Chinese New Year Dinner

Red and gold are the perfect colors for an elegant Chinese New Year dinner. Use Asian prints and symbols as accents. Start by covering the table in a rich red tablecloth. Set the table with gold plates, gold napkin rings, and golden stemmed flatware. Instead of a floral arrangement, place a large golden bowl in the center of the table. Fill with vibrant tangerines.

Glass barware with a dragon motif is divine for serving shinsei sangria. Run globular votives down the middle of the table. Place fresh bamboo planters in the corners of the dining space. Write the name of each guest on the back of traditional red envelopes and use instead of place card holders.

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For a large dinner party select a specialty cocktail that can be made in advance and in a large batch. This recipe for a white wine sangria gets an Asian twist with the addition of canned lychees and sake. It will pair perfectly with spring rolls and Chinese noodles.

To make it a truly festive celebration stock up on Asian beer (Tsingtao is a nice option) and good sipping sake (I like Sake One's selection). To check out the recipe for the shinsei sangria, read more

Although desserts are not tremendously popular in Asian cuisine, for a Chinese New Year celebration, there are plenty of options. First there's the traditional Nian Gao, a sticky, sweet gelatinous cake. Then there's the modern spring roll: filled with fruit, fried until a golden, and served with a caramel rum dipping sauce.

Finally, there's this recipe for sweet sesame wonton crisps. Serve with a tart tangerine sorbet for a soft-crunchy balance of textures. Not only is this dish unexpected, but it also symbolizes luck. To check out the recipe, read more

The lunar New Year and the year of the ox begins on Jan. 26. To celebrate, gather friends and family for a Chinese-style banquet. Food symbolism plays an important role in Chinese New Year, so select the menu carefully. Start by serving mushroom spring rolls. The crispy, golden rolls represent gold bouillon. Serving a chicken whole represents a sense of unity — this recipe produces juicy, tender meat. Chinese noodles seasoned with soy sauce, sesame oil, and cilantro signify longevity. Oysters braised with sea moss is a traditional dish that brings luck to business transactions and rounds out the menu. To look at these recipes, read more