In this hands-on class we'll create three delicious types of pan-fried dumplings, or potstickers. Fillings will range from the traditional (pork, shrimp & chive) to the healthy and seasonal (asparagus, mint & feta) to the fun ("cheeseburger"). Taking cues from a childhood of making dumplings with her Chinese mom as well as more inventive dumpling parties that she's thrown, author/blogger Cathy Erway will cover the basics of this universally loved treat.

We'll also talk about how to throw your own dumpling party, where guests are invited to help out with the preparation of the meal, and to bring their own filling creations. Because folding dozens of dumplings can be tedious, this is a common activity among young people in Asia. We'll even make our own fresh dough from scratch, learn how to fold the dumplings in two easy styles, and pan-fry in the proper way. Students need not bring any utensils, but come prepared to get flour on their hands and clothes.

Cathy Erway has taught cooking classes at The Brooklyn Kitchen, the Greenmarket, Ger-Nis and Garden of Eve Farm, often on the skilled art of making dumplings. She has written about food for Saveur, Edible Brooklyn, the New York Times and The Huffington Post, and writes the blogs Not Eating Out in New York and Lunch at Sixpoint. She is the author of The Art of Eating In: How I Learned to Stop Spending and Love the Stove and the host of Let's Eat In, a weekly podcast on Heritage Radio Network.