I had two transcendent experiences this weekend that led to a revelation

1. I had been craving a good soup dumpling since a weirdly fruitless visit to Shanghai in the fall. While for some reason I had a hard time tracking them down in the city of their origin, I of course had no problem finding them at Joe's Shanghai in Chinatown. My hankering was humored by small, delicate buns bursting with a rich, porky explosion of meat and broth. 

2. Then I saw the revival of Gypsy. Despite Patti LuPone's compact, pint-sized package, she exploded on stage with a robust energy that had just the right hint of ham in a deliciously diva-esque performance as Mama Rose.

The revelation: if Patti LuPone were a food, she'd definitely be a soup dumpling.