8 Chinese New Year Food Symbols for Happiness, Prosperity and

by Liow Kah Joon

"Lucky" Chinese New Year symbols are an important part of celebrating the Spring Festival. Afterall, it is the start of spring -- a perfect time to have your New Year wishes come true! And what better way to usher in happiness, prosperity and health than to enjoy "auspicious food" with family and friends?

Here are the Top 8 auspicious food symbols for Chinese New Year.

These delicious dishes are served during the reunion dinner on Chinese New Year's eve with family members.

For a comphrensive list and description of more Chinese New Year dishes and delicacies, visit:

http://www.living-chinese-symbols.com/chinese-new-year-symbols.html.

And if you'll like to do some cooking yourself, here are some Chinese New Year recipes:

http://www.living-chinese-symbols.com/chinese-new-year-recipes.html

Top 8 Auspicious Food Symbols for Chinese New Year

1. Hot Pot

A steaming hot pot (or chinese fondue) with meat, seafood and vegetables) is a must. Huo3 in hot pot huo3 guo3 火锅 is the same word as Huo3 in hong2 huo3 红火 "prosperous and booming".

2. Fish

Another must-have dish if you want to experience abundance in the new year. Fish yu2 鱼 is the most popular dish served during Chinese New Year. In Chinese fish has the same sound as "surplus" and "abundance" 余. A whole fish is served on Chinese New Year's eve for the reunion dinner. Usually the fish is steamed. It is a good omen to leave the bones and head and tail intact. This symbolizes surplus/abundance and a good beginning and end in the new year. Best served whole.

3. Shrimp

Shrimp xia1 虾 in Mandarin and ha in Cantonese sounds like someone laughing. Eat shrimp for happiness and well-being.

4. Boiled dumplings

A Chinese New Year tradition is eating boiled dumplings. These are shaped like gold ingots. Dumplings jiao3 zi 饺子 sounds like jiao1 zi3 交子which means the hour of transition into the New Year. Hence, in northern China, dumplings filled with meat are eaten on Chinese New Year's eve to usher in good luck and wealth in the New Year. Sometimes a coin is placed in one of the dumplings. Whoever bites on it will have plenty of wealth in the new year. When dumplings and yellow noodles are cooked together they mean "golden threads through gold ingots". In the eastern cities of China, like Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou, egg dumplings are eaten as they look like gold ingots.

5. Oyster

Hao2 sounds like hao3 shi4 好事 which means "good things". In southern China, it is served with thin rice noodles.

6. Green vegetables

For close family ties, serve some greens. Qing1 cai4 青菜 sounds like qing1 亲 as in qin1 re 亲热 mea ning "close/intimate"

7. Sticky rice cake

Nian2 gao1 年糕. Nian2 means year and cake gao1 sounds the same as high gao1 高. So eating this steamed cake made of rice flour and topped with red dates has the meaning of attaining greater prosperity and rank in the new year.

8. Noodles

Known as chang2 shou4 mian4 长寿面 meaning "longevity noodles".

A wish for good fortune -- Good Luck, Prosperity, Longevity, Happiness and Abundance -- is central to the Chinese way of life.

Even more so during Chinese New Year!

For a guide to auspicious Chinese symbols and the culture of

http://www.living-chinese-symbols.com. It's guaranteed to expand your world, enhance your lifestyle and enable you to speak better Chinese!

Sauted Eggs with Pork (Mu Xu Rou)

by Jacklyn Chen

Mu Xu Pork is a kind of dish served by rolling it into very thin pancakes (Mu Xu pancakes) after frying eggs, pork and other Chinese vegetables. This is a very tasty Northern dish in China and favored by most families. It tastes the best when served with pancakes along with the special sweet seafood sauce (known as Hoysing (Cantonese) sauce in America, though it really should be called Hai Xian sauce you meant to say it in Chinese); it is also favored by many people as a side dish when eating with rice or congee. It is full of unique fragrance. Adding enough chopped raw scallions when you eat can bring out the best flavor. Of course, depending on your preference, you may replace the pork with other meats like shrimps, chicken, beef, etc., or cook it without any meat to make it a vegetable Mu Xu. But traditionally when we talk about Mu Xu Rou in China, pork is always the king.

