3/4 pound ground pork or other meat
1 cup minced cabbage
2 tablespoons minced ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
6 scallions, white part, minced (with green tops reserved and minced)
2 tablespoons good soy sauce
48 won ton wrappers
1 egg, lightly beaten in a bowl
4 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil, more or less
Dipping sauce (recipe follows)

Combine meat, cabbage, ginger, garlic, scallion whites and soy sauce in a bowl with 1/4 cup water.

Lay a wrapper on a clean, dry surface, and using your finger or a brush, spread a bit of egg along half of its circumference. Place a rounded teaspoon of filling in center, fold over and seal by pinching edges together. (Do not overfill.) Place dumplings on a plate; if you want to wait a few hours before cooking, cover plate with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Or freeze, for up to 2 weeks.

To cook, put about 2 tablespoons oil in a large, nonstick skillet and turn heat to medium-high. A minute later, add dumplings, 1 at a time; they can touch one another, but should still sit flat in one layer. Cook about 2 minutes, or until bottoms are lightly browned. Add 1/4 cup water per dozen dumplings to pan, and cover. Lower heat to medium, and let simmer about 3 minutes.

Uncover dumplings, return heat to medium-high and cook another minute or 2, until bottoms are dark brown and crisp and water evaporates. (Use more oil if necessary.) Serve hot, with sauce. Makes 8 appetizer servings.

Dipping sauce: Combine 1/4 cup good soy sauce, green parts of scallion and 1/4 cup rice vinegar or white vinegar.

PER SERVING: Cal 319 (41% fat) Fat 14 g (4 g sat) Fiber 1 g Chol 59 mg Sodium 1,295 mg Carb 32 g Calcium 50 mg