“Gong Xi Fa Cha!” Did you know that January 23, 2012 marks the start of the Year of the Dragon on the Chinese Lunar Calendar? We celebrate Chinese New Year every year! Despite its winter occurrence, in China it is known as “Spring Festival,” which I think many across our country are ready for! When the children were younger we made a new dragon out of recycled articles each year. We would host Chinese New Year parties for our friends and family. We would often have fun, educational projects for the the children. One of our family’s treasured treats, egg rolls, for years! We look forward to making these every year when we celebrate Chinese New Year with family and friends. Every year we’d make a new dragon, but one year the boys and I made a very large and elaborate dragon! The boys distributed homemade fliers throughout the neighborhood. The next day, our neighbors waited as our family and friends paraded their dragon around the neighborhood, complete with noise makers and costumes. This same dragon, made out of recyclables, made his appearance each year. He even showed up once at a children’s story time when our boys were asked to read a book to the younger children!

Our Chinese New Year began by cleaning our house thoroughly (something I’ve been doing this week in preparation for the New Year) and making food that everyone will enjoy is next on the list! We always make our family’s egg rolls, Chicken Fried Rice, and something sweet. For dessert, Almond and Fortune and Cookies with a red strip of paper which says “Happy New Year” on one side and “Gong Xi Fa Cha” on the other are always on our table! When the boys were younger, they would spend an hour or two practicing their penmanship skills while writing on both sides of the strips.

Here are some of our favorite recipes!

Steamed Dumplings with Nate’s Dipping Sauce

2 pkg. wonton wrappers
1 lb. ground pork, uncooked
1 c. thinly shredded Chinese or Napa cabbage, optional
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
½ tsp. ground ginger

Combine ground pork, cabbage, soy sauce, garlic and onion powders. Turn wonton wrapper so it’s shaped like a diamond. Place a good tablespoon or so in the middle of the wonton. Moisten edges with water, fold over and seal.

Using a steamer, cook 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with Nate’s Dipping Sauce.

Nate’s Delicious Dipping Sauce

2 tbsp. light soy sauce
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp. teriyaki marinade
A good shake of dried red crushed pepper
½ tsp. lemon juice
A healthy shake of garlic powder

Combine all ingredients. Enjoy with dipping sauce. Boy, my kid can cook!

One year my husband, Mike, created a fun and engaging way to introduce the children to pi, the mathematical constant whose value is the ratio of any circle’s circumference to its diameter in Euclidean space. Approximately equal to 3.141593 in the usual decimal notation pi is one of the most important mathematical and physical constants used in mathematics, science and engineering. Although the Chinese were not responsible for finding pi, they have made great strides in computing it. We held a pi reciting contest, used circular plates to demonstrate pi and we showed the children how to convert things into pi, including their next pi birthday!

Cutting ?
Materials Needed

circular object
string
scissors
tape

To Do and Notice

Carefully wrap string around the circumference of your circular object. (Ask a partner to help.) Cut the string when it is exactly the same length as the circumference. Now take your “string circumference” and stretch it across the diameter of your circular object. Cut as many “string diameters” from your “string circumference” as you can. How many diameters could you cut? Compare your data with others. What do you notice?
What’s Going On?

This is a hands-on way to divide a circle’s circumference by its diameter. No matter what circle you use, you’ll be able to cut 3 complete diameters and have a small bit of string left over. Estimate what fraction of the diameter this small piece could be (about 1/7). You have “cut pi,” about 3 and 1/7 pieces of string, by determining how many diameters can be cut from the circumference. Tape the 3 + pieces of string onto paper and explain their significance.

Chinese Egg Rolls

1 pkg. egg rolls wrappers
3 boneless chicken breasts cut into tiny pieces
1/3 c. dry sherry
1/3 c. low-sodium soy sauce
3 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
4 carrots, grated
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
Peanut or canola oil

Marinate chicken pieces in a sealed plastic storage bag or container with sherry and soy sauce for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

Heat 2 tablespoons of sesame oil in a skillet. Remove your chicken from the marinade and sauté over medium high heat. Add carrots and green pepper. Cook until vegetables are a bit caramelized. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Remove and set aside. Season mixture with a little salt and pepper and be sure to allow the mixture to cool completely.

