Hi! My name is Jasmine. You may recognize my byline from a few newsletter interviews over the past few months (Ilocos empanada or red bean and custard bun, anyone?), or perhaps from a couple of pieces from Above the Fold, Issue 3. (Btw—the first pre-orders have shipped; if you haven’t yet, you should grab a copy!) It’s now been more than half a year since that chilly December evening when Above the Fold creator/editor Leah Mennies and I first met in-person, over a cup of hot chocolate at French Workshop in Astoria, Queens, and I officially began working with Above the Fold on social media management and content creation. This has truly been one of the most joyful and heartening projects that I’ve had the privilege of working on in my journalism and media career thus far1.
Aside from my penchant for multimedia storytelling, I genuinely love dumplings and enjoy thinking about the many different ways we can talk about them. And probably one of the biggest perks of the job is getting to dive head-first into the amazing world of dumpling-makers all over the internet. There are so many brilliant chefs, restaurateurs, artists, ceramicists, designers, and creators out there continuing the tradition (and also expanding the practice) of folding dough into delicious, beautiful forms both edible and otherwise.
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One of the tenets that anchors Above the Fold is highlighting makers and the labor of love that goes into their craft. So as I've worked to get in touch with makers to re-share their work, I make a point whenever possible to spotlight the person behind the image, and learn more about what went into crafting it. Read below for some of my favorite features over the course of the past six months (and follow @abovethefolddumplings on Instagram to see all the wonderful dumplings and dumpling-inspired art that inspires us).
Ceramic Pierogi by Frajda Ceramika
Polish artist Magda Drożdżowska is one of the first features I’d worked on, and I love the whimsy in her ceramic pierogi creations. It never occurred to me that dumplings could be a great fashion statement in the form of a brooch!
Pho Tortellini en Brodo by Kevin Le
I’ve long admired Le’s work as part of Toronto-based culinary creative studio, seeyousoon. Seeing him post this particular dish of his blew my mind! Because it is so clever and makes so much sense. Marrying the rich savoriness of tortellini en brodo (probably my all-time favorite Italian dish) with the refreshing brightness of phở makes the ultimate comfort dish.
Har Gow by Terawat Teankaprasith
Bangkok-based illustrator Teankaprasith’s artistic interpretations of food are poetic visions. The way this particular piece highlights the translucence of har gow, making it look practically luminescent, is absolutely captivating.
Bakpao by Butter Hour
This was my first encounter with the Indonesian bakpao. And just as it is familiar to Butter Hour founder Silvia Adriana, it feels familiar to me as well. These buns (which look practically too good to eat) remind me of Filipino siopao—a favorite childhood snack of mine.
“Jacob” the Lobster Wellington by Stacey Mei Yan Fong
The name and look of this handsome lobster pie alone are enough to find it endearing. But what makes me love it even more is the fact that Fong drew inspiration from one of my favorite restaurants of all time: Bong, located in Brooklyn. And—as a girl who hates to get her hands messy while taking a crack at shellfish—I can confirm that Mama Kim’s saucy, aromatic lobster is more than worth the effort. So I can only imagine how good Jacob the lobster Wellington must have tasted.
Dumpling Bag by Esenes
A hyperrealistic dumpling handbag is just the type of thing every dumpling-loving person dreams of, and designer Justin Son made this dream come true. Every detail—from the translucent, pleated wrapper to the juicy filling that peaks through—was well thought-through. It’s no surprise that this accessory went viral and sold out almost immediately.
Do you have any favorites from the Above the Fold newsletter or social archives? Tell us in the comments, or let us know what you’d like to see more of in the future.
I’m not crying, you’re crying!—Leah
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