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January 29, 2013Year of the Snake: Lucky Dumpling Party Tips
When it comes to Chinese astrological signs, I suck. While Iknow my own – I straddle the curious monkey and preening rooster who cooks well,I don’t take it all that seriously. Some people are dialing it in for theupcoming Year of the Black (or Water) Snake, which starts on February 10. Bysome accounts, it will be one of instability and extremities but will generateoverall peace and prosperity. I feel like that is my life in the main.
Through web searches, I found out that snakes are sexy, lucky, and wise, albeit inclined to a certainmeasure of laziness. Famous snakes include Pablo Picasso, Audrey Hepburn,Jackie Onassi, and Brooke Shields. Snakes gets along well with roosters, oxes, horses,sheep, and dogs. If you’re a rat, tiger, rabbit, or dragon, you’ll be an okayfriend of a snake. Monkeys and snakes tend to create too much drama. I’m kinda coveredduring 2013, I suppose.
This stuff is lots of yin-yang, good and bad,lighthearted fun. I read Chinese astrological signs like I read my dailyhoroscopes. Their ambiguity offers constant life lessons. If they were spot on,I’d head to Vegas during my “four-star” days.
That said, it’s always good to start a new yearwith a positive outlook. I make my plans for Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year)around the 3 C’s: cleaning, cooking, and celebrating. Since I am usually notwith my family, I invite close friends over for a feast. More often than not,there are dumplings on the menu. I occasionally make an entire menu of dumplingsand invite friends over to help out.
If you want to throw a “Lucky Dumpling Party,” hereare some pointers:
When to have the party? Any time starting the weekend of February 10! You have the entire month to celebrate!
WhichAsian dumplings to serve? What you enjoy making and eating. If you want tofocus on lucky ones, check out thesedumplings.
Have kids at the party? Get them working with making wontons. Or, let them color Year of the Snake pages for decor. I like this simple one as well as this crazier version with Chinese characters; the links take you to a downloable .pdf from a UK site.
Howmany dumplings on your menu? It depends on the number ofpeople you have and your kitchen capacity. Make 2, 3 or 5 – skip the number 4because it’s a bad luck number. Consider these factors in making up your menu:
Lucky dumpling pot luck: If your friends are game, have themmake dumplings and bring them to your house! Or, have each person or couple bein charge of prepping a dumpling (dough, filling, and dipping sauce). They cometo your place and everyone makes dumplings, cooks and eat. More tips for anAsian dumpling potluck are here.
Lunar New Year decor: I love the tacky, gold stuff thatmarks this holiday. Head to Cost Plus or a Chinese or Vietnamese market. You’llsee red envelopes, lanterns, all kinds of crazy paper decorations. A partystore may be a good source too. I recycle my decor, putting them out aroundnow.
Finally,havefun. Thingscan go awry but everyone will have a good time. Guests will be deeply grateful for your generous hospitality. They’llfeel super lucky.
If you have the Asian Dumplings cookbook, mine it for recipes and ideas.Also do a search and/or check the recipe indices for VietWorld Kitchen, AsianDumpling Tips and Asian Tofu,depending on your interest. A short list:
LuckyAsian Dumplings for New Year – pick your dumplings!Howto throw a dumpling party (and not work hard)Giantfried jiaozi meat dumpling recipe RoastedKabocha and Vegetable Dumpling recipeCrunchyshrimp balls (aka Chef’s Special Balls)Chinese Daikon Radish Cakes (Luo Bo Gao)Sugar Egg Puffs (Bai Tang Sha Weng)Watermelon Radish and Cucumber SaladChilled Cucumber with GarlicSilver Pin Noodles with Chicken, Bean Sprouts, and ScallionPork belly buns Japanese style or Chairman Mao styleFeel free to share Asian dumpling ideas and tipsfor entertaining.
Posted in Asian Dumplings, Asian Food Culture, Cooking Tips & Tools, Recipes: All, Recipes: Banh (Crepes, dumplings, cakes, bread) Recipes, Recipes: Dumplings, Tet | Permalink | |
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Comments Year of the Snake: Lucky Dumpling Party Tips
When it comes to Chinese astrological signs, I suck. While Iknow my own – I straddle the curious monkey and preening rooster who cooks well,I don’t take it all that seriously. Some people are dialing it in for theupcoming Year of the Black (or Water) Snake, which starts on February 10. Bysome accounts, it will be one of instability and extremities but will generateoverall peace and prosperity. I feel like that is my life in the main.
Through web searches, I found out that snakes are sexy, lucky, and wise, albeit inclined to a certainmeasure of laziness. Famous snakes include Pablo Picasso, Audrey Hepburn,Jackie Onassi, and Brooke Shields. Snakes gets along well with roosters, oxes, horses,sheep, and dogs. If you’re a rat, tiger, rabbit, or dragon, you’ll be an okayfriend of a snake. Monkeys and snakes tend to create too much drama. I’m kinda coveredduring 2013, I suppose.
This stuff is lots of yin-yang, good and bad,lighthearted fun. I read Chinese astrological signs like I read my dailyhoroscopes. Their ambiguity offers constant life lessons. If they were spot on,I’d head to Vegas during my “four-star” days.
That said, it’s always good to start a new yearwith a positive outlook. I make my plans for Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year)around the 3 C’s: cleaning, cooking, and celebrating. Since I am usually notwith my family, I invite close friends over for a feast. More often than not,there are dumplings on the menu. I occasionally make an entire menu of dumplingsand invite friends over to help out.
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