GUNG HAY FAT CHOY! (HAPPY NEW YEAR!)

Happy Chinese New Year! It's the year of the Rat (1912, 1924, 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996). To my brother, Terry...it's your year! "People born in the Year of the Rat are noted for their charm. They work hard to achieve their goals, acquire possessions, and are likely to be perfectionists. They are basically thrifty with money. Rat people are easily angered and love to gossip. Their ambitions are big, and they are usually very successful. They are most compatible with people born in the years of the Dragon, Monkey, and Ox."

We wanted to celebrate Nate's first Chinese New Year at the Tucson Chinese Cultural Center...but the tickets for the day celebration were $125 each!! So we decided to celebrate much less expensively at home. Traditionally, you're supposed to wear red, which is good luck but Nate's red chinese outfit is hanging in a frame in our living room, so we dressed him in his tiger outfit. He's playing with a tiger that we picked up in China, made and hand painted by a young lady from a province in the middle of China (sorry can't remember the name).

Happy New Year to all our friends celebrating with their recent China adoptions and those waiting for their referrals! Here's a traditional Potsticker recipe below for the new year:


POTSTICKERS are one of the most popular types of Chinese dumplings. This recipe includes a dipping sauce and instructions on making the dough.

Yields about 48 potstickers.

Ingredients:

Dumpling Dough*

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup boiling water

. Filling:

. 8 ounces celery cabbage (Napa cabbage)

. 3 tsp salt, divided

. 1 pound lean ground pork

. 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions, with tops

. 1 TB white wine

. 1 tsp cornstarch

. 1 tsp sesame oil

. Dash white pepper

. Dipping Sauce:

. 1/4 cup soy sauce

. 1 tsp sesame oil

. Other:

. 2 - 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Preparation:

Cut the cabbage across into thin strips. Mix with 2 teaspoons salt and set aside for 5 minutes. Squeeze out the excess moisture.

In a large bowl, mix the celery cabbage, pork, green onions, wine, cornstarch, the remaining 1 teaaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and the white pepper.

In a bowl, mix the flour and 1 cup boiling water until a soft dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly flour surface about 5 minutes, or until smooth.

Divide the dough in half. Shape each half into a roll 12 inches long and cut each roll into 1/2-inch slices.

Roll 1 slice of dough into a 3-inch circle and place 1 tablespoon pork mixture in the center of the circle. Lift up the edges of the circle and pinch 5 pleats up to create a pouch to encase the mixture. Pinch the top together. Repeat with the remaining slices of dough and filling.

Heat a wok or nonstick skillet until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, tilting the wok to coat the sides. If using a nonstick skillet, add 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil. Place 12 dumplings in a single layer in the wok and fry 2 minutes, or until the bottoms are golden brown.

Add 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook 6 to 7 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Repeat with the remaining dumplings.

To make a dipping sauce, in a small bowl, mix the soy sauce with 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Serve with the dumplings.