This isn't quite a substitute for Warhol, but it'll have to do. The half-eaten fruit is a persimmon, by the way.

As regular visitors to this space will have noticed, I have gone lighter and narrower ­­– just felt like a makeover. We all do it with our living space; this is the blogosphere version of rearranging the furniture and adding new curtains.

When I started this blog in October 2009, Blessed Glutz, a co-producer of the "Don't Call Me Chef" column (see tab above), suggested that I write about the packed lunches I bring to work every day ­­– it seemed like a good idea for a while, but how long can you write about that before the same menu comes around again?

Lunchboxes, however, are another matter. I love them and have a variety of containers that I pack my food in to take to work. Even if the lunch is just so-so, at least it comes in a nice package.

I often use the partitioned box on the left for items like sushi and onigiri (as a bento box is made for), with some raw vegetables or cut fruit in the smaller compartments. One-pot meals go into the metal canister and the large round one on the bottom is large enough for a mountain of salad.

My sister, who blogs about cooking at Wok Tales, got me this polar bag when I visited her in America a couple of years ago. It's seen better days but does a good job of toting things around. It doesn't actually keep anything cold though. 

There's also my rather old but trusty tiffin carrier. I'm particularly fond of it and Veggie Chick is always asking me to give it to her. Fat chance! Good for rice and curry.

I also take a lot of soups to work. This Thermos is no longer quite as effective as it should be but the contents stay warm enough to fight the cold of the air-conditioned office. I go to the canteen to eat lunch, but with soup, I usually just stay at my desk to enjoy it. This flask is often seen next to a sandwich.

One of my favourite methods of packing lunch is using the Japanese technique of furoshiki. I learned about it from Blessed Glutz and she even got me the pretty wrapping cloth that I've used here. Go online and you'll find all sorts of techniques and instructional videos. I always feel like a hobo when I carry my meals this way. Ah, the carefree life. The wrapper doubles as a little table cloth.

Lastly, here's a bag from the 1960s that belonged to a late aunt of mine. She was a real Mod and I inherited a lot of her old clothes when I was younger ­­– I was retro when it wasn't yet in fashion. (Of course, her mini skirts were more like midis on me!) I think it's a vanity case because there's a little mirror attached to the lid inside but it could also have been a handbag. The metal clasp on the outside is a little rusty but the bag is still in good condition. I haven't used it as a lunchbox but I think I might. It's big enough for a fat sandwich and an apple, but I wouldn't want to ruin it by filling it with anything that spills.

Dressed for a day out...

Pigs in a blanket have their moments, but potstickers I could eat anytime. Compared to pigs in a blanket, however, these dumplings take a little more effort to make. But then, anything enjoyable is worth working for, right?

Leftovers make good potsticker fillings and that's why I make potstickers all the time. Braised mushrooms are nice and so is tofu; very often all these leftover dishes can be combined and put into the won ton skin. I particularly like using a mixed vegetable stir-fry of lotus root, mangetout (snow peas) and carrot. There's crunch and colour. As a filling, however, the vegetables have to be chopped up into little dice.

It seems there are different versions of the potsticker from around Asia. Some of the legends behind the origin of potstickers are also quite interesting. According to one story, they were actually an accident­­ – a cook during the Song Dynasty burnt some dumplings but served them anyway and said they were his own special creation. (A good excuse with everything!) Potstickers are also said to be exceptionally good for the human soul. No argument there.

POTSTICKERS WITH CHICKEN

Makes 30 dumplings

30 round won ton wrappers
Vegetable oil

Filling
375g chicken mince
90g finely chopped ham
4 spring onions, finely chopped
½ cup finely chopped water chestnuts (or 1 stick of celery)
¼ cup chopped bamboo shoots
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon grated ginger
Dash of sesame oil
 ½ teaspoon corn starch

• Combine all filling the ingredients and mix well. Place about 1 teaspoon of the filling in the centre of each won ton wrapper. Brush the edges with a little water. Fold over and press the edges together firmly.
• Heat a non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add 1 tablepoon of oil and swirl it around the base. Working in batches (do not crowd the pan), put dumplings into the pan in a single layer and fry until the bottom are golden brown, about 2 minutes.
• Add ¼ cup water to the pan and cover. You will hear a sizzling sound as the dumplings steam. When the sizzling stops, the dumplings are done. Remove to a plate and keep warm while you cook the remaining dumplings.