Ingredients:

a). For step 1:
120g (4 oz.) pork
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cooking wine
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 stalk green onion
2 dried mushrooms (soaked)
6 cloud ears
1 slice ginger
1 bamboo shoot
1/3 bunch spinach

b). For step 2:
3 eggs
dash of salt
3 tablespoons oil

c). For step 3:
3 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon cooking wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
dash of monosodium glutamate

Method:

1. Shred meat, marinate and mix with cornstarch. Shred mushrooms and bamboo shoot. Cut spinach in 4 cm (2") pieces. Slice green onion. Soak cloud ears in water.

2. Fry eggs - Beat eggs slightly, add salt. Heat oil until hot and quickly scramble eggs. Set aside.

3. Heat oil. Add and fry in order: green onion, ginger, meat, bamboo shoot, mushroom, cloud ears, and spinach. Blend in seasoning. Pour in scrambled eggs, mix quickly and serve hot.

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Nutritional information:
Each serving provides:
Calories: 301
Protein: 13.2 g

About the author:Jacklyn Chen - Webmaster of news-blogs.com'>http://www.news-blogs.com">news-blogs.com. She is a full-time mom who works very hard to make living with multiple web sites. For gifts and shopping, visit holidays.news-blogs.com'>http://holidays.news-blogs.comholidays.news-blogs.com

Soyabean Curd Recipe - TooFu Fa

by Edwin Lim

Every morning, I would get out of my bed and gear myself up with jogging equipment to a nearby preserved hill for a morning jog with my girlfriend. After jogging around the hill and coming down from it (which take me aout 45 minutes) at this time there'll be a truck (mobile hawker) selling soyabean curd - TooFu Fa - along the driveway up the hill. I love the texture of smoothness of TooFu Fa with the sweetness of palm sugar syrup. It's delicious and light, great for breakfast or supper. This got me thinking, how about making my own TooFu Fa? That'll be nice. So I beg my heart out to get the below recipe from a friend who owns a Chinese restaurant.

Ingredients to prepare:

3 cups soyabeans, soak for at least 6 hours
a bunch pandan leaves
3 tbsp tapioca/corn flour
1 tbsp gymsum powder (calcium sulphate)

Syrup:
300 g palm sugar
a bunch pandan leaves

instruction to make TooFu Fa:

Separate soaked soyabean into 3 batches, add equal amount of water and grind till fine. Squeeze out all liquid with a piece of muslin cloth into a measuring jar, mix in more water to the paste if necessary to make total 2 liters milk. To make soyabean milk the exact amount of water added is not so important. Put the milk in a large pot filling just about 1/3, add some pandan leaves. Remove foam when necessary and bring to boil for just a few minutes. It tends to foam and overflow, so make sure the fire is low and you're there watching the cooking process! The milk is not ready. (proceed to making syrup, serve hot with syrup or leave in fridge to cool).

To make soyabean curd. Put starch and gypsum powder into a measuring jar and mix with a cup of water, pour in 1-1/2 liters of hot soyabean milk and let stand for 10 minutes to set. Set the remaining milk aside.

To make syrup, simply melt palm sugar with a little water. a bunch of pandan leaves, and filter into a bowl. To serve, simply scoop bean curd into a bowl, add a little syrup (you could add a little soyabean milk in it too). Best eaten hot.

About the author: Edwin Lim is a freelance copywriter and writer who lives in Malaysia. He writes on tips and articles at http://webblogerz.com. Go read.

Chinese Cooking: More Special Ingredients

By Jacklyn Chen

I have briefly introduced two most classic and expensive Chinese cooking ingredients (shark fins and bird's nest) in my previous article. Here I'll continue to introduce some other special ingredients that are more regularly used in our daily cooking. They are far more affordable. Not like shark fins and bird's nest, people can only dream about in China unless you have plenty of money and don't know where to spend.

Jellyfish
Jellyfish is preserved in salt and alum. Large, thin and translucent ones are especially good served as appetizer. It is produced in the South Seas and along seaboards of China, Korea and Japan. The South Seas product is considered to be of the best quality.
Method of Preparation: Soak jellyfish over night, change water and soak for one more day. Roll the jellyfish up and shred. Dip in boiling water for a few seconds and quickly rinse in cold water and drain. Season with vinegar, salt and sugar.

