Chicken and Jicama Dumplings

1 pint "chicken paste" (available in Chinese butchers' - you can also mince chicken breasts yourself)
3-4 Shitake mushrooms (if making your own chicken paste, add a couple extra)
3 scallions (green parts only)
1 cup jicama
1 tablespoon sugar (approx.)
1 and 1/2 - 2 cups olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
salt
2 packages round dumpling wrappers

click the picture for step by step images!

1. Mince all the vegetables (you can pulse them in the Cuisinart). Mix them and the sugar, oil, and soy sauce with the chicken. Salt to taste. (Test flavor of filling by dropping a small spoonful into boiling water for a couple minutes.)
2. Set table with a small bowl of water, a few paper towels, filling and wrappers.
3. To bao jiaozi ("wrap dumplings"), place a wrapper in your palm and wet edges with water. Dry fingers and place a very small ammount of filling in the center of the wrapper (the smaller the ammount, the easier to work with). Fold the wrapper in half and pinch securely. Make small folds in the front side of the wrapper, folding them toward the center and pinching them securely. Work from the center to the end, finishing one side before you start the other.
4. To cook the dumplings, drop 10-20 in a pot of boiling water (ammount varies depending on size of the pot). Stir to make sure they're not sticking to the bottom. When all the dumplings have floated to the top and the water is boiling again, add 1 or so of cold water. When the water returns to a boil a second time the dumplings are done.
5. Remove with a slotted spoon and serve with a sauce of equal parts soy sauce and rice vinegar with a little sesame oil. Add ginger or garlic to taste.