Chinese New Year is Sneaking Up on You

[Gary Soup]

Sorry to shatter the peaceful post-Holiday slumber on this board, but Spring Festival (a.k.a. Chinese New Year) is January 22, which means you have just 18 days to plan your New Year's Eve feast.

Will you eat out, cook, or be a guest at someone else's table? What are your favorite ritual foods and customs?

[jo-mel]

In the past, I've gone out or ate with Chinese friends. But, this year, I will be in DC at a political thing, nowhere near a Chinese restaurant , except one of those Chinese hot food places that dish up fried rice and sweet/sour pork. So no banquet for me to either cook or consume.

However my Kitchen God will have had a sip of honey before he goes up the flue to give a report on my doings this past year, and my front door Christmas wreath will be replaced by some sort of Chinese door decoration.

[Pan]

No time to take the Metro to the small Chinatown in DC? I wasn't impressed, but I didn't ask for recommendations on eGullet in advance of that trip (which was mostly a business trip and mostly spent in the Morgan-Adams section and Dupont Circle).

[jo-mel]

No time to take the Metro to the small Chinatown in DC? I wasn't impressed, but I didn't ask for recommendations on eGullet in advance of that trip (which was mostly a business trip and mostly spent in the Morgan-Adams section and Dupont Circle).

Actually, I'll be in Crystal City, over the river. I'll be manning a booth, and there are banquets each night, so that lets out a New Year's experience. I don't even plan to set off a firecracker in celebration!

However, not all is lost as I'm driving back on the 25th and plan to attend a banquet that a group of e-Gulleteers have planned at a restaurant in NJ. This wil be the ?3rd? time they are doing this and I'm sooooo happy that I found thi site so that I can join them!

I've never eaten in DC's Chinatown. When I'm there, everyone wants, and does, go to Luigi's or to The Orleans. But I did go to a good place on the Leesburg Pike one time. Peking Gourmet Inn - made famous by a General and President from a different administration. They have an extensive menu, but their Gan Bian Niu Rou (dry fried beef) was chewy and good, and they had quite a few black pepper dishes, which always delight me. (Gee! What doesn't delight me?)

[Dejah]

My Mom will observe all her traditions...supervising my s-i-l in the preparations.

They always make "nian gow" and waterchestnut cake...both sweet and sticky. I love

watching her make the big deep fried balls (with glutinous rice flour?). She blows air into the ball of dough, then deep fries them. The left over ones always collapse and these are later cooked with guy choy...unusuall sweet and bitter dish that is so yummy!

Then there's the white dough "worms and disks" that are steamed. These are kept in cold water. Later, she slices them and stir-fries them with veg, meat, as you would with ho fun. I also loved the deep fried sweet crescents filled with sesasme seeds or chopped peanuts.

How many of you keep those round trays with sweet meats to munch on: candied lotus nuts, coconut slices, winter melon, waterchestnuts, carrot slices, lotus root, red melon seeds, etc?

New Years eve they will have tang yuen (sweet ones). The big ceremony will be New Years morning...with the complete chicken, crispy pork, fish, pastries, fruit, little cups of wine, rice, soups and kumquats. The ceremonial incense urn and table always look so beautiful. The local paper sent the photographer last year and they featured a beautiful silhouette picture of my Mom making her prayers with tendrils of incense smoke rising.

When we were kids, my Mom would wake us in the morning with a piece of candy to start the new year "sweet". Days before, we would be warned not to say anything negative during these next few days.

We will make our new year visit on the 23rd. Being a married daughter, I can't visit my parent's home until the 2nd day of the new year. I must take fruit, candy and sweet pastry on my visit. New Years is expensive for elders! Those "hung baos" for the neices, nephews, their kids add up!

For our house, nothing like the above! Last year, I hosted a dumpling party for my classmates from our Mandarin language class. Our visiting professor and his wife from Nanjing showed us how to make jiaozi...boiled dumplings...the ones that you bring to a boil, add cold water, boil again...3 times? There were 20 of us, and I lost count as to how many we made...and ate! I also served BBQ ribs, Cantonese chow mein, salty chicken and salt and peper shrimp in the shell.

