The biggest holiday in China and much of Asia, is the Chinese New Year, a 15-day celebration that this year begins on Monday, Jan. 23. And of course, a big holiday means a lot of food, even if it is now known in China as the Spring Festival.
In China, many foods represent other things, said Ying Stoller, a teacher of Chinese cooking who lived and taught in the Toledo, Ohio, area for several years. She now lives outside Chicago.
Noodles symbolize long life and good luck, Stoller said, and are often served in Northeast China during the New Year celebrations. She likes to make a simple lo mein dish for the holiday. Linguine noodles can be substituted for lo mein, which can be harder to find, she said. Either way, in order to maintain their traditional significance, the noodles should always be served uncut.
Fish is also a specialty at the New Year, especially when it is served whole. Fish symbolizes unity and abundance -- the Mandarin word "yu," which means "fish," also sounds like the word for "savings" or "surpluses." To further show the importance of abundance, like the cornucopia for our Thanksgiving, many Chinese families cook a fish and serve it at the end of the meal, but do not eat it. Doing so is said to guarantee a prosperous year.
Chinese dumplings are also said to bring good fortune. Often called "pot stickers" in this country, and filled with a wide assortment of vegetables and meats, these dumplings traditionally have a thicker dough than a wonton wrapper, and are made with different ingredients. But wonton wrappers are easier and more convenient, and can be substituted without moral harm for the sake of expedience.
"Syun," the word for "sour" in Cantonese, sounds like the word for "grandchild." So many families often serve sweet and sour pork during the New Year's celebrations if they are hoping to be blessed with grandchildren. One can imagine parents making it for their adult children as a kind of hint.
One of the most common traditions during the Chinese New Year is also one of the most comforting. Congee, a rice dish similar to porridge, is perhaps the ultimate comfort food; it is warming and exquisitely satisfying, the culinary equivalent of sitting in your favorite chair while snuggling under your favorite blanket.
The genius of congee is that once you have the basics (a relatively small amount of rice simmered for a long time in a relatively large amount of water), you can add anything you want to flavor it. We made a delicious version with a clove of garlic, a hunk of onion, a piece of ginger and some thin slices of chicken, flavored it with soy sauce, poached an egg in it and topped it with sesame seeds and parsley. Yours can be simpler -- fried shallots and slices of green onion is a popular combination -- or more complicated (smoked duck, seaweed, pickled vegetables, preserved eggs), as you see fit.
In China, congee is often served for breakfast, but it also shows up as a light dinner or a late-night snack. And the New Year just wouldn't be the New Year without a bowl or two of it.
Click to the next page for a Chicken Lo Mein recipe
CHICKEN LO MEIN
1/2 pound lo mein noodles or linguine
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 tablespoons plus 1-1/2 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
Salt
1 small carrot
1 small stalk celery or napa cabbage
2 green onions, cut into 2-inch lengths
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
Cook the noodles or linguine according to directions. Drain and toss with 1/2 teaspoon oil to keep the noodles from sticking to each other.
Cut chicken into thin strips. Mix 1 teaspoon oil with a pinch of salt in a medium bowl, and mix in the chicken. Julienne the carrot and celery or napa cabbage by cutting them into small, matchstick-sized strips, and set aside. In a small bowl, mix together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar, vinegar and sesame oil, and put aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken and stir-fry until the exterior of the chicken looks done. Add the carrots, celery and green onions, and stir-fry until they are tender, about 2 minutes. Add the noodles and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the oyster sauce/soy sauce mixture, and stir until everything is coated. Transfer to a serving dish, and serve immediately.
Yield: 3-4 servings
-- Ying Stoller
Click to the next page for a great Congee recipe.
YEAR OF THE DRAGON CONGEE
6 cups water
1 cup white rice (see cook's note)
1 (1-inch) piece of ginger, peeled
1/2 clove garlic
1/4 medium onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon soy sauce
6-8 thin slices of pork or chicken or beef
4 eggs, optional
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
Cook's note: Brown rice can also be used, but it will take longer to cook. Do not use instant rice.
