Christy

When I moved to the Bay, I didn't actually know how often I'd end up leaning on Christy's community as well - thanks for including me in your birthday hibachi dinner traditions, Easter celebrations, Christmas celebrations (even though I didn't actually go that time), and above all, thank you for not making me travel for your wedding.

Christy identifies as "boring white European" - specifically Irish, German, and Ashkenazi Jew. It's funny that she says that now because when I was growing up, I used to be so jealous of my classmates who were 1/4 German 1/4 Swedish 1/4 French 1/4 this 1/4 that (never confirmed that their fraction math checked out though), counting heritage on their fingers like they were listing counties they had been to, and I was just.... 100% Chinese. Anyways, I met Christy when I got back from study abroad in college. She had become friends with one of my rare extrovert friends while I was gone, and I just came as part of the deal. 

I was introduced to the existence of Tuna Helper, the lesser known blue box. I remember seeing Hamburger Helper growing up (and eating it maybe once and probably only once because I was like 12 and undercooked the pasta and as a result didn't like it). That iconic red box that was launched by General Mills in the midst of a beef crisis in the 70s. With just one pound of beef, one pot, and one box of HH, you could put dinner on the table for the whole family (and give everyone hypernatremia along the way). What I don't remember seeing was Tuna Helper*. I have a fatass inside of me that subsists on and yearns for creamy shitty indulgent and uncomplicated trash comfort food like tuna noodle casserole, so naturally I was intrigued. Did you know recipes for tuna casserole first appeared in the PNW and not the Midwest? One of these recipes was featured in The Modern Hospital. And then after it became a housewife staple after WWII, it also became associated with funerals, lol.

So these buns were filled with tuna, roasted broccoli, peas, a touch of liquid smoke, and ranch bechamel sauce (because as of this Costco purchase I don't make anything without ranch for Christy). Yes, I took the tragic tuna casserole and put it in a bao. And honestly, it was amazing - a whole new category of comfort food.

For my go-to yeasted dough recipe, I subbed in milk for water and butter for oil in an attempt to coax out some pancake vibes as a tribute to Christy's dad's Mickey Mouse pancakes. It didn't quite work, so the dipping sauce is the sweeter Taiwanese black vinegar with some maple. Also a decent and unexpected pairing.

Things I would do differently: find a way to make the dough more... pancake-y, smidge more salt, figure out how to consistently do the dumpling lace

Christy's complete list:

tuna helper!

also tuna with mayo and wheat thins

Lawry's seasoning salt on EVERYTHING

dad's freeform Mickey Mouse pancakes with chocolate chip detail

dad's bbq shrimp for parties

chateaubriand, "the good meat," with garlic and mushroom wine sauce

*By the way there is also Pork Helper, Chicken Help, Fruit Helper, and maybe if you're into cannibalism, Asian Helper.