Serve Note: There are many other ways to cook jellyfish.

Preserved Eggs
Duck eggs thickly coated with a mixture of salt, lime and rice husks are preserved in a cool, dark place for about three months. The interior becomes brownish black in color due to fermentation. Remove lime crust and shell, rinse clean, cut lengthwise into six pieces and serve with shredded ginger, vinegar and soy sauce as an appetizer.

Dried Bêche-De-Mer
The best bêche-de-mer or sea cucumber when dried is black in color, as that produced in Hokkaido, Japan. It may be sautéed, stewed or braised.
To soften: Wash, cover with water and bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Slit the middle lengthwise and clean inside. Rinse, cover with water and bring to boil again. remove from heat, place on lid, and let stand for three days.

Dried Shrimp
Dried shrimps after soaking in warm water for about 10 minutes may be used in soups and sautéed dishes, or served cold as an appetizer.

Dried Scallops
Dried scallops have a delicate flavor and after softening in hot water, may be used in soups or other dishes as with dried shrimps.

Preserved Szechwan (SiChuan, in mandarin) Vegetable
This vegetable is the bulb of mustard green preserved in chili, salt and spices, produced in Szechwan, China, and has a unique flavor. It may be used in soups, sautéed dishes or simply sliced and served as an appetizer. People from north of China normally eat it along with rice congee as breakfast.

Cloud Ears
There are black and white varieties of cloud ears and the white variety being much more expensive, is used only in special dishes. Most of the Japanese product is either black or dark brown in color. Softened in warm water, it may be used in soups and sautéed or braised dishes.

Bean Thread - Chinese Vermicelli
Chinese vermicelli made from bean starch is translucent in appearance and does not melt under long cooking. It may be used in soups or braised dishes after softening in warm water.

Variegated Mushrooms
The top of this mushroom is variegated with cracks resembling that of a turtle shell. This flavorful mushroom is used in many of the delicate dishes, and may also be served deep fried.

Jacklyn Chen - Webmaster of news-blogs.com, satellite info, and emobile-news.com. She is a full time mom who works very hard to make living with multiple web sites. She will be pursuing singing career in China and hoping for success.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jacklyn_Chen

Chinese Cooking: Sauces & Spices

By Jacklyn Chen

Sauces and spices are the key in any cooking. No dishes would taste good without them. The only exception is that some sea animals can be simply steamed or boiled before serve. Well, that is because they are salty already in their body. Imagine eating steamed river shrimp? I wouldn't bother!

I'd like to introduce some of the most popular sauces and spices that we use everyday. You may already know some of them, but I bet you haven't heard of others.

Sauces

Bean Curd Sauce (Dou Fu Ru):
Fermented bean curd, rich in proteins. May be kept for fairly long time. Comes in two types - red and white. Red is typically used to cook Braised Pork. White tastes spicy and is normally used as a side dish along with noodles, buns, or congee. Some like to serve with soy sauce and vinegar for meat dumplings, hot pot dishes, and others. Favored by north and west of China.

Oyster Sauce:
Oil from oyster. Heavily salted. Use sparingly for sautéed dishes. Popular in Hong Kong, Cantoon (Guang Dong, to be exact), and some areas in south of China while not used at all in north and west of China except for hotels and some restaurants.

Shrimp Sauce:
Oil from salted baby shrimp dried and fermented. Use sparingly for sautéed dishes. Used heavily for dishes from south of China.

Sesame Sauce (Zhi Ma Jiang):
Ground sesame seed with strong flavor. Used for cold dishes.

Hot Pepper & Bean Sauce:
Hot sauce made from combination of hot spices and beans. Red or brown in color. Use sparingly in sauteed dishes or cold dishes. In north, people often mix this sauce to stir fried minced meat and serve with noodles (make it Noodles with Meat Sauce).

Hot Pepper Oil:
Made from sesame oil and red pepper. Serve with meat dumplings, buns, etc.

