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CHINESE NEW YEAR 2007

aznsailorboi

By aznsailorboi
in China: Cooking & Baking

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aznsailorboi

aznsailorboi

Posted
Posted

It's roughly 1 month left before Chinese Lunar New Year, the date falls on Feb 18, 2007. The zodiac animal that rules this coming year will be the Fire Boar>>not roasted pig :hmmm: . People born on the years of the boar generally speaking will have a good year this year because of the astrological allignments in the heavens which doesnt happen all the time to each animal who rules the year, and the sign that should be cautious would be the snake, the prensence of the snake has angered the God of the Year Tai Sui, or Grand Duke Jupiter. People born in the year of the snake should always be cautious of accidents concerning falling or slipping, financial ventures are very risky this year. If dealing with big ventures or big amounts of money, May and October are the months to do it and avoid travelling to the NorthEast directions if possible, if not carry with you a charm called Pi Yao, it will appease Tai Sui and lift his anger upon the snake.

The first day of the new year is the 18th, this day most chinese families eat the most bountiful to represent the beginning of the year to be bountiful and would end the same. Popular foods to be served during this time of the year are whole fish, sticky rice, Lo Bak Goh, Nien Kao, Whole chicken from head to feet (of course feathers plucked lol), 12 round fruits representing each month of the year, candied fruits which also symbolizes good luck and fortune such as lotus seeds, lotus roots, wintermelon, watermelon seeds, pineapples, taro, etc. Observers of this holiday knows that like most holidays, lunar new year events revolve around family and food, the one thing you cant separate in most cultures.

*The yearly update on top about the horoscope is for trivia purposes only, if you choose to follow the advise do so, but in no way obligated to. thank you"

aznsailorboi :cool:

...a little bit of this, and a little bit of that....*slurp......^_^.....ehh I think more fish sauce.

aznsailorboi

aznsailorboi

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted (edited)
Oh, neato!  Are you sure it's not the year of the Pork Belly?  hee hee.

Where did you get the zodiac info?  Thanks, aznsaliorboi!

I got the zodiac info from Rocky Siu Kwong Sung's 2007 almanac, but repharased the words to avoid plagiarism. The whole book is very informative if you are into chinese horoscope and feng shui. it includes predictions for all the elements of the 12 zodiacs, how to "cure" and dissolve the bad luck. very good read, even includes a day to day basis of what's best to do and what not to do. good read even just for entertainment purposes.

Edited by aznsailorboi (log)

...a little bit of this, and a little bit of that....*slurp......^_^.....ehh I think more fish sauce.

Dejah

Dejah

Posted
Posted (edited)

Our little Asian grocery store has started to bring in some sweets for Chinese New Year. I gave her a list of the goodies for "toon hap". So far, they only have coloured coconut, along with some cookies with sesame seeds, and big sesame coated balls. I want candied leen jee, leen gnow, wintermelon, persimmons, coconut wedges, carrot slices, red melon seeds. My favourite is the leen jee (lotus nuts).

They have brought in 2 cases of bittermelon. It's not the Chinese customers, but the East Indians who have been buying them. They also had lotus root (leen gnow). I hope they'll have some closer to New Year!

As for astrological signs:I am a RAT. Most of my friends are PIGS. They say that's typical because a RAT can always find food, and a PIG always wants to be around someone with food!

You can find lots of information on Chinese astrology if you do a search on google, etc.

Not sure how we'll celebrate this year as SON1's bday is on Feb. 17th. I want to go and eat at my mom's table, but being a married daughter, I can't. :sad: Maybe they'll save me lots of leftovers for next day when I can go for my visit.

Edited by Dejah (log)

Dejah

www.hillmanweb.com

sheetz

sheetz

Posted
Posted
I want candied leen jee, leen gnow, wintermelon, persimmons, coconut wedges, carrot slices, red melon seeds. 

I was excited to see my tiny grocer received a shipment of candied winter melon. Of course that means I'll be making wife cakes this week!

Akiko

Akiko

Posted
Posted
Not sure how we'll celebrate this year as SON1's bday is on Feb. 17th. I want to go and eat at my mom's table, but being a married daughter, I can't.  Maybe they'll save me lots of leftovers for next day when I can go for my visit.

