Dumpling Dilemma

A charity dinner and a trip to the Mississippi Delta and farther south reminds Vivian that not all dumplings are the same. But whether filled with minced meat, chopped veggies, or nothing at all, dumplings stretch our ingredients and our imagination. Premieres April 10.

At an East Meets West dinner in North Carolina, Chef Edward Lee and Vivian can't quite figure out how to define a dumpling. A debate ensues as they discuss the Asian dumplings of the royal courts versus the dumpling of Southern comfort food.

In Clarksdale, Mississippi, Carol Chinn and Sally Chow share their "grocery stories" as the first generation of Southern Chinese American families in the Mississippi Delta. While dumplings are a huge labor of love, Carol recalls that her first American pot roast spurred a strong reaction out of her family.

The many wonders of schmaltz render Vivian speechless. In Jackson, Mississippi, home cooks Petra Kay, Susan Hart and Alli Parshall discuss the history of Jewish ingredients and why they're so healing.