This year, it will depend on how many Chinese students I will have in my university class. I know the ones who studied with me last term have been hinting to come up for cooking lessons on dim sum... So, if there are around 20, that may happen ;)

Before we retired from the restaurant biz, we held a "dim sum" lunch on the Sunday before the new year. This is reservations only...for 250. Those who reserved early, get to sit in the banquet room ( 165 seats), and get to see the entertainment. This is usually tai-chi and other martial arts demos, Chinese music students ( one who is a professional pipa artist), and dim sum demos with my Mom and her friends:)

[Busboy]

I've never eaten in DC's Chinatown. When I'm there, everyone wants, and does, go to Luigi's or to The Orleans. But I did go to a good place on the Leesburg Pike one time. Peking Gourmet Inn - made famous by a General and President from a different administration. They have an extensive menu, but their Gan Bian Niu Rou (dry fried beef) was chewy and good, and they had quite a few black pepper dishes, which always delight me. (Gee! What doesn't delight me?)

Luigi's or the Orleans House? From DC's 100 best restaurants...1969.

You need new friends.

Peking Gourment is pretty good, but the best in-town DC Chinese is actually not in Chinatown, which is more or less dying out, although Eat First for basic flourescent light, low cost dining is popular, and the New Big Wong is supposed to be very good.

Yanyu and Meiwah may be our two best spots, the one uptown in Cleveland Park, the other down in Foggy Bottom/Dupont (if you get a chance to subway in from Crystal City).

I went to the Peking Gourmet Inn, once, for their signature Peking Duck. Bush 1 liked the place so much (as you hinted) that they installed bulletproof glass in the place glass window for securtity reasons.

[hillvalley]

I've never eaten in DC's Chinatown. When I'm there, everyone wants, and does, go to Luigi's or to The Orleans.  But I did go to a good place on the Leesburg Pike one time.  Peking Gourmet Inn - made famous by a General and President from a different administration.  They have an extensive menu, but their Gan Bian Niu Rou  (dry fried beef) was chewy and good, and they had quite a few black pepper dishes, which always delight me. (Gee! What doesn't delight me?)

You need new friends.

Yanyu and Meiwah may be our two best spots, the one uptown in Cleveland Park, the other down in Foggy Bottom/Dupont (if you get a chance to subway in from Crystal City).

I went to the Peking Gourmet Inn, once, for their signature Peking Duck. Bush 1 liked the place so much (as you hinted) that they installed bulletproof glass in the place glass window for securtity reasons.

Marc's Duck House in Arlington is about a 10 min. drive from Crystal City if you have access to a car. Great Peking duck. It is a good bet for New Years.

Do Yanyu and Meiwah do New Year's menus? They aren't what come to mind when I think of traditional Chinese cuisine.

I know very little about how to celebrate the Chinese New Year. What foods are eaten?

[jo-mel]

Luigi's or the Orleans House?  From DC's 100 best restaurants...1969.

You need new friends.

LOL!

If you want to sin-out on Spinach with Garlic, Spaghetti Cabonara, and Garlic Cheese Bread, then Luigi's is your place. At the Orleans, I usually get Crab Cakes with big chunks inside. Actually I can't compare them with any other restaurants, (except for the food at sport's bars) as those two restaurants are where we always go. The proprietors are very accommodating to my political friends, when we have impromptu gatherings.

When I'm there for reasons other than a convention, and am in the city proper, I usually stay on Scott Circle, so Meiwah may be the one to check out?

Anything special to look for?

Last time I was in DC, I took a walk through Chinatown. I had been there about 25 years ago, and only remember a couple of restaurants and a hardware/gift sort of store. This time, it was larger, but didn't seem to have the vibrance of say, NYC's. I didn't stop to eat. I was just checking it out. I love to collect Chinatowns.

