Lap Mei Fun

CNY is coming again.

If you are a Chinese, you do want to have some meals at home, especially for the Reunion Dinner. You can buy some of the expensive takeaways but nothing come close to the joy of home cooking. Or to put it more accurately, the joy of reliving some of the family tradition you were brought up in.

The best dishes are the one you and your siblings grew up with. They do need to be "authentic", and that is a quality which only your taste memories can judge. You are cooking up a Tan, Wong or Chan dish. Nonya, Hokkien or Hakka (that's me), CNY is about recreating memories and passing on family culinary traditions for the next generation.
I am still planning my menu. I will be blogging some recipes that should inspire you to work on yours. Meanwhile, here are a few reminders or tips. (You may also find my last CNY reflections in 2012 helpful.)



Start planning your menu. By now, you should be already thinking of what should appear for your family's eve dinner, your relatives (1st day) and guests (2nd day onwards). You may want to brush up an old recipe, tweak it or experiment with something new. You need not be the only one cooking. If someone can contribute the Acar, Sambal Belachan, Buah Keluak Chicken, that will mean one less thing for you to prepare.

Cook some things in advance. Prepare your stocks (normal and superior) and fridge them. Steam your canned abalones beforehand. Blend your curry paste. Prepare your sambal belachan. Pickled veg or dishes can be made a few days in advance, of course.

Stock up your seafood: Buy your large prawns early and freeze them. Large sea prawns will be very expensive nearing CNY. Also expensive fish i.e. large white pomfret. You can do the same for pork and chicken, though the mark-up may not be as significant.

Fridge them. Freeze them.


Buy your dried goods now: As for dried foods and stuff, this can be kept easily and it make sense to buy some now. Mushrooms is a must. Bean curd, rock sugar, herbs, dried oysters, waxed meat, black moss etc. These will be more expensive closer to CNY. You do not need to go to Chinatown for these. Check out your neighbourhood stores.  

Make room: Of course, you should start to free up your fridge and freezer space. You will not just be storing fresh food. You need fridge space for leftovers or dishes you prepare the day before.


Order your meats and birds: It  is always great to have the right chicken to steam, which is fast, easy and traditional (at least in my family, it is). But you need a good "CNY" chicken to start with, i.e. corn fed ones, mother hens. Talk with your chicken seller and place an order.

Make sure your kitchen is properly equipped: You will want to "mise en place" think of how and when you will cook them. I use different kitchen equipment and tools. Apart from the usual woks and pots, hey, I love the Magic Thermal Pot, the Slow Cooker, the Pressure Cooker, Sous Vide, claypots and of course, I use the rice cooker to do all sorts. Your oven is sitting there too. It is not Christmas but there is no reason why some dishes cannot be baked or grilled. Thinking through your approach will allow you to cook more efficiently. You will be very busy on the day itself. Stock up your cling films, paper towels and sharpen your knifes (get the old ones sharpened professionally if you need to).