590906 Mon Jan 26 09:21:12 -0800 2009 14 29 Not About Food 0 4358514 Happy New Year, Chowhounds!! How are you celebrating? (And I do hope you are, since lunar New Year ranks up there with some of the greatest eating holidays of the world!) Mon Jan 26 09:21:12 -0800 2009 64215 cimui 1 4358890 Happy New Year to you too cimui and all chowhounds! I've been digging around trying to find some awesome specials at local restaurants for tonight. How are you celebrating cimui? Mon Jan 26 11:11:28 -0800 2009 4358514 184593 givemecarbs 2 4358939 Eating -- of course! And I'm going to see how well I sleep with chocolate gelt under my pillow. ;) Many restaurants in NYC's Chinatown are closed for the holiday, but this weekend, Chinatown is going to be one giant banquet hall. My friends and I are going down to watch the parade on Sunday and then home to a meal of whole fish, lion's head meatballs (eight of them), oranges, dumplings, spring rolls (called gold bars for the occasion), and whatever else makes it onto the table. Happy eats, givemecarbs! Mon Jan 26 11:27:27 -0800 2009 4358890 64215 cimui 3 4361219 Happy New Year Cimui! Am traveling so I missed any big whoop-dee-do. :( Say, I think the parade is a week from Sunday, On Feb. 8th. I thought they had the parade on the 15th day of the Lunar New Year... Tue Jan 27 05:16:26 -0800 2009 4358939 148845 scoopG 4 4361222 oops! The parade is this Sunday! http://www.explorechinatown.com/GUI/FullPage.aspx-Page=lunarnewyear2009II.htm Tue Jan 27 05:18:38 -0800 2009 4361219 148845 scoopG 1 4359011 Happy New Year Cimui and Everyone! We started celebrating yesterday (Sunday) with a dinner we cooked from Fuschia Dunlop's book, "Land of Plenty." Dry-Fried Chicken, Sweet and Sour Pork, Dry-Fried Green Beans and Stir Fried Rice from Pram's book, "Pleasures of the Vietnam Table." Tonight it's Dan Dan Noodles...nice and spicy, Fish Flavored Cauliflower and a bean sprout, cucumber and shredded carrot salad from an old Constance Chang cookbook I've had for years.... We still have a ton of snow in my neck of the woods which makes it difficult for me to get out so it's great being able to actually cook those Asians dishes we love. Thanks to COTM.....! Mon Jan 26 11:46:44 -0800 2009 4358514 75332 Gio 2 4359184 gio, you are a superchef inspiration! i am so impressed by all these culinary masterpieces you're making -- and wow, that cauliflower, bean sprout, cucumber and carrot salad sounds *great*. you have a year full of great eats ahead of you, i'm certain. :) Mon Jan 26 12:28:19 -0800 2009 4359011 64215 cimui 1 4359281 Thanks for the new year wishes cimui! WIshing you a happy and prosperous Year of the Ox! The eating started on Saturday. Choices are limited here in Bermuda but luckily all the friends kicked in for a potluck, pit hodge podge but the intent was there. Sunday was hot pot at a different friend's place. Luckily these friends are more hard core and can be found frequently jetting back from off the island with coolers of frozen goodies! Lol. About as authentic as it gets! Tonight, the SO has to work late (poo!) so nothing fancy, maybe dig out the last of my home made wontons from the freezer for some wonton noodle soup. As least I managed to get in the noodles for longevity and lettuce for whatever it is again (babies I think). Mom would be proud! Mon Jan 26 12:52:40 -0800 2009 4358514 190037 bdachow 2 4359647 all this time i've been eating lettuce for babies?! is it because wilted lettuce looks like swaddling cloths? your new years celebration sounds truly wonderful -- esp. the being in bermuda part. =) Mon Jan 26 14:45:19 -0800 2009 4359281 64215 cimui 3 4361950 Lol, funny I never thought about the fact that it looks like swaddling cloths. I don't think I'll ever look at lettuce quite the same now! Apparently it's the entire rhymes with thing. Lettuce in Chinese sounds like birth. Actually ended up adjusting as had a friend over. Braised some Chinese mushrooms with shanghai bok choy, ma poh tofu and stir fried garlic baby bok choy, rounded out with mango pudding with evaporated milk. Even threw in a bottle of red wine, needed something red colored! I'd agree with moh that I prefer Chinese New Year's to regular new year's all the time. Food, friends and family, the 3F's, what more do you need! Have fun this weekend at the parade and happy eating! What I wouldn't give for a whole steamed rock cod with ginger and scallions right now. Tue Jan 27 09:30:36 -0800 2009 4359647 190037 bdachow 1 4361314 Happy New Year Cimui! We went out with a couple of CHers for Peking Duck at a local place here on Sunday night! So yummy. Very raucous and delicious night was had by all. It was fun to see all the families out celebrating. And Peking Duck is just so good, and it is something I would never consider making at home, even if we own a bicycle pump. Of course, I wore something red, very auspicious. Personally, I prefer this holiday to our regular New Year's Eve I think! No pressure to have the most fun ever, no Dick Clark, no need to stay up til midnight... Just lots of eating with friends and family. Tue Jan 27 06:13:14 -0800 2009 4358514 89969 moh 1 4362026 My younger daughter caught a large (over 2' long) striped bass that we vacuum-sealed whole and saved for this auspicious occasion. The fish took up a lot more room than fillets in the freezer, but what an impressive centerpiece for the meal! Happy New Year to you all. Tue Jan 27 09:48:31 -0800 2009 4358514 58743 alanbarnes 2 4362091 alan, How did you cook the bass? Tue Jan 27 10:03:32 -0800 2009 4362026 11583 ipsedixit 3 4362121 En papillote. Which is French for wrapping it in foil and tossing it on the grill (it wouldn't fit in the oven). Tangerine slices in the cavity, ginger slivers in slashes in the sides. Finished with lots of fresh scallions and a drizzle of hot oil. Tue Jan 27 10:10:11 -0800 2009 4362091 58743 alanbarnes 1 4362882 I don't really know what's traditional to eat, but DH loves this recipe for Sizzling Rice Soup that I got from Chowhound. ( http://www.chow.com/recipes/11334 ) So we're having that tonight. Not sure yet if we'll go to the parade this weekend. Tue Jan 27 13:04:49 -0800 2009 4358514 104084 LNG212