Chinese New Year

[Ilaine]

We had to put the full New Year's Eve celebration on hold as #2 son in Richmond had to work late Friday, and then the weather got bad,and Sunday going to the DR Dinner at 100 Degree Centigrade but went ahead and made Buddha's Delight tonight. It's Chinese New Year's Eve in China. Hoping that #1 Son will get a raise this year. He deserves one.

I did the shopping and put together the recipes. I bought the ingredients mostly at Super H in Fairfax. I found fresh gingko nuts and fresh tree ear mushrooms, but no fresh bamboo shoots to be found. In retrospect should have looked for frozen bamboo shoots. Did not buy fresh ginger because I thought we had fresh galangal but it was no good.

Husband did the washing and chopping, #1 son did the stir fry. We use a big and deep cast iron Lodge frying pan intended for frying chicken. Son turns up the heat on the old GE electric stove to max and gets a very impressive wok hay. Husband is convinced that son will catch the house on fire but so far, so good.

For the Buddha's Delight, five mushrooms: fresh shiitake, fresh Chinese black mushrooms, fresh wood ear, fresh Portobello, fresh baby oyster mushrooms,

Five green vegetables: bok choy, Napa cabbage, snow peas, pea shoots, Chinese garlic chives.

Five other ingredients: mung bean sprouts, carrots cut into matchsticks, bean thread noodles, sliced water chestnuts, tiger lily buds.

We would have had sixteen ingredients, double eight, but wound up not using the fresh gingko nuts. They smelled remarkably like toe cheese and were very bitter. Toss! I also had some frozen ones from China, which when thawed smelled remarkably like wood preservative. Toss!

We made rice which was the sixteenth ingredient, if you don't count the sesame oil, the grapeseed oil, the soy sauce, and the mushroom broth.

Tomorrow during the day I will cook a whole wild rockfish, and eat half, and save half for New Years Day. The nice man at Super H left it almost intact after he cleaned it and gutted it, but he did cut off the tail. Not sure how that will affect my luck but there it is.

Tomorrow evening is the Don Rockwell dinner at 100 Degrees Centigrade.

Next weekend, #2 Son will make his appearance, weather permitting, and we will kill the fatted whole chicken and make some kind of sweet rice dessert. He has requested Chinese fried chicken as well.

I am starting to get the hang of this thing. Day zero is the New Moon.

We have decorated with red lanterns, pomelos, oranges, and tacky gold plastic hangy things shaped like old Chinese coins and other wall decor that we got from Great Wall and a store in Chinatown in DC. Apparently the hangy things and wall decor are intended to bring money, or as the nice man at Great Wall who got them down from the display told me, "money, money, money!!!!!"

Not that there's anything wrong with that. But also apparently the best decor is to be found in Chinatown in New York and otherwise not in DC. Well, there's always next year. It won't be the Year of the Water Dragon but still, there's always another year.

[goodeats]

This year's Lunar New Year is on Thursday, February 19, and it is the Year of the Sheep. 

[Al Dente]

This year's Lunar New Year is on Thursday, February 19, and it is the Year of the Sheep. 

Is it sheep or goat? I'm seeing references to both in my Googling.

"Sheep go to heaven, goats go to hell..."

[goodeats]

Is it sheep or goat? I'm seeing references to both in my Googling.

"Sheep go to heaven, goats go to hell..."

羊 <-- is the Chinese character and its character origin (pictograph) depicts an animal with horns. This could be understood to describe a goat, too, but modern word evolution tagged the word with a location placement (å±± = mountain--pictograph of landform with peaks), so now å±±ç¾Š usually means goat. I guess it could also be a ram?

In other words, I am not sure, since things get lost in translation. But I was taught that 羊 generally meant sheep, rather than goat, since the zodiac personality is usually described as "gentle or calm," with more of a "follower" tendency; hence the mad dash of Chinese pregnant mothers scheduling c-sections before February 19 so their child could have horse-tendencies.

[porcupine]

 the zodiac personality is usually described as "gentle or calm," with more of a "follower" tendency; hence the mad dash of Chinese pregnant mothers scheduling c-sections before February 19 so their child could have horse-tendencies.

