Gung Hay Fat Choy

Day 120: Gung hay fat choy! If you were born in the Year of the Dragon, you may be intelligent and strong, but those characteristics can also make you pushy or aggresive. You do not get along with Dogs, Goats or Oxen, but you are compatible with Monkeys and Rats. For those who don't know, the Chinese Zodiac is different from the western zodiac in that it is divided into a twelve-year cycle rather than twelve month-long periods. The sequence begins with the Year of the Mouse. Dragon is the fifth year in the cycle, and includes 2024, 2012, 2000, 1988, etc. Each year has an associated "heavenly" element, in this case wood (yang). The lucky colour for this Wood Dragon year is gold, representing wealth and prosperity. May it come your way!

Year Of The Rabbit

Day 101: Happy New Year! It's the Year of the Rabbit, and in honour of the occasion, I tried my hand at making crystal dumplings in the shape of bunnies. No, I am not going to give you a close-up, because although they are recognizable as rabbits (more or less), they certainly do not look like the example I was following. That said, they were delicious! I stuffed them with a mixture of ground pork, shiitake mushrooms and napa cabbage, seasoned with ginger, dark soy and oyster sauce. I would have included green onions, but there weren't any in the fridge. The skins are made with a 1:1 ratio of wheat starch (not wheat flour, mind you!) and tapioca starch plus a little oil and boiling water. I should have made them a bit thinner, but I wasn't sure how far my filling would stretch. As it was, I made 16 and had filling left over. Lack of artistic merit aside, I'd say the Year of the Rabbit has started out more auspiciously than 2023 did. I'm grateful for the second chance!