Put water, rice, ginger, garlic, onion and salt in a large saucepan, turn the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat until the mixture simmers. Cook at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, until the rice has softened and the liquid is thickened until it almost takes on the consistency of the rice. This may take 40 minutes or more (some recipes use more water and cook for at least 3 hours).
Remove the ginger and garlic, stir in the soy sauce and add the meat. If using eggs, wait until the meat is almost done and hollow out four indentations in the congee, each one large enough for an egg and each one as far away from the others as possible. Crack an egg into each of the indentations, and allow to poach. You may have to spoon some congee over the top of the eggs to cook them thoroughly. The eggs will be done when their whites are opaque and their yolks are still runny.
Divide the congee into four bowls, allowing one egg for each bowl, if using them. Top each bowl with toasted sesame seeds and parsley, and serve.
Yield: 4 servings
-- Adapted from mymansbelly.com
Go to the next page for a steamed fish recipe.
STEAMED FISH CANTONESE STYLE
1 pound firm white fish fillets such as sea bass or cod, or a whole fish such as turbot
1 teaspoon salt, coarse or fine
1-1/2 tablespoons finely shredded ginger
3 tablespoons finely shredded or thinly sliced green onions
1 tablespoon light soy sauce (see cook's note)
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, preferably peanut
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Cilantro sprigs, for garnish
Cook's note: Do not use "lite" soy sauce, which is just low in sodium. If you can't specifically find light and dark soy sauces, use whichever regular soy sauce you have on hand.
If you are using a whole fish, remove the gills. Pat the fish or fish fillets dry with paper towels. Rub with the salt on both sides, then set aside for 30 minutes. This helps the flesh to firm up and draws out any excess moisture.
Next, set up a steamer, or put a rack into a wok or deep saucepan and fill it with 2 inches of water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat. Put the fish on a heatproof plate and scatter the ginger evenly over the top. Lower the plate of fish into the steamer or onto the rack. Cover the wok tightly and gently steam the fish until it is just cooked. Flat fish will take about 5 minutes to cook. Thicker fish or fillets such as sea bass will take 12-14 minutes.
Remove the plate of cooked fish from the wok and sprinkle with the green onions and the light and dark soy sauces. Heat the two oils together in a small saucepan. When they are hot and smoking, pour the hot oil on top of the fish. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, and serve at once.
Yield: 4 servings
-- "Complete Chinese Cookbook," by Ken Hom
Hungry for sweet and sour pork? Check out the recipe on the next page.
SWEET AND SOUR PORK
1 pound lean pork
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon light soy sauce (see cook's note)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Salt
1 green bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
4 ounces carrots (2 small)
2 ounces green onions
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons cornstarch plus more for dusting
2 cups vegetable oil, preferably peanut
3 ounces canned lychees, drained or fresh orange segments
For the sauce:
2/3 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon light soy sauce (see cook's note)
2 teaspoons dark soy sauce (see cook's note)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1-1/2 tablespoons Chinese white rice vinegar or cider vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons tomato paste or ketchup
Salt and white pepper
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Cook's note: Do not use "lite" soy sauce, which is just low in sodium. If you can't specifically find light and dark soy sauces, use whichever regular soy sauce you have on hand.
Cut the pork into 1-inch cubes. Put them in a bowl with the rice wine, light soy sauce, sesame oil and 1 teaspoon of salt. Marinate for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the green and red bell peppers into 1-inch pieces. Cut the green onions into 1-inch pieces. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil, add the carrots, and blanch for 4 minutes; then drain and set aside.
Mix the egg and 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch in a bowl until they are well blended into a batter. Lift the pork cubes out of the marinade and dust them with cornstarch, put them into the batter and coat each piece well. Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer or a large wok until it is slightly smoking. Remove the pork pieces from the batter with a slotted spoon and deep-fry them. Drain the deep-fried pork on paper towels.
To make the sauce, combine the chicken stock, soy sauces, sesame oil, vinegar, sugar and tomato paste with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of white pepper in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Add all the vegetables and mix well.
In a small bowl, blend the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water. Stir this mixture into the sauce and bring it back to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer. Add the lychees or oranges and the pork. Mix well, then turn the mixture onto a deep platter and serve at once.
Yield: 4 servings
-- "Complete Chinese Cookbook," by Ken Hom
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
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