Year of the Snake Onesie

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Wednesday, February 6, 2013

 

Love this cute little Year of the Snake onesie with the Chinese character for "Snake" applique on it.  What a great gift for a little one born this year.  Made by AlphabetCityStudio on Etsy.

 

Lunar New Year Bamboo Chopsticks

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Tuesday, February 5, 2013

 

Check out these cute bamboo chopsticks from shoptwine.com to celebrate the Lunar New Year 2013.  Two messages are available:  good fortune for 2013 or love, luck and happiness.

 

 

 

Chinese New Year at Garfield Park Conservatory

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Monday, February 4, 2013

Come to Chicago's Garfield Park Conservatory to ring in Chinese New Year on Saturday, February 9, 2013 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm.  You can see Dragon Dancers in a procession celebrating the Year of the Snake.  There will be music and activities, plus a scavenger hunt.  Don't miss it!

11:00 am to 1:00 pm – Traditional Chinese Music and Instruments with musician Kerry Leung

1:00 pm to 2:00 pm – Dragon Dance Performance and Procession with the Chicago Chinese Cultural Center

2:15 pm to 3:00 pm – Dragon Dance Workshop, Performance and Procession with UChicago Dragon Dance Club

3:15 pm to 4:00 pm - Dragon Dance Workshop, Performance and Procession with UChicago Dragon Dance Club

The Great Race Review & Giveaway

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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

The Great Race:  The Story of the Chinese Zodiac by Dawn Casey, illustrated by Anne Wilson, is a story about the origin of the Chinese lunar calendar and how the order in which the animals appear was determined.  Asianmommy received a free copy of this book from Barefoot Books for review.

The story begins with the Jade Emperor deciding to start a calendar in order to measure time.  He determines that the animals will have a swimming race across the river to see which order the animals should be placed in the calendar.  Rat, Cat, Dragon, Tiger, Monkey, Snake, Ox, Pig, Dog, Hare, Sheep, Cockerel, and Horse all participated in the race.  Somehow, the clever Rat betrayed the Cat, and they have since become forever enemies.

What I liked:   This old folk tale is nicely retold and illustrated with brightly-colored characters.  There's an explanation of the Chinese Calendar and Important Days in the Chinese Calendar at the end of the book.  The Characters of the Twelve Animals are also presented, and you can find the year you were born in to find your animal sign.

What could be improved:  I would love to see more books such as this, retelling old folk tales and providing cultural lessons.

Enter for a chance to win The Great Race.

Simply visit www.barefootbooks.com/shop and leave a comment on this post naming your favorite title.

Extra entry for following Barefoot Books on Twitter.

Extra entry for liking Barefoot Books on Facebook.

Please enter a separate comment for each extra entry.  This giveaway is only open to US or Canadian residents (no P.O. Boxes).  One entry per person.  Contest ends at midnight CST on February 6, 2013.  A random winner will be selected.  Please be sure to enter an email address so I can contact the winner.  The winner has 3 days to claim their prize.  Thanks for entering!

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Congratulations to Tracey Black, the winner of our giveaway for The Great Race!

Thanks to everyone for your participation.

Steamy Kitchen's Healthy Asian Favorites

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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Jaden Hair has a newly published cookbook entitled Steamy Kitchen's Healthy Asian Favorites:  100 Recipes That are Fast, Fresh, and Simple Enough for Tonight's Supper.  Asianmommy received a free copy of this book for review.

I've been following Jaden's blog, "Steamy Kitchen," for years.  This cookbook provides Jaden's recipes for delicious Asian dishes, such as miso soup, hot & sour soup, quick kimchi, chicken-tofu pot stickers, Chinese hot pot, miso cod, Mapo tofu, seafood fried rice, dan dan mien, and mango brulee.

I had a chance to try the salmon-honey teriyaki.  It only has 6 simple ingredients and was quick and easy to make.  My family all enjoyed it, and we look forward to having it again soon.  I can't wait to give the other recipes a try.

What I liked:   Jaden makes Chinese cooking healthy and accessible for people like me, who are not a whiz in the kitchen.  The recipes are for familiar foods, and require only a limited number of ingredients with simple instructions to create a fabulous meal.

What could be improved:   Another cookbook with even more recipes would be great!

Salmon-honey teriyaki
Serves 4

   3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce

   3 tablespoons mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)

   3 tablespoons sake

   2 tablespoons honey

   1 pound fresh salmon fillet

   2 teaspoons cooking oil

Combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and honey in a resealable bag. Add the salmon and mix to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

Remove salmon, reserving the marinade. Heat a frying pan or sauté pan over medium-high heat. When hot, swirl in the oil. Sear salmon, 
2 minutes per side. Turn heat to low and pour in the reserved marinade. Cover and cook for 
4 to 5 minutes, until cooked through.

 

Reprinted with permission from Steamy Kitchen’s Healthy Asian Favorites by Jaden Hair, copyright © 2013. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.

Photo credit: Jaden Hair © 2013

 

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