Let’s Talk Food for Jan. 17

By Audrey Wilson

Next Monday, Jan. 23, is Chinese New Year’s Day. This is the year of the Dragon, the only mythical animal in the Chinese zodiac, and is the symbol of good fortune and intense power.

If you were born in 1916, 1928, 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988 or 2000, you bring good fortune, are a great leader and therefore are honored and respected.

Foods cooked for this auspicious celebration include eating “jiaozi” in Northern China, a crescent-shaped dumpling eaten at midnight because it is a symbol of wealth and prosperity as it resembles ancient Chinese silver ingots.

Jiaozi or Chinese

Dumplings

Mix together:

1 cup lean ground pork

1 tablespoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoons Chinese wine or dry sherry

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper, or to taste

3 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoon chopped green onion

1-1/2 cups finely shredded Chinese cabbage

2 sliced ginger, finely minced

1 garlic clove, peeled and finely minced

One package round wun tun wrappers

Place about one tablespoon filling in the middle of each wrapper. Wet the edges of the dumpling with water. Fold the dough over the filling into a half moon shaped and pinch the edges to seal. Continue with the remainder of the dumplings.

To cook, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add half of the dumpling, giving them a gentle stir so they don’t stick together. Bring water to a boil, and add 1/2 cup cold water. Cover and allow the water to come to a boil. Add 1/2 cup water again, then allow the water to boil. They are ready after the third boil.

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For appetizers on New Year’s Day, egg rolls or spring rolls, resembling gold bouillions, are served in hopes of wealth for the new year. Lettuce wraps may also be served with minced chicken, as well as Peking Duck, lion-head meatballs, sweet and sour pork, whole white chicken, and steamed whole fish, with longevity noodles that signify long life.

Here’s s very tasty lettuce wrap appetizer.

Chicken Lettuce

Wraps

Serves 4

Mix together:

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 teaspoon dry sherry

2 teaspoons water

2 tablespoons oyster sauce (I like the mushroom oyster sauce — it has no oysters as many are highly allergic to it)

1 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons mirin

2 teaspoon peanut butter

1 teaspoon sesame oil

Dice into 1/4-inch cubes:

4 (8 ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Add to marinade and toss to coat. Marinade for 30 minutes.

Dissolve:

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

Add:

2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice from 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon Chinese hot mustard

1 teaspoon hot chili sauce with garlic

Dash sesame oil

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Heat in a skillet

3 tablespoons olive oil

Add:

8 shiitake mushrooms, cleaned and minced and if dried, rehydrated in water till soft, then minced

1 teaspoon fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced or pressed

2 green onions, minced

1 small dried red chili, minced

1 (8 ounce ) can water chestnuts, minced

1 (8 ounce) can bamboo shoots, minced

Saute until mushrooms soften. Add the chicken and marinade and continue to sauté, stirring constantly until the chicken is cooked through and the mixture is thickened. Remove mixture from pan onto a platter. The chicken mixture is served warm inside Bibb, Boston or iceberg lettuce leaves

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Here’s a recipe for cold ginger chicken that could be served.

Cold Ginger

Chicken

Serves 6

Place in pot:

One (4 pound) whole chicken

with:

1 tablespoons salt

Enough water to cover chicken

Cover pot, bring to a slow boil and simmer until chicken is cooked and tender. Carefully remove chicken from pot and sprinkle with:

1-1/4 teaspoon salt

Chill chicken. Mix together:

2 cups green onions, chopped

3/4 cup grated fresh ginger

Heat in saucepan and add green onions and ginger, mixing well.

1 1/2 cups olive oil

Remove from heat and chill. Cut up chicken and combine with ginger mixture.

Serve cold.

Jai or Buddha’s delight, one of my favorite dishes, is often served for its Buddhist tradition of no animal or fish shall be killed on the first day of the lunar year, with the belief that all the vegetables serve to purify the body. It has so many ingredients, all with meaning for a good year. The Gingko nuts represent silver ingots and good fortune; the arrowroot, for good life; fried tofu represents blessing to the house; black mushrooms, welcome spring and means opportunities for the new year; long rice for long life; wood ear fungus for longevity; snow peas for unity; the reddish color of carrots for good luck; and black moss for wealth.

Small Bites

Chinese New Year lasts for 15 days, ending with the Lantern Festival.

To the three Dragons I know, Jane, Lorna and my niece Carla, good fortune to you in your year, the Year of the Dragon!

Foodie Bites

The Hawaii Community College Cafeteria will be closed today and tomorrow due to construction but reopening on Thursday. The Bamboo Hale will be open on Jan. 24. Call 934-2559 to see what the specials of the day are, which are hot entrees from $5.75-$7.25 and include choice of starch, hot vegetables, greens and soup.

Please feel free to e-mail me at wilson.audrey@hawaiiantel.net if you have a question. Bon appetit until next week.