Foog Blog by Amateur Cook: Lunar New Year Special

Lunar New Year (LNY) a.k.a. 农历新年 is the biggest festival in all Chinese's calendar. Regardless where you work, no matter what you do, it is the obligation and tradition to go back to the hometown and spend a few days with the family. So feast become a must. This year i gained 4kgs after just 6 days of eating but i don't really few upset because whats more important than having meals with family? Read more below on what my LNY 2014 was all about :)

Reunion Dinner:

Ate before the 1st day of the Lunar New Year, all family member must come back to home, regardless where we make our living. One of the most typical style is to have it in steamboat. Less preparation works needed and all can have a longer time to talk about while eating.

Family Reunion Dinner, 2 nights before LNY. Brothers back from China and
this year we had 1 big table for the adults and 1 small table for the kids. It is
obvious the family size has grown :P

On top of having own family reunion dinner, we too go to the Reunion dinner in our grandma's (Mrs. Lor's side) place. This is where we need to eat in batch, because there is only 1 table but serving 35 people. Someone asked why not do it in a bigger house, my answer: because this is where grandma lives and where we (me and my cousins) grew up. We have a lot of memory in this place. To ease grandma, we had it in potluck way. I was SO lucky to represent my family to cook 1 dish for this year's dinner. Although it is western style (Red wine pork stew), but thankfully my cousins all like it... except some old folks :P

Grandma usually prepare the all-die-for soup (see where the spoon on), roast
chicken, pork. My stew is right below the soup, see the big carrot. Thankfully,
it is finished. I think most of them accepted the new flavour into the annual
dinner :P

Open House:

Most of the eateries, hawkers were closed for business during the LNY. So Mrs. Lor usually stock up ingredients for the coming open house where relatives will be visiting on the 2nd day. It was a lunch for 55 pax. Mr. and Mrs. Lor cooked most of the dishes which most are the recipe of my grandmom (Mr. Lor's side). Dish like duck braised in ginger gravy, pork knuckle braised in dark vinegar. All time consuming but very very tasty dish and only once per year.

Clockwise from the logo: Pork Knuckle Braised in Dark Vinegar, Stir Fried
Curry Prawn, Duck Braised in Ginger Gravy, Stir Fried Sea Cucumber/Pork
Stomach/Sea Asparagus/Broccoli, Stir Fried Veggie.

My contribution to this open house feast was the Stir Fried Spaghetti.
Not a good one from my average because i never mass cooked.
But i know where went wrong already. will improve it next year :P

On the 3rd day it was also a regular event that we will go to my aunt's open house. Her dishes were mainly curry themed. I like to go there not only because of the spicy foods but because of finger/junk foods prepared by her and her daughter in law, i.e. the home-made FRIED BUD MUSROOM (芽姑), so specially i need to write it in Chinese :P Because her's were thick cut so it is totally different from what we normally can buy from market. Also their Kuih Seri Muka, Pineapple Tart....oh... so lethally delicious !!!!

These curry/spice themed dishes were good but still i prefer her finger/junk
food more :P One special highlight though, the Stir Fried Spiced Sausage (on
the top right corner) she created this year. Fried with dried chilli infused oil, you can imagine how heaty it will be :P

Dine Out:

On day 4 onwards, most of the restaurants resumed business and its time to housewife to have a rest and eat out. Most restaurant will roll out special LNY dishes and we had a few of them:

Counter clockwise from top left, Braise Dried Oyster/DriedScallop,

Fried 3 Happiness (crab meat roll, chives crackling, stuffed squid)

Also another special dine out dish worth to write up here is the Lou Sang (捞生). It us usually served in the 7th day of the LNY but now it is available throughout the new year season. The dish is made with several colourful ingredients and all will have to stir it with chopstick. The stirring of this dish symbolising 捞到风生水起，步步高升 (stir until better and better, stir until everything turns good). Regardless of whether or not this is true, one thing for sure, stirring it together with friends and family is fun :)

The Lou Sang Dish before 'messed up'. For video, please go to my
Instagram: Maxmax5ig

Now that everyone has back to position for the routine for living but im sure everyone of us has had some good memory of these year's LNY. One particular highlight we all enjoyed with was the formation of the next generation. They are big enough now (4-10 yo) to play alone and run where and there with minimum care/attention needed. And i guess this is what make the LNY gathering so precious except the foods :)

Other Pictures: