[Sca-cooks] Okay, it's that time of year again...

[Phil Troy/ G. Tacitus Adamantius]

Hullo, the list!

Without the usual fanfare, because I'm kinda rushed, here's this
year's tentatively-planned menu for the Lunar New Year, which begins
Friday evening:

As usual, for New Year's Eve, the ritual meal --

1. Poached/White-Cut Chicken with Ginger-Scallion Dip, Soy Dip, and
Five-Spice-Roasted Salt
	-- symbolizing prosperity married to purity

2. Two fried fish (fried because they keep a little better overnight;
species determined in the market)
	-- because they can be arranged in a smashing yin/yang
presentation _and_ symbolize regeneration, maybe not in that order

3. Steamed Lop Cheung (sweet cured pork sausages, steamed in pairs
atop rice, symbolic of enduring good fortune -- cured, get it? ;-) )

4. Dry-Sauteed, Marinated Prawns (big ole peel-and-eat prawns
w/heads, served with salt and chopped chilis, symbolizing laughter
and happiness -- Cantonese "har", as in "har de har har")

5. Blanched Veg, probably bok toy (symbolizing vitamins, minerals,
fiber, and the coming of Spring

6. Oranges (yummy and golden -- you godda problum wid dat?)

New Year's Day --

1. Winter Melon Soup w/shredded Smithfield ham, black mushrooms, and
fresh water chestnuts, if I can find them -- it is expected to be
cold and rainy; Q.E.D.

2. Soy Sauce Chicken (wings, this year, will pre-cook and serve at room temp)

3. Beef with Peppers, in lieu of Iron Steak this year, probably in
the form of marinated short rib slices griddled on hot iron, tossed
with sweet red peppers (red is good for New Year's), onion fans, and
black-bean-flavored (_not_ frijoles negros, Stefan!!!) oyster sauce
gravy.

4. Twice-Cooked Pork -- this is becoming a perennial favorite, and
with advance prep, is criminally easy to prepare: simmer, cool
overnight, slice, stir-fry, throw sauce ingredients in wok, plate.

5. Jai, a.k.a. Buddhist Delight -- Traditionally meatless but not
necessarily vegetarian, this is the mixed vegetable dish that no one
ever eats until we wrap leftovers in spring roll wrappers and fry
them, after which it is inhaled -- five vegetables determined by
market, plus two first-round draft picks (wife, reading over
shoulder, says, "You... lo fan!!!" ["Westerner/American"] in
accusatory tone). Vegetables probably will include black mushrooms,
snow peas, bean sprouts, scallions, sliced lotus root, fresh water
chestnuts if available, plus dried bean curd sheets and cellophane
noodles. Will add shrimp, perhaps, if rolled into spring rolls.

6. Stir-Fried Shrimp, marinated, half dry-sauteed with ginger,
scallion and a tiny bit of chili flakes, half glazed with
ketchup-laced oyster sauce gravy. Maybe Fried Shallot garnish?

7. Any presentable leftovers (Dragon and Phoenix made from leftover
Shrimp and Chicken?), plus the freezer full of pork and cabbage
dumplings, custard buns, and steamed red bean paste buns, if
necessary.

8. Da usual assortment of pickles and garnishes

9. Fruit, assorted "this looked interesting in the store" sweets...

Gung hee fat toy, all!

Adamantius