Sesame Oil:
Flavor is too strong for use in frying and sautéing. Use only for enhancing flavor of cooked and cold dishes, noodles, hot pot sauce, soups, etc.

JiangXi Vinegar:
A special vinegar produced in JiangXi province. Light amber in color with a distinctive fragrance. Use for meat dumplings and cold dishes.

Spices

Star Fennel:
Shaped like eight cornered star, brown in color. Use for cooking with chicken, meat, offal and fish.

Anise Pepper:
Dried brown round spice. Added sparingly in chicken and meat can remove the unpleasant smell (fishy smell). Can also be used for making pickles or even some deserts.

Five Flavored Powder:
A mixture of anise pepper, star fennel, clove, cinnamon, and dried tangerine peel. Sparingly used in cooking fish and meat.

Pepper Salt:
Mixture of anise pepper powder with salt. Serve with fried chicken, meat, and fish.

(c)Copyrighted: Jacklyn Chen - Webmaster of news-blogs.com, satellite info, and emobile-news.com. She is a full time mom who works very hard to make living with multiple web sites.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jacklyn_Chen

The History of Thai Food

By Andrew Hall

Thai food is famous all over the world. Whether chili-hot or comparatively bland, harmony and contrast are the guiding principles behind each dish. Thai cuisine is essentially a marriage of centuries-old Eastern and Western influences harmoniously combined into something uniquely Thai. Characteristics of Thai food depend on who cooks it, for whom it is cooked, for what occasion, and where it is cooked. Dishes can be refined and adjusted to suit all tastes.

The 'Tai' people migrated from valley settlements in the mountainous region of Southwest China (now Yunnan province) between the sixth and thirteenth centuries, into what is now known as Thailand, Laos, the Shan States of upper Burma, and northwest Vietnam. Influenced by Chinese cooking techniques, Thai cuisine flourished with the rich biodiversity of the Thai peninsula. As a result, Thai dishes today have some similarities to Szechwan Chinese dishes.

Originally, Thai cooking reflected the characteristics of a waterborne lifestyle. Aquatic animals, plant and herbs were major ingredients. Subsequent influences introduced the use of sizeable chunks to Thai cooking. With their Buddhist background, Thais shunned the use of large animals in big chunks. Big cuts of meat were shredded and blended with herbs and spices. Traditional Thai cooking methods were stewing and baking, or grilling. Chinese influences saw the introduction of frying, stir-frying and deep-frying. Culinary influences from the 17th century onwards included Portuguese, Dutch, French and Japanese techniques. Chilies were introduced to Thai cooking during the late 1600's by Portuguese missionaries who had acquired a taste for them while serving in South America. Thais were very adapt at adapting foreign cooking methods, and substituting ingredients. The ghee used in Indian cooking was replaced by coconut oil, and coconut milk substituted for other dairy products.

Overpowering pure spices were toned down and enhanced by fresh herbs such as lemon grass and galanga. Eventually, fewer and less spices were used in Thai curries, while the use of fresh herbs increased. It is generally acknowledged that Thai curries burn intensely, but briefly, whereas other curries, with strong spices, burn for longer periods. Instead of serving dishes in courses, a Thai meal is served all at once, permitting diners to enjoy complementary combinations of different tastes.

A proper Thai meal should consist of a soup, a curry dish with condiments, a dip with accompanying fish and vegetables. A spiced salad may replace the curry dish. The soup can also be spicy, but the curry should be replaced by a non-spiced item. There must be harmony of tastes and textures within individual dishes and the entire meal.

http://www.all-free-recipes.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Hall

Review: "Real and Healthy Chinese Cooking" by Nicholas Zhou

This guy REALLY CAN show you how to improve your health and lose weight effortless in less than 20 minutes -- and see results in 2 weeks!

If you've been searching for information about how to improve your health and eat healthy and balanced food on a daily basis, then you've probably come across Nicholas Zhou's name at least a few times. And, if you're like me, you've probably wondered what the story is behind his best-selling cookbook on healthy eating on the Internet.

Well, here's the truth: This cookbook is the real deal.
Listen, I'll be the first to admit that I was hesitant when I first decided to buy "Real and Healthy Chinese Cooking." But when I got in on my computer (only 3 minutes later!), I was literally blown away by what I had received.