...with a spritz of perfume...

Dipping sauce
Combine all the ingredients. The quantity of each one depends on individual tastes.

Japanese vinegar
Soya sauce
Hot chilli sauce
Honey
Sesame oil
Chopped spring onions

...and in swimsuits.

DUMPLINGS IN BROTH 

Serves 2

6-8 chicken dumplings

Broth
1 clove garlic, minced
500 ml water
1 vegetable stock cube
2 leaves bak choy, shredded
Chopped spring onions

• In a saucepan, fry the garlic briefly in a little oil. Add water and stock cube; bring to the boil. Simmer for a few minutes. When ready to serve, divide dumplings between two bowls, add some shredded bak choy and pour the broth over. Sprinkle with spring onions and eat immediately. Broth can also be served on the side with the potstickers and dipping sauce.

PRINTABLE RECIPE

Like snails escaping the returning hordes. Crawl on little fellas, crawl on!

It was very difficult to get ready for work this morning. A lot of people are away and most schools have been closed for a week because of the Chinese New Year festivities which started on Feb 14, so it has been a pleasant time for me even though I haven't been the one on holiday. Today is the last day of the working week to enjoy traffic-free roads and fewer people at the office, and I am not looking forward to Monday.

I had made a batch of cream cheese pastry last night – it needs to rest overnight in the fridge before using – and I was going to make cookies after work today, but I decided to do it this morning. It wouldn't take long to make and I had plenty of time anyway. And because the roads are so empty now, it would take me only 12 minutes, 10 if all the lights were green, to get to the office.

This confection is based on the rugelach, those crescent-shaped cookies which can be filled with anything from jam and cinnamon sugar to chocolate and nuts. If you need some advice on making these cookies, here are Dorie Greenspan's tips, although I didn't use her recipe.

For my crescents, I used leftover poppy seed filling that I had used for the poppy seed bread rolls of a few posts back, and a pastry recipe contributed by the CIA – the Culinary Institute of America (the other CIA could probably get poppy seeds directly from the cultivators in Afghanistan) – to a special-issue cooking magazine that came out at Christmas a couple of years ago. It's a great pastry to have in your repertoire and can be used for tarts and other types of cookies as well.

I've posted quite a few recipes using poppy seeds lately, and I think this one is my favourite so far. Making these cookies lifted my spirits. I was still late getting to the office...

POPPY SEED CRESCENTS

Makes 32

½ quantity Cream Cheese Pastry (recipe below)
¾ cup Poppy Seed Filling
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons brown sugar + 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or to taste)

• Preheat the oven at 190°C. Line 2 baking trays with greaseproof paper.
• Divide the dough in half. Keep one portion in the refrigerator while you work with the other half. Roll out the dough into a 27cm circle. Spread with half of the poppy seed filling up to 2cm from the edge. Cut the dough into quarters and each quarter into four triangles (a pizza wheel is ideal for this).
• Starting from the wide edge, roll each triangle up like a croissant. Place on the baking trays, making sure the pointed tips are tucked under. Brush with egg and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes until top is golden and sugar is caramelised. Cool before eating. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. 

Cream Cheese Pastry

This makes a large amount of pastry – enough for 64 of these cookies (each one is bite-size) or to line two 27cm tart pans. I wouldn't scale down the recipe – just make the whole quantity, use what you need and freeze the rest.

250g all-purpose flour 

¼ teaspoon salt

250g cream cheese, softened but still cool

250g unsalted butter, softened but still cool

• Sift flour and salt together. Place cream cheese and butter in a food processor or large mixing bowl. Process/beat together briefly to combine. Add flour mixture and process/beat until combined. (You can easily do the whole thing by hand.) Do not over-process or knead or the cookies will be tough. Bring dough together into a ball and wrap tightly in cling film; chill for 30 minutes.
• Remove from refrigerator and divide dough into two. Roll out each portion into a rough rectangle about 2cm thick and fold the top third down to the centre and then the bottom third up like an envelope. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 6 hours or overnight before using. Or put into a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.

PRINTABLE RECIPE