Happy Year of the Rabbit!

Happy Chinese New Year! Today begins the year of the rabbit, marked by tranquility and a time for diplomacy. I hope these blessings of the year come soon! On New Year's Day, Chinese tradition requires that you not use knives or scissors, so you do not cut your good fortune short. So, it's suggested that you either do all your prep for your food the day before or better yet, eat out! If you want to eat at home, but keep tradition, try stopping by your local grocer for pre-cut veggies and meats.

photo source: iStock

So you might wonder, does the food you eat have any symbolism? YES! Eat long noodles for a long life. Share a whole fish with your family and friends for abundance and grab some egg rolls (my favorite) for wealth. In Catonese, the word for shrimp sounds like the laughter, so it is said to symbolize happiness. Here is a great recipe for Longevity Chicken Lo-Mein from Grace Young combining a lot of these ingredients. Based on this information, I'm planning a dinner of shrimp fried rice or noodles with egg rolls over here! What about you?

Here are some recommendations to dine out tonight:

Chino Hills, CA (shout out to my hometown!)
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
New York City
Northern VA
Provo, UT
Salt Lake City, UT
Seattle, WA
Washington, DC
 a few other spots around North America...

Start the Chinese New Year out right with delicious foods with the people you care about...and Gung Hay Fat Choy!