The first thing I noticed about the cookbook was all the beautiful pictures taken by Nicholas. He spent 2 whole years to prepare and cook all the dishes in his book and take pictures for those dishes that deserve one for clarity or beauty. This really helps a lot since the pictures give you a clear idea how the dishes will look like, what ingredients you need, and even how long they should be cooked.

For example, I have been looking for the right recipe for "Stewed Beef Strips" for years but I could never get it right. In Nicholas Zhou's book, I saw the picture and figured out (he also pointed out in the cooking directions) that the sauce should be poured over the beef on the plate instead of being stirred with the beef in the hot wok. So that's the secret why the Stewed Beef Strips always tastes so good at China Tom's (my favorite Chinese restaurant in Kansas City).
You will also be delighted to see that Nicholas Zhou's cookbook is not packed with thousands of free recipes that you can find anywhere on the Internet, which is the case for most cookbooks you can find out there. Instead, his book only contains low carb, low fat recipes that have been personally cooked and tested by him. He only included recipes that he considered authentic and healthy according to his 4 years of continuous reading, writing, cooking and research. But don't worry! The cookbook still contains over 500+ recipes, which will be far more than enough for you and your family for a lifetime.

And the best part is that you'll get lifetime update for the cookbook. Nicholas promised that he will keep adding new recipes and cooking tips to his book on a daily basis and he will offer free downloads for the updated version whenever it's available.

The cookbook contains the most famous Chinese recipes as well as all the secret recipes that couldn't be found anywhere else. Most recipes are quick-and-easy style and perfect for people who have a fast-pace lifestyle -- which have saved me TONS of time and money already.
But what impresses me most about the cookbook is just how authentic it is. I've a huge collection of over 30 Chinese cookbooks, and they all seem to focus on just ONE thing - Americanized Chinese recipes. For example, they usually ask you to add sugar to a spicy dish, or cheese to an appetizer dish, which is rarely the case for real Chinese cooking.

The "Real and Healthy Chinese Cooking" cookbook is almost like a bible of authentic and healthy Chinese cooking like its name indicates. I give this product my absolute highest recommendation. Click here to find out more.

Chinese Cooking Utensils

By Jacklyn Chen

There are quite a few traditional utensils that have been used in cooking for thousands of years in China. Some of them are still seen in most of families, some can only be seen in rural areas, or may be disappearing in the modern world. But to cook authentic Chinese food that always tastes like grandma's, some of the utensils simply cannot be replaced by what you see in American stores.

Chinese Wok
Deep pan with round bottom used in several ways. Comes in iron, stainless and stainless with layer of copper on the bottom. Iron heats most evenly, but should be seasoned before using or food will stick.
To season: Fill pan with water. Add soap and soda and bring to boil. Pour off water, wipe dry. Place pan over strong heat. Add oil and rotate till pan is coated. Pour off excess oil. Place pan over weak fire and wipe with dry cloth.
To clean: After using pan, wash while still hot. Wipe and place over heat to dry completely.

Knife
Heavy and wide. All purpose - for paring, cutting, slicing, chopping and carving.

Iron Palette Comes in square or round front. Rounded ones are easier to use with Chinese wok. Use for frying, sautéing and basting.

Iron Spoon
Use back side for mixing food with minimum breakage.

Steamer
Used for steaming buns, chicken, meat, fish. Place over Chinese wok filled with boiling water. Buy one size smaller than wok. There are new styles of steamers on the market made of different materials. But Chinese believe that the traditional steamer works the best.

Slotted Spoon
Used for deep frying and boiling to get rid of excess oil or water.

Wire Sieve
With handle. Used for boiling noodles, dumplings, etc.

Steamers for Pastries
Small in size - about 15cm (6") in diameter. Used in same method as large steamer. Serve hot pastries in steamers. Typical foods served are small meat buns (small steamer meat buns, or Xiao Long Bao Zi), steamed meat dumplings (Shao Mai), etc.

Molds for cookies
Made from wood with various carved designs. No longer popular in the modern society since people tend to buy cookies off the shelf. Some may still use the molds for major holidays, or just Chinese New Year.