[hillvalley]

Last time I was in DC, I took a walk through Chinatown. I had been there about 25 years ago, and only remember a couple of restaurants and a hardware/gift sort of store. This time, it was larger, but didn't seem to have the vibrance of say, NYC's. I didn't stop to eat. I was just checking it out. I love to collect Chinatowns.

Unfortunately, DC's Chinatown is slowly dying. That neighborhood is in the middle of a "revitalization" thanks to the MCI center and the new convention center, but at the expense of Chinatown. Soon all that will be left is the Hooter's sign that is written in Chinese.

[jo-mel]

Why wouldn't the 2 centers be a plus for Chinatown? I know the two complexes would have their own food areas, but it would be bringing people into the general area. Wouldn't that be good?

[Busboy]

I think of Meiwah as quality basic Chinese -- the equivalent of a good steakhouse. It's a significant step up from streetcorner chop suey, but not quite "best of New York" level. I like the crispy whole fish and the kung-pao. The noodles are OK. The ribs are lousy, btw.

DC's Chinatown has been in decline for many years, it hasn't actually been a destination for new immigrants for several decades, and the biggest source of Chinese residents has been a retirement home which, as you might suspect, is losing population. When I went through a Chinese cooking phase about 15 years ago there were three or four great grocery stores there. One had no one inside who spoke a word of English -- it always seemed like the kind of place that had tiger gall bladder or other traditional Chinese medicines stashed behind the counter. Illuminated by dim light bulbs and whatever sun could find its way through the high windows, smelling of Chinese spice and dust, delineated by old wooden shelves and endless drawers of obscure herbs and medicines behind the counter -- it felt like being in an 1880 apothecary's or maybe 1940 Guangjou. It's a Starbucks now.

Another store sold 5-pound bags of tiger-lilley blossom, and we made a lot of mu-shi that year, pork and vegetarian. It was great, most restaurants don't add that to the mix and it makes all the difference. That store's gone, too.

[Rachel Perlow]

Here in NJ a whole bunch of eGulleteers are celebrating at China 46. We're up to almost 50 people, but more are welcome! Just RSVP on the linked thread.

[Dejah]

For those in Canada, and anyone interested, check out:

http://gunghaggisfatchoy.com/

Edited January 10, 2004 by Dejah (log)

[herbacidal]

DC's Chinatown has been in decline for many years, it hasn't actually been a destination for new immigrants for several decades, and the biggest source of Chinese residents has been a retirement home which, as you might suspect, is losing population. When I went through a Chinese cooking phase about 15 years ago there were three or four great grocery stores there.

that's interesting. semi-suprising.

is there a DC Chinatown nonprofit organization?

in Philly, we have a Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation.

that helps keep Chinatown strong.

But the even greater reliance on cars in DC (I suspect) than Philly hurts Chinatown also.

[anil]

This year I will be in the warm, summery South Am.

Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires.

Edited January 11, 2004 by anil (log)

[Shiewie]

Came across this Singaporean food blog, shiokadelicious while searching for a picture of Chinese leeks in relation to the Chinese leeks thread (we get leeks from China in Malaysia/Singapore around Chinese New Year time and they look a lot like the picture that helenas posted).

Renee has some gorgeous pictures of Singaporeanised / Malaysianised southern Chinese New Year food and traditions in her blog.

[cwyc]

I was in DC last summer for work and tried to do some research of good Chinatown restaurants. Unfortunately, I didn't get much of a response on egullet, so I went out on a limb and walked into a two story restaurant in Chinatown based on its appearance. I can't remember the name, but it really isn't even worth mentioning. The dim sum was so poorly prepared, I wish it was unmemorable. All I can say is it left a bad memory and bad taste in my mouth. The only thing that seemed remotely interesting about Chinatown was the arches and the fact that the new MCI centre was being built - but that has nothing to do with Chinatown.

[Gary Soup]

The only thing that seemed remotely interesting about Chinatown was the arches and the fact that the new MCI centre was being built - but that has nothing to do with Chinatown.

You didn't find the Chinatown Hooters interesting?