I weep for mankind.

[Al Dente]

I weep for mankind.

No kidding. Though my daughter was born on 12/27 so I could get the tax break.

[Ilaine]

I am not up for cooking for Chinese New Year this year. Reading old posts, I marvel at my ambition and energy and wonder if I will ever get it back. That said, husband did put up the decorations, and I am wondering if any of you know which restaurants will have special menus this season, and when?

[lperry]

羊 <-- is the Chinese character and its character origin (pictograph) depicts an animal with horns. This could be understood to describe a goat, too, but modern word evolution tagged the word with a location placement (å±± = mountain--pictograph of landform with peaks), so now å±±ç¾Š usually means goat. I guess it could also be a ram?

In other words, I am not sure, since things get lost in translation. But I was taught that 羊 generally meant sheep, rather than goat, since the zodiac personality is usually described as "gentle or calm," with more of a "follower" tendency; hence the mad dash of Chinese pregnant mothers scheduling c-sections before February 19 so their child could have horse-tendencies.

Interesting, because everything we've been given in my Mandarin class (populated by teachers from the Beijing Language and Culture University) has a goat on it, and they told us it's the year of the goat.  I'll try to get details next week, as our class is on Thursday so we will be celebrating.

[goodeats]

I am not up for cooking for Chinese New Year this year. Reading old posts, I marvel at my ambition and energy and wonder if I will ever get it back. That said, husband did put up the decorations, and I am wondering if any of you know which restaurants will have special menus this season, and when?

The only advertised celebratory dinner I've heard about is the one at The Source. I'm sure other restaurants will have some sort of specials, but best to call and ask.

[ol_ironstomach]

...so their child could have horse-tendencies.

No wonder I'm always grazing.

[darkstar965]

The only advertised celebratory dinner I've heard about is the one at The Source. I'm sure other restaurants will have some sort of specials, but best to call and ask.

My +1 used to live up in the NY area where she befriended the proprietor of a very small, classic "hole in the wall" Chinese restaurant in a small suburban town. That proprietor, a Taiwanese immigrant, mother and just amazingly determined, kind and hospitable person, has become a family friend. Whenever we are up in the area, we stop, eat, and take home a large box full of special meals and her awesome dumplings.

This year, we were up that way last weekend and, knowing the New Year was tomorrow/today, we stocked up.

Our New Year's dinner:

- "mom's dumplings" stuffed with pork and shrimp and made by hand several times each week

- an orange steak dish with Chinese greens, bits of rind, fresh squeezed juice for the sauce and just the right amount of red chiles to complement the other flavors without overwhelming

- shrimp with two kinds of greens and homemade black bean sauce

- plenty of rice

This is a woman with some serious cooking skill, relationships with vendors developed over years and living a childhood dream "to own a dumpling house" (no joke). We're fortunate to know her and her family. Hers is such a wonderful American, Taiwanese and multi-cultural story. It would be a great documentary. And, damn can she cook! She works so hard; too hard really. I'll both celebrate and dread the day when she finally retires.

Happy New Year to all!

[goodeats]

Interesting, because everything we've been given in my Mandarin class (populated by teachers from the Beijing Language and Culture University) has a goat on it, and they told us it's the year of the goat.  I'll try to get details next week, as our class is on Thursday so we will be celebrating. 

Apparently, NPR has covered this topic. I still stand by what I say, though, even after reading it...

[lperry]

NY Times, too.  I think they would have gotten a different answer about inclusivity had they not spoken with a government employee - they tend to focus on like rather than difference.  We had some discussion on it, and everyone I talked to went with goat, and, as it turns out, our research indicates that sheep were not in China when the zodiac system was invented.  So sheep is æ–°æ€æƒ³ã€‚Kind of like ice cream mooncakes.：）

[DanielK]

New Fortune in Gaithersburg always has lion dancers for their New Year celebration. This Sunday they are appearing at 11am - get there earlier if you want a table. The place seats 400, and by 11am there will be 100 people outside waiting for a table.