Dejah, that's fascinating. As a married daughter you're not allowed to eat at your mother's on New Year's? Is this because you're meant to be hosting your own NY's table? Or should be at your Mother in Law's table?

Amedama on the Go Go!
Gastro888

Gastro888

Posted
Posted
I want candied leen jee, leen gnow, wintermelon, persimmons, coconut wedges, carrot slices, red melon seeds. 

I was excited to see my tiny grocer received a shipment of candied winter melon. Of course that means I'll be making wife cakes this week!

WIFE CAKES! :wub:

Do you have a recipe that you could share, please, sheetz? Or could you do a pictoral a la Ah Leung Goh? Oh my goodness. Wife cakes! :wub:

Ben Hong

Ben Hong

Posted
Posted (edited)
Not sure how we'll celebrate this year as SON1's bday is on Feb. 17th. I want to go and eat at my mom's table, but being a married daughter, I can't.  Maybe they'll save me lots of leftovers for next day when I can go for my visit.

Dejah, that's fascinating. As a married daughter you're not allowed to eat at your mother's on New Year's? Is this because you're meant to be hosting your own NY's table? Or should be at your Mother in Law's table?

Akiko, your guesses are mostly on the money. The daughter-in-law usually spends CNY day with the husband's (her) family. The day after (day#2) she will return to her Mother's, usually with kids in tow but usually not with the husband, for more feasting and celebrations. As you can see, the CNY period is GREAT for kids. She can return home any time after that (her children are the arbiters of schedules :rolleyes: )

For general information, the CNY period is probably the biggest movement of people in such a short period, on earth. Every dutiful son/daughter must do all in their power to return home.

Edited by Ben Hong (log)
Gastro888

Gastro888

Posted
Posted

Yeap, and that's why I'm heading home that weekend. Betcha you'll see alot of Chinese ppl on the road CNY weekend. Ooh, I can't wait.

Off topic - does anyone know if "gee mah guen" (black sesame rolls) travel well? I've only seen them on the dim sum trollys but not in the bakeries. How would I store them if I bought them the night before to take home with me? In the fridge? Room temp?

Even better, does anyone know how to make them?

hzrt8w

hzrt8w

Posted
Posted (edited)
WIFE CAKES!   :wub:

Do you have a recipe that you could share, please, sheetz?  Or could you do a pictoral a la Ah Leung Goh?  Oh my goodness.  Wife cakes!   :wub:

Sorry. I cannot bake a thing to save my life! sheetz and Dejah and peony and Tepee are your best hope.

Edited by hzrt8w (log)
W.K. Leung ("Ah Leung") aka "hzrt8w"
sheetz

sheetz

Posted
Posted
WIFE CAKES!  :wub:

Do you have a recipe that you could share, please, sheetz?  Or could you do a pictoral a la Ah Leung Goh?

I plan to more or less follow this recipe.

http://kuali.com/recipes/viewrecipe.asp?r=2258

Here's a good pictorial for making the pastry skins

http://www.jodelibakery.netfirms.com/chine...try%20Dough.htm

This would be the first time I'd follow this particular recipe so I don't want to do a pictorial "a la Ah Leung Goh" in case it doesn't turn out.

Note to hzrt8w: "a la Ah Leung Goh" means "in the style of Ah Leung Goh," not that she is requesting one from you. Also, I'm developing a recipe for baked char siu bao just for non-bakers such as yourself which I will try to do a pictorial of once I've perfected it.

Gastro888

Gastro888

Posted
Posted

Thanks, sheetz! I think I'll wait until you post your pictures online before I attempt it. It looks complicated and I'm not a baker.

OOOH! *DO* please post the baked cha siu bao recipe that you plan to try out. I would love to see it.

Then again, I've 5 Chinese bakeries about 10 minutes from me...

Pan

Pan

Posted
Posted
Thanks, sheetz!  I think I'll wait until you post your pictures online before I attempt it.  It looks complicated and I'm not a baker. 

OOOH!  *DO* please post the baked cha siu bao recipe that you plan to try out.  I would love to see it.

Then again, I've 5 Chinese bakeries about 10 minutes from me...

Please post your recommendations for Chinese bakeries in New York on the New York forum - or have you already?