Bamboo Brush
Used for washing hot wok. Guess only people in some rural areas still use this type of brush. More people use regular washing cloth found in market.

Rolling Pin
Used for preparing noodles, dumpling skins, Chinese pancakes, and more. With the busy daily life nowadays, most of time people choose to buy ready to cook fresh noodles and dumpling skins from the small vendors seen on the street to save us time. Choose ones made from sturdy wood.


Jacklyn Chen - Webmaster of news-blogs.com, satellite info, and emobile-news.com. She is a full time mom who works very hard to make living with multiple web sites. She is seeking for success in singing career in China.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jacklyn_Chen

Chinese Cooking Techniques

By Shauna Hanus

The variety of Chinese food dishes and Chinese food recipes available today is wider than in any previous decade. One can easily find Chinese food recipes for Chop Suey, which is not an authentic Chinese dish, along side of Hunan Beef. It is interesting to note that what many refer to as Chow Mein noodles is really a simpler crunchy version of the real thing.

In centuries past when the Chinese still used forks and knives is when the foundation for modern day Chinese cooking was formed. This is back when the cutting techniques and delicate flavors came together to form healthy hearty meals.
This is also when the three primary Chinese cooking techniques were formed.

The first Chinese cooking technique is stewing. Stewing can be either red or clear and is the simplest of the three methods. In clear stewing the clear liquid is brought to a boil and then allowed to simmer until the food is just tender. In red stewing a small amount of sugar and soy sauce is added which gives the stewed food a reddish tinge.

The second Chinese cooking technique is steaming. Steaming can be either wet or dry. The Chinese have used steaming as a primary cooking method for over 3000 years. Before ovens were common place steaming was a preferred method which allowed for moist flavorful food that retained most of its nutrients.

Frying is the third of the traditional Chinese cooking techniques. Frying can be either deep frying in oil or sautéing. When deep frying the food is submersed in hot oil and allowed to cook until it floats. In sautéing the meat, vegetables and garnishes are cooked quickly over high heat in a small amount of fat.

Shauna Hanus is a gourmet cook who specializes in creating gourmet recipes. She has extensive experience cooking with easy to find grocery items to create delightful gourmet meals. She is also the publisher of a no cost bi-monthly gourmet newsletter. Her newsletter is always fun and informational packed with tips and trivia you can use everyday. Sign up for her newsletter and learn more about Gourmayeats Weekly Recipe Club at http://www.gourmayeats.com/
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shauna_Hanus

Chicken with Broccoli

Source: "Real & Healthy Chinese Cooking" Nicholas Zhou's cookbook with 500+ low carb and low fat recipes with 170+ colorful pictures. Based on a master chef's 40 years of cooking practice and 4 years of writing and research, it has helped 12,800 people worldwide improve their health.

Chicken with Broccoli
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 whole chicken breasts
1 large head or 2 small heads broccoli
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sherry
2 tsp corn flour
1 cup good chicken stock
1 tbsp olive oil
grated fresh ginger to taste. (I use about 2 tbsp (keep fresh ginger in the freezer, and when required grate it straight from freezer)
1/2 cup cashew nuts or blanched almonds
Crisp Fried Rice noodles or Orgran Rice Pasta

Directions:
1. Cook noodles or pasta.
2. Skin the chicken, cut into pieces.
3. Wash broccoli and break into small stalks.
4. Combine salt, browning, and sherry in a bowl, mix well.
5. Heat oil in wok, add ginger, stir fry 1 minute.
6. Add chicken, stir fry 1 minute.
7. Add sauce mixture and broccoli, bring to boil, stirring, reduce heat, cover and simmer 3-4 minutes, adding more stock if necessary.
8. Add nuts, serve on noodles or pasta.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items):
277 Calories; 14g Fat (44.1% calories from fat); 28g Protein; 10g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 72mg Cholesterol; 587mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 3 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 2 Fat.



Source: "Real & Healthy Chinese Cooking" - Nicholas Zhou's cookbook with 500+ low carb and low fat recipes with 170+ colorful pictures. Based on a master chef's 40 years of cooking practice and 4 years of writing and research, it has helped 12,800 people worldwide improve their health.