Food is one of the most important aspect of the Spring Festival, and huge amounts are bought, prepared and eaten in Chinese households. Many of the foods served at New Year have symbolic meanings. Some foods have a name which sounds the same as a character with a lucky meaning and for some foods their shape and colour are emblems of words special to the Spring Festival such as happiness, prosperity fortune or luck. Two recipes for Chinese New Year foods are featured below. Yau Gwok, being crescent shaped and fried till deep gold in colour resemble the traditional Chinese gold ingot (tael), while Jin Dui are also golden and symbolic of prosperity. Yau Gwok (Deep Fried Puffs) 5 oz plain flour 1 tablespoon grated coconut 1 1/2 tablespoons roasted pounded peanuts 1 tablespoon fried white sesame seeds 1 tablespoon sugar 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 tablespoons water Sift the flour and separate it into two portions. Add the water into one portion and knead till it is a dough. Add the oil to the remaining portion of flour and knead till it is a soft dough. Mix the two doughs together and knead the dough mixture till it is soft. Roll into a thin sheet. Make into round shapes using a pastry cutter. Mix together the coconut, peanuts, sesame seeds and sugar with a little oil and water, place portions on the individual round sheets of dough mixture, fold over to make a crescent shape and seal the sides. Deep fry on a medium heat till golden brown. Drain and serve. Jin Dui (Chinese Sesame Cookies) 6 oz sweet potatoes 10 oz red bean paste 1 1/2 cups glutinous rice flour 1/3 cup plain flour 2/3 cup white sesame seeds 2 tablespoons sugar 1/2 cup hot water Peel the sweet potatoes and boil them till tender, then mash them. Sift the glutinous rice flour and flour together then blend together with the sugar and mashed sweet potato. Knead the mixture well and sprinkle in the hot water. Knead the dough into small balls and then roll each ball into a flat round shape. Spoon on some red bean paste onto each as stuffing and knead back into balls. Coat the balls with cold water, then coat thoroughly with sesame seeds. Deep fry on a low heat until the balls are golden and swollen. Drain and serve. --- -- - - - - - - - - - - Chinese Egg Rolls 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup water 1 cloves mashed garlic juice from 1/4 lemon 1 quartered roasting chicken 2 lbs. lean pork tenderloin 3 tbsp. vegetable oil 1 finely sliced celery stalk 1 small head cabbage finely diced 3 finely diced large onions 8 oz. finely diced fresh mushrooms soy sauce to taste salt and pepper 1 lb. bean sprouts thoroughly cleaned egg roll wrappers 1 lightly beaten egg white vegetable oil for frying Mix together, soy sauce, water, garlic and lemon juice. Add the chicken and pork. Cover tightly and marinate overnight. Roast the chicken and the pork together in a 350 degree oven until done. The chicken takes about an hour. The pork takes about an hour and a half. When cool, cut into matchstick pieces. Set aside. In a wok, or dee-sided frying pan, warm the oil. Over medium heat, add the celery, cabbage, onions and mushrooms. Stir fry until celery and onions are tender. Add chicken and pork. Stir until heated through. Add soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Remove this mixture from heat. Stir in bean sprouts. When working with egg roll wrappers be sure to cover them with a damp cloth to prevent them from drying out. To fill each roll, mound about 2 heaping Tb of filling just below the center of the egg roll. Fold bottom corner up over filling to cover, then fold in the two outside corners. Roll closed, sealing shut with a bit of egg white. Put oil in a wok or large pan to a depth of about 2 inches ~ deep enough to cover the egg rolls. Over medium-high heat, warm the oil and carefully add the egg rolls, one at a time. Deep fry about 2-3 minutes, until golden brown on both sides, turning once. May be kept warm in 200 degree oven until serving time. Serve with dipping sauce. NOTE: Egg rolls may be frozen after frying and cooled. Reheat in oven to serve. Dipping Sauce 1/2 cup soy sauce 1 tsp. dry mustard 3 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. vinegar 1 tsp. brown sugar Combine soy sauce, mustard, garlic powder, vinegar and brown sugar. Dip things in it. MMMMM- - - - - - - - - - - Buddha's Delight 1 cup oil for deep-frying 1 tsp. msg (opt) 2 tbsp. dark soy sauce 2 tbsp. medium sherry 1 tbsp. water 1 sq. fermented bean curd 1 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. sugar 2 tbsp sesame oil Dried Ingredients: 4 lily buds, golden needles 4 wood ear black fungus 6 nami black mushrooms 2 bean curd sticks 1/2 cup dried bamboo shoots (opt) 2 oz bean thread noodles Fresh or Canned Ingredients: 2 cups mung bean sprouts 2 stalks celery 2 md carrots 1 bell pepper 1 long white turnip 2 leaves napa cabbage 1/2 cup canned ginko nuts 1/2 cup canned baby corn 2 cakes pressed bean curd (or 6 fried gluten balls) Preparation: Rinse, then soak dried ingredients in warm water: soak bean curd sticks overnight; soak rest about 1 hour. Cut bean curd sticks and lily buds into 2" sections. Remove hard stems