KAMPUNGBOYCITYGAL A MALAYSIAN FOOD & TRAVEL BLOG

Today marks the seventh day of Chinese New Year, which is the common man’s birthday in Chinese believe too. I would like to extend my warmest wishes to all of you, Happy Birthday!!

What is greater than Yee Sang (raw fish salad) to celebrate our mutual birthday? Toss the colourful salad higher and say Lo Hei at the same time to usher in prosperity and abundance for the year of RAT!

On the first day of Chinese New Year, we would wake up earlier despite staying up late the night before. It is a tradition in my family to lit joss sticks and gave lavish offerings to our god and ancestors, hoping that they would grant us a better year. Bear in mind that sweeping floor is a taboo on the first day, as the elderly believes that it will sweep all the good fortune away.

My siblings and I are always enthusiastic to wear something in red and to visit relatives to extend our loud and auspicious New Year’s greetings such as ???? (Gong Xi Fa Cai) but it is always followed by ???? (Ang Pow Bagi). Grin

This year, we were invited to witness one of the most spectacular sights during Chinese New Year; it’s a performance by a champion lion dance troupe from Johor. The drum rhythmic patterns are closely tied to the feline and agile movement of the lion. My parents never missed a single opportunity to take a picture with their most favorite people ( or god?) in the whole wide world too.

On the second day of Chinese New Year, traditionally married daughter will go home to visit their birth parents. However, this year my family has decided to visit the maternal side of our family another time where the traffic congestion would ease up. At our Ipoh house, we performed a simple ‘Hoi Nin’ prayer and lunch, wishing that we will be blessed with good luck and prosperity in business.

My wonder-mum actually whipped up a feast for our simple “Hoi Nin” lunch. Almost every dish has a symboli meaning and auspicious to ensure a prosporous New Year!

Steamed Whole Chicken – It symbolizes completeness and prosperity

My parents believe that having Siu Yuk (Roasted Pork) that was offered to our god and ancestors earlier will bring us luck.

Wang Choi Jau Sau (windfall profit with little effort) with Fat Choy Ho See (getting rich and good things happen). Pork trotters are braised together with dried black moss, dried oyster and mushroom for long hours until the trotters turn soft and chewy.

Nin Nin Yao Yu – Fish actually represents abundance or having more than enough to spend. Towards the end of the dinner, some part of the fish are left untouched to represent the meaning.

Ha Ha Dai Siu – I’m pretty sure that everyone knows that. Prawns in Cantonese (ha) sounds like laughter which is why prawns represent happiness.

Days before Chinese New Year, my family would give the house a thorough cleansing and “makeover” to sweep away all the bad luck and make way for good luck for a new year. My mum loves to decorate the living hall with paper cutouts of zodiac of the year and upside down “fu” that symbolize luck of fortune has arrived. Various food and offerings are put up at the altar of god and ancestor as appreciation for their blessings.

Here comes the fun part, Chinese New Year cookies/snacks making. My siblings and I will help mum out in whipping out goodies; from deep frying crab filament sticks, arrowhead crisps and chicken floss spring roll to baking goods like almond cookies and groundnut cookies. Of course, some cookies that is pain stakingly tedious such as kueh kapit (love letters) and chicken flavour biscuit (gai zai beng) are bought.

The most important part of would be the New Year Eve cum reunion dinner among our families. My parents are so going to kill me if I’m absent from any of these dinners. Family members would gather around a round table, having the obligatory steamboat and a beer or two. Steamboat is less hassle to prepare where all various ingredients such as sliced meat, sea cucumber, fish ball, jelly fish, leafy greens and tofu are cooked in a simmering broth. To some people dismay, the leftover are use for some stir fry dish on the next day.

After the dinner, we often stays till the wee hour, as it was long believed that by doing so our parents would live a longer life. In return, our parents would give us some age suppressing money (ya sui chien) to be placed under the pillow to signify infinity good luck.Stay tuned for more Chinese New Year posting, then you’ll be able to understand the sudden bloatedness in me.

Daisy Mocha Cookies (Recipe from Agnes Chang’s I Can Bake)

A:200g butter/margarine, 120g castor sugar, 1 eggyolk, 1 1/2 tsp coffee paste

B:420g plain flour, sifted, 60g chocolate rice

1. Cream ingredient A in a mixer till well combined.
2. Mix in ingredient B and form into a dough.
3. Place the dough in between 2 layers of grease proof paper and roll it to 3mm thick. Cut with cookie cutter and arrange them on a greased tray. Decorate with chocolate chip.
4. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about 15-20 minutes. Cool on rack before storing.

Special Melting Moments (Recipe from Agnes Chang’s I Can Bake)

Ingredients:
200g butter/margarine
80g icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp vanilla essence
¼ tsp salt
120g self raising flour, sifted
120g corn flour, sifted

1. Cream butter, icing sugar, vanilla essence and salt till just combined.
2. Add self raising flour, corn flour and mix into a soft dough
3. Spoon mixture into a piping bag fitted with a big star nozzle. Pip into a greased baking tray to form the shape of a rosette.
4. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 170C for 15-20 minutes.
5. Cool on rack, sprinkle some icing sugar or chocolate chips if desired.
6. Store in air tight container before serving.