[Dejah]

Last night, I made Grace Young's Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen recipe for woo tul gow.( taro cake)

I chopped the ingredients finer than usual . This made for better distributiom. I am really happy with the results

My sister-in-law made the neen gow, from the same book. It looks good but I haven't tasted it yet.

Today, I will make the lobak gow. Tomorrow, I will load up my car with these, an electric fry pan, and the traditional "sweet meats" in the New Year's tray as a treat for our students.

[Hest88]

My mom doesn't make anything anymore, except for the requisite vegetarian dish. She pretty much buys everything or has her sisters (who have been in U.S. less time) make things.

We had our temple visit last Saturday to close out the year and will be visiting the temple to "open" the year this coming Saturday. On Wednesday we'll have our pre-New Year's dinner at a local restaurant. On Friday night I'll do most of my visitations to older relatives and then pop over to my parent's for our New Year's "homecoming" feast. My mom said she's buying takeout for all of it except the vegetarian dish.

She's already supplied me with my citrus and and I have my red melon seeds. She's going to give me my fish and my "lian go" for the frig when I see her on Wed.

I don't know what's going to happen after my mom dies. I don't really get visitors to my house for New Year's and our generation really only celebrates it with the older generation.

[gus_tatory]

there's a nice-sounding CNY menu at Epicurious here, that doesn't sound too hard.

Happy Year of the Monkey, all!

[trillium]

Last night, I made Grace Young's Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen recipe for woo tul gow.( taro cake)

I chopped the ingredients finer than usual . This made for better distributiom. I am really happy with the results

My sister-in-law made the neen gow, from the same book. It looks good but I haven't tasted it yet.

Today, I will make the lobak gow. Tomorrow, I will load up my car with these, an electric fry pan, and the traditional "sweet meats" in the New Year's tray as a treat for our students.

Isn't that a great book? I love my copy and I've given away at least 4 copies to 2nd gen friends and so far, no duds reported yet.

I'm debating between woo tul gow and loh mai gai (with taro) for tonight's project. I made char siu this weekend for the loh mai gai but last night I started thinking about the cake...

regards,

trillium

[Gary Soup]

Tang yuan = "tee doi" ??

This is basically a dialect question, but probably not worth a thread of its own.

A woman in my office, an ABC who doesn't know Chinese, went home to So. Cal. for CNY for the weekend. She said she spent a lot of time helping her grandmother make "tee doi" which, from her description, are what is better known as tang yuan (tong yuan). A Cantonese (from Hong Kong) co-worker said he's never heard of "tee doi."

When I pressed her, my ABC co-worker said she thought her grandmother was from another province of Chinan, not Canton, but she didn't know where.

Anybody recognize "tee doi", and if so, what dialect might it be?

[Dejah]

"tee doi"...sounds toisanese to me, What do you think? Ben?

Even in toisanese, there are slightly different accents with different villages.

My family would say tay doy...another may say tee du...etc

Literally, I think it means "little pastries. dumplings" everything.

For New Years, my Mom makes "chang tee (tay)doi" which is glutinous

rice, dissolved brown sugar from slabs. Traditionally, the dough is thinned out with the hands into a bell shape, drop in some coconut or chopped peanuts, then pinched closed at the top, with a tiny hole. Mom used to blow air into the dough bell, then deep fry them. They really puff up, but collapses like a pita when cooled. These are one several tee dois she must make for her offerings.

Tong yuan is soup dumplings...either savory or sweet.

[Ben Hong]

"Tee doy" in Toishanese, or "tay jai" in Cantonese means the same thing...the broad category of litlle pastries. ("tee" or "tay" means pastries in the broad sense, "doy, or jai means small or little).Some are made with sweet glutinous rice dough, usually with a sweet peanut type stuffing, rolled in sesame seeds, blown up and deep fried. Others are savoury types suffed with meat and chung choy, etc., made with different types of dough are steamed, or can be panfried.

"Tee" or "tay", generically means pastries, not in the french sense, but anything made for snacks. (I'm not doing a good job of conveying nuance here). But some dimsum, such as hum sui gok, wu tao gok, lobok gok, water chestnut "tee" are generically speaking "tee" or "tay".