Gong Xi Fa Cai

We are celebrating Chinese New Year this year simply because we can. We have found all of the most important food ingredients and so are sharing it with friends from the temple who have made life here very comfortable: Presidente and Sister Machuca and Elder and Sister Jones. They love spicy food and this is a new kind of "picante" for them. The hunt for the food and supplies has taken us all over the city and entertained us for several weeks. This is what you could be eating today, if you were here: 

1. Rice cracker snacks and horseradish peas (chopsticks only)
2. Chicken and cilantro potstickers
3. Joe Saw's fried rice with shrimp
4. Spicy cucumber salad
5. Chicken Satay with peanut sauce
6. Beef and broccoli with white rice
7. Spicy green beans in oyster sauce
8. Mandarin oranges (two each for good luck)
9. Fortune cookies

It is the year of the snake, known for intelligence and cunning. The 12-year cycle is represented by 12 different animals. Legend says that the order of the animals was determined by a race across a great river. The snake was not a very good swimmer and so he secretly hitched a ride on the hoof of the horse. When the horse was just about to cross the finish line, the snake jumped off and scared the horse, thus winning sixth place in the calendar.

Will the Mexicans like this food? The chopsticks? The oyster sauce?* Whether they do or not, we wish you all Chinese good luck for 2013: Gong Xi Fa Cai!


*They inhaled the food, loved the oyster sauce, and hated the chopsticks. All went home with goodie bags and tired jaws from story telling--it was a perfect afternoon.