Place egg roll wrapper so that it looks like a diamond. Spread 2 tablespoons of the filling across the width of the wrapper. Take the point facing you and fold over the mixture. Tightly fold sides inward and complete rolling. Use a little water on the final point before closing completely.

Heat peanut oil in a deep saucepan and fry egg wrappers until browned. Because the filling is cooked, you are just cooking the wrapper itself. Be sure to have your heat high enough (375 degrees) so that it cooks quickly or the egg rolls will be soggy. Do not overcrowd the pan.

Tip: Cutting the chicken while it is still a little frozen makes it easier to cut.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

A traditional dish served at most Chinese New Year parties, the kids will love the sweet taste of this delicious dish! You can also make this recipe using pork.

For chicken
3/4 pound of chicken breasts
1 tbsp. low sodium soy sauce
Pinch of cornstarch

For sauce
1/4 cup raw honey
2 tablespoons chili sauce
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water or reserved pineapple juice
1/4 cup vinegar

1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 4 tablespoons water

1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup warm water, as needed

Enough oil dry fry

Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Marinate in the soy sauce and cornstarch for 20 minutes.

In a small bowl, prepare the sauce by combining the sugar, chili sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, water or juice and vinegar. Set aside. In a separate bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in the water. Set aside.

Peel the carrot and chop on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces. Cut the bell peppers in half, remove the seeds and cut into cubes.

Heat enough oil for deep–frying to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

For the batter, combine the flour and cornstarch. Stir in the egg white and vegetable oil. Add as much of the warm water as is needed to form a thick batter that is neither too dry or too moist. (The batter should not be runny, but should drop off the back of a spoon).

Dip the marinated chicken cubes in the batter. Deep-fry in batches, taking care not to overcrowd the wok. Deep-fry the chicken until it is golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels.

(If desired you can deep-fry the pork at second time to make it extra crispy. Make sure the oil is back up to 375 before you begin deep-frying again).

To prepare the sweet and sour sauce, bring the sauce ingredients to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot, green pepper, and pineapple. Bring to a boil again and thicken with cornstarch mixture, stirring. Check the sauce one more time and adjust seasonings, adding salt and/or vinegar if desired. Serve hot over the deep-fried pork. Serve the sweet and sour pork over rice.

Chicken Fried Rice

1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut into small pieces
2 tsp. plus 1 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
1 yellow onion, chopped
½ c. grated carrots, optional
4 c. cooked white rice
2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
1 c. frozen peas

In a wok or large pan, add sesame oil. Cook egg. Remove. Cook chicken until done, add onion, cook for one minute. Add soy sauce and carrots. Cook a couple more minutes until carrots are tender. Add rice and toasted sesame seeds. Cook a few more minutes. Add additional tablespoon of soy sauce. Continue to stir constantly. Add peas and cooked egg and remove from heat.

Chinese Almond Cookies

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. pure almond extract
2 3/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Slivered almonds, optional

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Beat together butter, sugar, egg, and extracts until smooth. In another bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Add your dry ingredients to the wet and mix. Roll into small balls. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet or stone and press three or four slivered on top. Bake for 10 -12 minutes or until golden brown but remember that cookies harden as they sit so be sure to take them out before they are fully cooked.

Chinese Fortune Cookies

Fun for the whole family to make, these cookies are absolutely delicious! Make your own little message with the kids for each cookie! We always out strips of red paper and write in black ink “Gung Hei Fat Choy!” or Happy New Year!

1 egg white
½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
½ tsp. pure almond extract
1 pinch salt
¼ c. unbleached flour
Zest of one lemon
2 tbsp. granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray baking stone or sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Write a message on 4-in by ½-in wide strips of paper; Happy New Year, Happy Birthday, etc.
Mix the egg white, vanilla, almond and lemon zest until foam, but not stiff. Sift flour, salt and sugar and blend into egg white mixture.
Place teaspoonfuls of batter at least 4 inches apart on cookie sheet. Using the back of a small spoon spread batter so that you have a circle approximately 3-inches in diameter. Do not make too many at one time. You must form them as soon as they come out of the oven. Bake 5 minutes or until the outer edges only are golden brown. Remove with a spatula and place message inside. Fold over to form fortune cookie and place in an egg carton to harden.