner party brings everyone together to get a multi-course meal on the table quickly—no dish takes more than 30 minutes. Dumplings, stir-fried noodles, cucumber salad, cocktail (or mocktail) and even dessert can be assembled at the same time, without competing for stovetop or oven space. The dessert can be baked while you sit down to eat. Enjoy more family gatherings – in the kitchen and around the table.
Produced by Stephanie Han Kim, lifestyle photography by Tanya Pilgrim
Dumplings are a perfect dish to make when you have extra hands to fill and pinch them. Set up an assembly line on the kitchen counter with round or square wrappers, a filling bowl, and a small dish of water to help seal the dumplings. Jiaozi has been one of my son’s favorite dishes since he was little, and as he grew up, we would often assemble dumplings at the kitchen table after school. There are many ways to shape square and round dumpling wrappers, and they are inexpensive to purchase at most grocery stores. Ground pork is a common protein for jiaozi, but you can use ground turkey, shrimp, or tofu as well. Get this dumpling recipe.
Boiled dumplings: Gently place the dumplings in a pot of boiling water. Boil until they float to the surface, then continue cooking until the filling is firm, about 1 minute more.
Cooking pot: Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and coat it with canola oil. Add dumplings in a single layer. Cook until the bottom is golden. Pour half a cup of water into the pan. Cook, covered, about 5 minutes. Remove the lid and leave it on low heat until the water evaporates.
Crisp cucumber salad is a perfect pairing for noodles and dumplings, and baby English cucumbers can be sliced
In a way that makes it open like an accordion, a method that went viral on TikTok and Instagram last year. You can toss them with a batch of dumpling dipping sauce, adding a few extra tablespoons of oil, or drizzle them over a creamy cilantro-jalapeno sauce, which is a great way to make use of half a bunch of wilted cilantro in your tray. Even if it’s just the legs. Get the cucumber salad recipe.
A stir fry is a simple and versatile dish that can be made with any number of vegetables. Prepare everything in advance – once you get started, it comes together quickly. Get the Fried Noodles recipe.
Roasted apples are a simple dessert and will make your house smell amazing when popped into the oven before dinner. If you don’t have five-spice powder, substitute with cinnamon or another warm spice blend — or make your own. Get the recipe for Roasted Apples.
A refreshing cocktail that can easily be a drink or not and is ideal for gatherings with children and those who prefer non-alcoholic drinks. This sweet ginger ale can be made in bulk by the pitcher for a group of people. Get this gin sling recipe.
Produced by Stephanie Han Kim, lifestyle photography by Tanya Pilgrim