Chinese New Year Looms

Am I the only one who thinks there are too many holidays in Hong Kong? I feel I’ve just come back from my Christmas trip – BOOM! Another big holiday immediately heaves into view. I was planning to tour Guangdong province again as we had a spectacular time there last year.

However! The people I was going with inexplicably decided to go to Harbin instead. Yes, they chose ‘eyeballs freeze in your head after 10 minutes outside’ over ‘pleasant, perhaps with a few drops of rain’.

So I have the whole holiday at home, and thought I’d provide some services.

1. CANTO/SICHUAN EXTRAVAGANZA:

Learn about Chinese New Year, why the tradition of orange trees, fish, noodles the ‘kitchen god’ etc are so important, and learn to recognise some door couplets. Then learn enough Chinese New Year greetings to win any ‘greeting-out’ with your colleagues and neighbours, doormen and fishmongers! All while sipping lovely Iron Buddha, coffee or, dare I say, beer?

This is followed by a delicious Sichuan meal and beer. Date to be decided when at least five people sign up.

2. SICHUAN LUNCH OR DINNER

Special New Year Menu includes Chilli Prawns,

Ma Po Tofu

and of course dumplings! Pork, beef or my excellent invention Vegetarian Dumplings (in my opinion better than the meat ones).

3. SICHUAN COOKING COURSE

Bring only a sharp knife and your appetite!
I’ll show you how to cook four dishes, thus covering all the basics of Sichuan cooking. I’ll do all the hard work, all you have to do is swoop in and throw the ready-made ingredients in the wok!
Then we’ll have a pleasant time eating the delicious stuff and drinking beer and wine. Yes, tea too if necessary. You’ll learn how to make chilli oil, chicken stock and ground roasted Sichuan pepper.

INCLUDED: Book of 20 Sichuan recipes with photos of all the ingredients and brand names of soy sauces etc, AND goody bag of Sichuan peppercorns and dried chillies.

All the events take place in Pui O, Lantau Island.

過年 -Go lin (Pass Year/Chinese New Year)
川菜 – Chuen choy (Sichuan food)
啤酒 – Beh jau (Beer)