from wood ears, and slice thinly. Remove stems from black mushrooms (reserve for stock pot); halve the caps. Cut thin strands of bamboo shoots into 2" lengths. Cut soaked bean thread noodles into 3" pieces. Wash and blanch bean sprouts, celery and pepper. Slice celery, pepper, carrots, turnip and cabbage into 2" long pencil-size pieces. Halve baby corn on the bias. Slice pressed bean curd same size as vegetables. Deep-fry in shallow oil until slightly tan but still pliable. Drain. Mash fermented bean curd, then blend with sugar, dark soy, sherry and water. Stir-frying: Heat wok until medium-hot. Add 4 tablespoons of deep-frying oil. Add all dry ingredients, except noodles; stir-fry 1 minute. Turn wok to high. Add fresh and canned ingredients, and stir-fry for 2 more minutes: sprinkle in salt after first minute. Add liquid mixture, mixing with juices in pan. Add noodles. Reduce heat to medium, cover wok, and steam for 5 minutes, or until vegetables are cooked but still firm. Uncover, sprinkle in MSG and sesame oil. Toss briefly. Serve in a warm bowl. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mu Shu Vegetables a few wood ear or cloud ear mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes and then cut into thin strips 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 large onion, cut into very thin wedges 1 small head green cabbage, finely shredded 1 small carrot, shredded 4 oz can mushrooms, drained (or equivalent fresh, sauteed in water) 3-4 green onions, cut into 2 inch pieces 1 package mu shu pancakes Soy sauce or tamari to taste Hosin sauce Thaw pancakes. In a large wok or skillet, saute the garlic and onions for three minutes in a little water or vegetable broth. Add the cabbage, carrot and mushrooms and saute until cabbage just wilts. Add the green onions, soy sauce (about 1-2 tbsp is good) and about 1 tbsp of hosin sauce. Heat through. Place one pancake in the microwave for 10 seconds (helps to make them more pliable). Remove and spread with a tbsp of hosin sauce, and then about 1/2 cup of the mu shu mixture. Fold the bottom of the pancake up about 1/4 of the way, then fold the two sides in. I sort of roll them, actually, so it is easier to eat. You could also add some julienne strips of tofu or any other vegetables you like (i.e., bean sprouts, celery, water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, etc.). This was even better the second day (don't put them in the pancakes until right before you want to eat them, however). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mu Shu Vegetables 3 dried black mushrooms 1 cup tiger lily buds 1/4 cup jicama, peeled 1 small carrot 1 small zucchini 1 stalk celery 8 mandarin pancakes or flour tortillas 1 tsp minced garlic 1 tsp. minced fresh ginger 4 cups loose packed shredded cabbage 1 green onion, with top, thinnly sliced 1/4 cup vegetable broth 2 tbsp. soy sauce 1/2 tsp sesame oil (flavor only) 1/2 tsp sugar 1/2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tsp water 1/3 cup hoisin sauce Soak lily buds and mushrooms separately in warm water for 30 min., drain. Cut off and discard mushroom stems and slice caps into matchstick pieces. Cut off hard knobby ends of lily buds and tie each bud into a knot. Set aside buds a nd shrooms. Cut jicama, zucchini, and celery into matchstick pieces, set aside in separate bowls. Wrap tortillas in clean towel, place in steamer and heat over simmering water for 5 minutes. Place Wok on high heat until hot. (You may need to spry with pam or use a bit of water to protect from sticking.) Add garlic and ginger, cook while stirring until fragrant, not burnt, about 5 seconds. Add carrots and Stir fry for 30 seconds. Add jicama, Zucchini, celery, cabbage, green onion, and broth. Cover and cook for 2 minutes, or until vegies are crisp-tender. Add shrooms, buds, stir in soy sauce, sesame oil,and sugar. Add cornstarch solution, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens. To serve: spread a small amount of Hioisin sauce on each tortilla. Place about 3 tbsp. vegies in center of pancake, wrap like a burrito and eat out of hand. Serves 8. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Kung Pao Shrimp 12 jumbo shrimp 1 quart corn oil, approx. 6 dry red peppers 1 tsp finely chopped garlic 2 tbsp chopped green onions 2 tbsp soy sauce 1-1/2 tbsp vinegar 2 tbsp (level) sugar 1 tsp sesame oil Batter: 1 c Flour 1/2 c Cornstarch 1 Egg 1/2 tsp Baking powder Peel and devein shrimp and dry thoroughly. Butterfly shrimp: split from back but do not cut through. Dip shrimp in batter. Deep fry shrimp in 2 in. of oil about 3 minutes. Preheat wok or frying pan. Put in 1 tbs. corn oil and heat. Add peppers, garlic, onions, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar. Stir. Add fried shrimp. Baste with sauce. Pour on sesame oil. Serve at once. Always preheat wok, then add oil. This prevents additional ingredients from sticking. BATTER: Mix dry ingredients. Gradually add water until mixture is consistency of pancake batter. When preparing the shrimp, use green part of onion as well as white. The green actually has more flavor. --- -- - - - - - - - - - - Movies: 2 Jackie Chan movies Flower Drum Song