Michael aka "Pan"

 

hzrt8w

hzrt8w

Posted
Posted

Looks like I do need to put on my reading glasses. :blink:

And hire a French tutor.

W.K. Leung ("Ah Leung") aka "hzrt8w"
hzrt8w

hzrt8w

Posted
Posted
Off topic - does anyone know if "gee mah guen" (black sesame rolls) travel well?  I've only seen them on the dim sum trollys but not in the bakeries.  How would I store them if I bought them the night before to take home with me?  In the fridge?  Room temp? 

I think it would be okay for a day. But you need to protect it well though. These sesame rolls can deform easily.

W.K. Leung ("Ah Leung") aka "hzrt8w"
Gastro888

Gastro888

Posted
Posted

So if I bought it on Friday morning I could wrap it up and store it at room temp for Saturday? My mom likes the geeh mah guen and I wanted to take some home for her. Even though they are black and not really a good luck color.

If anyone has a recipe, I would really appreciate it as I'd like to learn how to make these at home for her.

miladyinsanity

miladyinsanity

Posted
Posted

I'm a very ticked off dragon because my not-so-favorite cousin decided to have his wedding dinner on the Sunday before CNY.

Tomorrow, we will go to Chinatown. At least, my parents will. I'm limping and have two swollen ankles, so we shall see about me.

My mother and I are still discussing what goodies we will make. I'm just the free help. Well, not free. I eat a whole half-sheet tray of cookies in one sitting.

May

Totally More-ish: The New and Improved Foodblog

  • 3 weeks later...
wonderbread

wonderbread

Posted
Posted (edited)

So. What are people planning to cook for CNY? This is the tentative menu at my dinner.

Do you think I need to make more than one duck for 8 people given all the other food?

w/ Champagne:

Sesame-crusted almonds

First course:

Raw fish and jellyfish tossed with apples and cucumbers (Singapore/Pacific Northwest)

Second course:

Beijing kao ya with steamed buns (whole bird for togetherness)

Main courses:

Turnip cake (nian gao)

Steamed whole fish with ginger and scallions (whole fish for prosperity)

Lion's head (for the year of the pig and the lion's dance) with bok choy and dried shiitakes

Stir-fried greens with garlic

Rice of course

Someone else is bringing dessert.

Edited by wonderbread (log)
Dejah

Dejah

Posted
Posted
2 friends sent me this warning about fatt choy today. Bummer. I do like to eat it once a year at least. Oh well, less fatt choy this year, more sang choy.

The fatt choi I have is quite old, so I'll just assume it is the "real McCoy" and eat it up!

We'll be having our big meal on the 17th, New Year's eve rather than NY's day - to accommodate older son's bday, and the two younger kids who head back to Winnipeg on the 18th.

Planning and shopping for the meal tomorrow as we have study break at the university. Need to find a whole fish!

S-i-l is making nian goh. I am making ma-li-goh and hopefully some kind of dumplings on Friday.

I bought several packages of these huge-hard -round-sesame-coated -deep -fried balls for mom so we didn't have to make any ourselves. I kept one package on my kitchen counter. For the first time ever, Atticus the dog took something off a surface of any kind! When I came home from my evening class, he was slinking away - had eaten one whole ball - think rice bowl size! :shock: He also ate about 10 CNY candies in a zip lock bag that Po-Po brought over. He still lives. :wink:

Good thing I kept them just for curiosity sake. :angry:

Dejah

www.hillmanweb.com

Gastro888

Gastro888

Posted
Posted
So. What are people planning to cook for CNY? This is the tentative menu at my dinner.

Do you think I need to make more than one duck for 8 people given all the other food?

w/ Champagne:

Sesame-crusted almonds

First course:

Raw fish and jellyfish tossed with apples and cucumbers (Singapore/Pacific Northwest)

Second course:

Beijing kao ya with steamed buns (whole bird for togetherness)

Main courses:

Turnip cake (nian gao)

Steamed whole fish with ginger and scallions (whole fish for prosperity)

Lion's head (for the year of the pig and the lion's dance) with bok choy and dried shiitakes

Stir-fried greens with garlic

Rice of course

Someone else is bringing dessert.

Just wondering, how did you put this menu together? Is this a family tradition? I've not heard of alot of these dishes on the CNY table but then again, I'm Toisanese so maybe it's different in other regions of China.

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