Happy Chinese New Year!

We packed up our Freixenet and fireworks weeks ago, but many are just now ringing in the new year. Tonight, Ray and I celebrated The Chinese New Year with a veritable feast.  The Chinese calendar is divided into twelve zodiac animals and this year is the ox. Word has it that the ox symbolizes hard work and honesty. What does that mean to us? Hopefully, '09 will be a year of diligence, strength, and stability. Oh! And guess who was born the Year of the Ox? President Obama. Take that for what it's worth, but let's hope that's a good sign.

Soy Marinade & Dipping Sauce

1/4 c. soy sauce

1 tsp. rice vinegar

1/2 tsp. sesame oil

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl & whisk together.

Tofu Crisps, thekitchn.com

1 16 oz. block of tofu, drained 

1/4 c. soy marinade (see above)

1 tsp. sesame seeds

1 tbsp. scallion, minced

Drain and rinse the tofu. Line a rimmed dinner plate (or baking sheet) with a clean dish towel (or paper towels) and set the tofu on top. Place another plate on top to press out some of the excess liquid. Let sit 15 - 30 minutes. Cut the tofu into 1/2" thick strips. Cubes work well too. Put the cut tofu in a shallow dish, cover with marinade, and let sit for 15 - 30 minutes. Make sure to flip the tofu a few times so the marinade is absorbed evenly. The longer you let the tofu sit, the deeper the flavor will be.  Pre-heat your oven (or toaster oven!) to 350-degrees. Cover a baking sheet (or toaster oven insert) with aluminum foil and coat with vegetable oil. Cook the tofu strips for 10 minutes and then flip them over. Continue cooking and flipping every 10 minutes until the tofu is as baked as you like it, 20 - 45 minutes total. Garnish with scallions, sesame seeds, and you choice of dipping sauce.

Scallion Cakes

2 c. flour
3/4 c. water
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 tsp sea salt
4 scallions, minced

Combine 2 cups unbleached flour and 3/4 cup water. Knead until smooth, about (10 min). Let stand for 15 to 20 minutes, covered with a damp cloth. Divide the dough into 4 parts and set aside. Mince 4 scallions, divide into 4 equal parts and set aside. Using a rolling pin, roll each dough section out into a thin pancake. Tope each cake with 1 tbsp. butter, 1/2 tsp. sea salt, and scallions. Roll each cake up into a long roll, closing the ends. Once in a long roll, roll the cakes back out flat into 8" cakes. Fry 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Then cover with lid and steam briefly. Cut into 8 triangular sections (like slicing a pizza!). Serve with a soy dipping sauce.

Kale & Edamame Dumplings, yields 4 dozen, seriouseats.com

1 pound kale, stems and center ribs discarded, finely shredded
1/2 pound frozen shelled edamame
1 bunch cilantro, leaves only, coarsely chopped
4 scallions, finely chopped
2 tbsp. soy sauce
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. ginger, minced
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. fine salt
1 package "Shanghai style" dumpling wrappers, these can be found in the freezer section of most major markets

For the filling: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook kale until softened (about 15 minutes). In the last 5 minutes of cooking, toss in the frozen edamame. Drain, rinse in cold water, and squeeze out excess water. Put the kale and edamame in medium bowl, then combine all remaining ingredients. Stir to incorporate.

Formation: First, prepare a small bowl of cold water. Pile two teaspoons of filling in the center of the dumpling wrapper. Using your fingertip, moisten the outer edge of the wrapper with water. Fold wrapper in half, forming a half-moon, and pleat the edges, pressing firmly to seal. Repeat with remaining dumplings.

To cook: Working in batches, carefully lower dumplings into a medium pot of boiling water and boil for 3 to 5 minutes. They are done when the skins are translucent.

**If you don't plan on cooking all of them at once, the dumplings will keep in the freezer for up to one month.  Simply defrost before boiling, then prepare as usual.