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"Whatever their celestial
sign, all the celebrants of Chinese New
Year rejoice in this happiest day and most important festival on the Lunar
calendar. The New Year celebration usually lasts seven days and the
homes and streets are radiant with exploding fireworks and dazzling
strings of lights. The mighty dragon leads its ever popular parade and
visits each business to kill evil and bring renewed prosperity."
And it is childhood experiences that, according to Foo, form tastes. Her own
childhood was filled with a myriad of experiences and flavors. Born in
inner Mongolia, in a region known for it's noodle dishes (and in a town
no longer on the map), a move to a Taiwanese coastal town that
was also surrounded by farmlands introduced her
to an abundance of fresh seafood and vegetables.
And, her father's military career (as a soldier
and later a general) in Chiang-Kai-Shek's army
exposed Foo to Western culture.
All these outside influences came together in
the Foo kitchens, where cooking was a family affair.
Her mother taught her to appreciate light, delicate food, and her
elderly grandmother showed her how to make
noodles and dumplings (especially useful since
her father didn't like rice). Later, her
mother-in-law taught her Hunan-style cooking,
while her cousin introduced her to Chinese
northern-style cooking. With all these styles,
vegetables were, and still are, central. She
writes, "As they were throughout my childhood,
vegetables are the star attractions of my meals."
While open to new ingredients, Foo is, at heart,
a traditionalist. In the introduction to her
beautiful book,
Susanna Foo Chinese
Cuisine, she writes, "Everything I cook is
based on what I remember from childhood. There
is no need to "improve" the classical dishes
they have been popular for thousands of years.
But a good cook should be open-minded."
And never can a cook be more open-minded than
for a celebratory meal. To celebrate Chinese New Year at home, Susanna
Foo might serve "Honeyed" Nuts; Pork Dumplings
with Soy-Ginger Sauce; Orange Beef with
Sun-Dried Tomatoes; Eight-Treasure Duck; Warm
Rice Pudding; and Poached Pears with
Ginger.
Join us in celebrating Chinese New Year on the Web with a chat with
Susanna Foo, on Tuesday, February 3, right here at 9 pm Eastern, 6 pm
Pacific, 2 am GMT!
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Chinese New Year festivities, celebrating the 
