How to Make a Lantern for Chinese New Year

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Traditionally speaking, Chinese New Year lasts for 15 days. On the 15th day there is a lantern festival, which marks the end of the celebrations. The lanterns are hung up to symbolize a fresh start to the new year.

Using red envelopes, (a traditional envelope used for giving money gifts), you can make your own lantern to hang. You will need 30 red envelopes of the same size. If you don't have red envelopes, you can use red card stock and decorate.


Using clear adhesive tape, tape 6 envelopes together, top to bottom to form a long train. Tape both sides.

Using another 6, tape an envelope to each of the seams to form flaps.


Once you have 6 flaps, tape together the two outer envelopes of the train to make a circle.

Tape the center flaps together and pinch the outer corners to form a hexagon. Set aside.

Line up another 6 envelopes. This time tape the sides of the envelopes together.

Create flaps like before, taping both sides again.

Once you have the 6 outer envelopes and 6 flaps, tape and enclose like above to create a second hexagon.

Take another envelope, roll up length-wise and secure to make round tubes.

You will need 6 tubes.

Secure tubes on the outer corners of the larger hexagon.

Using red string or ribbon, create a loop through opposite triangles of the larger hexagon an tie a knot on both ends.

Using a second length of ribbon, loop through opposite triangles of the smaller hexagon, then tie a knot to secure.

Ta da!

You can create variations of this simple lantern. For instance if you want a larger lantern, just create an extra larger hexagon and attach to the bottom of the smaller. Or you can find a fish charm (to signify abundance) or Chinese knot to add to the bottom to fancy it up!

by Lisa
http://fubabee.com

Turnip Cakes: A Traditional Chinese New Year Good Eats

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As far as I can remember, I've eaten turnip cakes at dim sum and for Chinese New Year. For the uninitiated, dim sum is the Chinese equivalent of brunch. Turnip cakes is a savory dish made with Chinese sausages, mushrooms, dried shrimp, rice flour and, despite the name, radishes, not turnips. (The name probably just stuck after noble attempts to translate the dish into English, at least I'd like to think!)

Growing up, I used to help my mom make batches of lor bot go, as we call it. We'd make several batches for ourselves for the new year, (which traditionally lasts for 15 days). We'd also package several to give away to friends and relatives. My mom never used a measuring cup, and always relied on the ingredients. We always made huge batches, often cooking into the night to create tins of cakes to pass out. This following recipe is my humble attempts to quantify what we've done over the years, so you can make 2-3 8 inch round tins (rather than the dozens we always churned out)!


Ingredients*:
  • I large daikon radish (white turnip) about 5lbs
  • 1 chinese sausage
  • about 25 dried shrimp, soaked overnight
  • about 15 chinese dried mushrooms, soaked overnight
  • 1 to 1 1/2 cups of rice flour
  • salt & pepper
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • scallions or cilantro
  • Dice up the dried shrimp into small pieces. Save the water the shrimps are soaked in.
  • When the mushrooms and soft from soaking, remove the stems and chop into small pieces. Save the water the mushrooms are soaked in.
  • Cut off both ends of turnip, peel, then grate or shred.
  • Add the shredded turnip into a large pot and fill it with water to the level of the turnip.
  • Add mushroom and dried shrimp water into the pot as well.
  • Boil until the turnips are soft and translucent. Add salt to taste. Set aside to cool to room temp.
  • Dice the sausage into small pieces.
  • In a wok or skillet, pan fry the sausages for 2 minutes in medium heat, or until the sausages turn a translucent red. Add garlic, mushrooms and shrimp, and stir for another 2 minutes. Add pepper to taste.
  • When the sausage, mushroom, shrimp mixture is done, transfer it directly into the pot with the turnips

  • Slowly add the rice flour into the pot with all the ingredients. It will look like a sloppy slurry. (Depending on how moist or stiff you like your cakes, you can add more or less rice flour.)
  • Separate into tins and using a large steamer, steam until done. You'll know it's done when the slurry turns into the consistency of the first photo. Garnish with chopped scallions and you're set!
The beauty of this dish is that it is hard to mess up. There is no such thing as over-steaming. You can add as much or as little mushroom/shrimp/sausage as you like. (Fellow NewNew member May Luk shares her recipe here.) Many people enjoy this savory treat at room temperature with a cup of tea. Others (like myself) like to slice it up and pan fry it so there's a nice crunchy texture. Either way, it's a traditional comfort food that always puts a smile on my face, as it is one of the things I looked forward to making with my mom around this time of year.

* You can find these ingredients in most Chinese grocery stores or markets. In NYC, I'd recommend going into Brooklyn's 8th Avenue area, or head to Kam Man on Canal Street in Manhattan. The dried shrimps are usually displayed in big containers, but are sold by weight. The dried mushrooms can also be found in packages. If you can't find them, you can substitute with Shitake mushrooms. Chinese sausages can usually be found at the grocery stores in packages like hot dogs. Or for a fresher variety, head to the meat shops where they are usually hanging 2 per string. And finally, for the rice flour, you want the glutinous kind, although the regular (non glutinous) version will work also. It will give you a denser, cake-like texture. If you end up using the non-glutinous, be sure to lighten up on the amount of rice flour. Otherwise you'll have a super hard block of turnip cake!

-
Lisa {fubabee}
http://fubabee.com

The Year of the Ox--New Year's Goodies and a Soup

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A new president, a new economic era, and a Chinese New Year. The Year of the Ox begins next week on January 26th. According to Wikipedia, "The Ox is the sign of prosperity through fortitude and hard work." But since all work and no play would make the Ox a dull year, here are some fun things that can accompany you into the new year:

Soap
In anticipation of the New Year it is important to clean everything. Nordea's Soaperie has just the thing for you: Citrus Laundry Soap


Clothes
The New Year is also a time to acquire a new outfit, if possible in red since this color is known to scare away the mythical beast Nian. Nian devoured everything in sight on the first day of the new year but was afraid of red. So protect yourself with one of these garments:



Jewelry
A new outfit needs to be adorned with matching earrings:


finish it off with a ring from Lia and Adornments NYC's dragonfly necklace (but careful, dragonflies symbolize rapid change).



Home
Now it's time to decorate your newly cleaned home. How about a koi fish painting symbolizing love and friendship by C Line Creations.


Or Bill as crafted by Karen's Monsters, who stands for, well, Bill.


If all this cleaning, decorating, and shopping has made you hungry, maybe you should fortify yourself with my mother's wonton soup:

Wonton Soup

Soup Ingredients:
8 cups of chicken stock
3 shallots
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
Wonton Ingredients:
25 wonton wrappers
1 beaten egg
1lb ground pork
1/4 small cabbage, finely shredded
1 TB soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp fresh grated ginger

Combine the ground pork with the cabbage, soy sauce, sesame oil and ginger. Mix well.
Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of the wonton wrapper. Brush around the edges of the wrapper with some beaten egg. Fold the wrapper diagonally in half forming a triangle. Brush some beaten egg on the left and right corners of the triangle, bring the corners together and seal them with a pinch.

In a large saucepan, bring the chicken stock, shallots and sesame oil to a rapid boil. Drop the wontons into the boiling soup and cook them until they float to the top (10-15 min).

Serve them in one of May Luk Ceramics' beautiful bowls.


恭喜發財

Simone
groundsel.etsy.com