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Luck and life on the table for Chinese New Year

Have your luck and eat it, too.That’s the philosophy behind traditional Chinese New Year’s dishes, which are loaded with symbolic meaning auguring prosperity for the coming year.
Food Chinese New Year
Servings of dim sum including egg rolls

SAN FRANCISCO — Have your luck and eat it, too.

That’s the philosophy behind traditional Chinese New Year’s dishes, which are loaded with symbolic meaning auguring prosperity for the coming year.

Want to live long? Eat long noodles — just be sure not to cut them.

Need a bit more in the bank? Serve fish, the Chinese name for which sounds like the word for surplus.

And don’t forget dumplings, which also symbolize prosperity and are traditionally eaten late on the eve of the new year.

The Year of the Rabbit starts with the big “reunion dinner” on New Year’s Eve — Feb. 2 this year — a meal reserved for family and resonant with culinary customs.

Carolyn Jung, a San Francisco Bay food writer who blogs at www.foodgal.com, remembers sitting at the table as the youngest of her family, and only girl, helping her mom fold dumplings by hand and “waiting eagerly for her to pan fry them or boil them so that we could dig in.”

Chinese New Year lasts 15 days, with some days set aside for visiting and other rituals. It wraps up with a Lantern Festival on the final night.

For Patricia Tanumihardja, who grew up in Singapore and is of Chinese and Indonesian descent, the holiday means eating pineapple tarts, which can take different forms but generally call for a luscious pineapple jam stuffed into flaky pastry.

“Every year that was the one thing I wanted to eat,” says Tanumihardja, author of The Asian Grandmothers Cookbook.

This is the time when luxury ingredients such as shrimp or abalone shine and fish is served whole to symbolize plenty. Serving whole poultry also is a sign of family unity and Tanumihardja sometimes makes a whole braised duck for a holiday meal.

In Singapore, a raw fish salad is served in restaurants with the ingredients kept separate on a large plate or tray. Before they eat, diners stand and toss the salad as high as they can saying auspicious words like “Every year we’ll have prosperity.”

This recipe isn’t strictly orthodox New Year’s fare, but the noodles symbolize the traditional wish for long life.

Tomato Beef Chow Mein

Start to finish: 1 hour 15 minutes (45 minutes active)

Meat

5 ml (1 tsp) sesame oil

5 ml (1 tsp) dark soy sauce

1 ml (1/4 tsp) baking soda

5 ml (1 tsp) cornstarch

250 g (1/2 lb) flank steak, thinly sliced against the grain

Noodles

500 g (1 lb) fresh Chinese egg noodles

30 ml (2 tbsp) sesame oil

30 ml (2 tbsp) dark soy sauce

Sauce

60 ml (4 tbsp) vegetable or canola oil, divided

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

2 ribs celery, diagonally sliced

1/2 green bell pepper, sliced

4 large tomatoes, cored and cut into large chunks

1 can (398 ml/14 oz) stewed tomatoes

5 ml (1 tsp) dark soy sauce

5 ml (1 tsp) vinegar or lemon juice

15 ml (1 tbsp) sugar

5 ml (1 tsp) ground ginger

30 ml (2 tbsp) cornstarch, mixed with 125 ml (1/2 cup) cold water until dissolved

To marinate the meat, in a medium bowl, mix together sesame oil, soy sauce, baking soda and cornstarch. Add steak and turn pieces to coat evenly. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Once steak has marinated, prepare noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add noodles and cook for 1 minute. Drain noodles, then rinse under cold water, then drain again. Transfer noodles to a large bowl. Add sesame oil and soy sauce, then toss well.

Heat two 30-cm (12-inch) non-stick skillets briefly over medium. Add 15 ml (1 tbsp) of the vegetable oil to each. When oil is hot, add half of the noodles to each skillet. Cook, stirring often, until noodles are crispy and lightly browned. Cover pans and set aside.

Heat a large wok or non-stick skillet over high. Add 15 ml (1 tbsp) of the oil. When oil is hot, add beef and stir-fry until browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer steak to a bowl, cover and set aside.

Add remaining 15 ml (1 tbsp) oil to the wok. Reduce heat to medium-high, then add onion, celery and green pepper. Saute for several minutes, then add fresh tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and ginger. Bring to a boil.

Slowly stir in cornstarch mixture, then continue cooking until sauce thickens. Add beef, then stir in noodles.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Recipe from Carolyn Jung of http://www.foodgal.com

This classic stir-fry incorporating carrots, onions, mushrooms and bean sprouts is perfect for celebrating Chinese New Year. It’s also ideal when you need to get dinner on the table quickly.

Serve it over rice or noodles.

Cashew Chicken

30 ml (2 tbsp) vegetable oil, divided

500 g (1 lb) boneless skinless chicken, cut into 2.5-cm (1-inch) pieces

375 ml (1 1/2 cups) sliced carrots

250 ml (1 cup) sliced onions

500 ml (2 cups) sliced mushrooms

1 large clove garlic, minced

15 ml (1 tbsp) finely minced ginger root

125 ml (1/2 cup) chicken broth

125 ml (1/2 cup) drained, canned sliced water chestnuts

175 ml (3/4 cup) bean sprouts

75 ml (1/3 cup) sliced green onions

125 ml (1/2 cup) unsalted roasted cashews, for garnish

Sauce

300 ml (1 1/4 cups) chicken broth

50 ml (1/4 cup) soy sauce (preferably naturally brewed)

30 ml (2 tbsp) cornstarch

10 ml (2 tsp) sesame oil (optional)

In a large non-stick skillet, heat 15 ml (1 tbsp) of the oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook, stirring often, for 5 to 6 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove with slotted spoon; cover and keep warm.

Add remaining oil to pan. Add carrots and onions; cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Stir in mushrooms; cook for 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and ginger; cook for 1 minute. Add 125 ml (1/2 cup) broth; cook for 3 minutes or until carrots are tender and broth has evaporated. Stir in cooked chicken and water chestnuts.

Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) broth, soy sauce, cornstarch and sesame oil, if using; pour over contents of skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 minutes or until sauce is thickened. Stir in bean sprouts and green onions; cook for 30 seconds. Transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle cashews over top.

Makes 4 servings.

Source: Foodland Ontario.