Every year we balance lots of exciting and savoury combinations of
dishes with our favorites, traditional Chinese New Year dishes and
enough to keep the vegetarians happy.  For 2003 we are creating a
very special dish blending Scottish and Chinese culinary skills into
something uniquely Canadian.

Here is the menu for 2004, subject to change at my whimsy and the kitchen's demands:

1 – Cold Plate Appetizer with Vegetarian Spring Rolls, Pork Hock, Shredded Jelly Fish (Shredded
Jelly Fish really is sea weed gluten – it's one of my favorites and was
featured last year on City Cooks with host Simi Sara, prepared by
Joseph Lee, owner of Flamingo Chinese Restaurant.)

2 – Hot & Sour Soup (Always
a favorite for everybody – and vegetarian to boot!  Warms up the
innards on a cold January night.  I am sure Burns would approve.)

3 – Special Appetizer Surprise!  (This
is something I have dreamed of for a long time… Take something
Scottish, wrap it in something Chinese, create a special Canadian
sauce, and serve it to a willing and playful audience that understands
the value of multiculturalism and good food innovations!)

4 – Beef Lettuce Wrap (This is
always fun.  Imagine a hamburger without the bun.  Oops…
nothing is holding the patty together either.  Add the Hoi-Sin bbq
plum sauce in the middle of your lettuce and remember that when it
comes to filling the lettuce – less is more.  Otherwise your
lettuce will crack and break and the sauce will run down your
fingers. Delightfully messy!)

5 – Lobster and Crab (Another
dish you can use your hands for… The lobster symbolizes the
prosperity from the East Coast of Canada, and the Dungeness crab from
the West.  I don't know!  It just tastes great and it was
such a hit last year that people forgot we served Peking Duck in
previous dinners.)

6 – Vegetables and Tofu (After
the rich seafood, vegetables and tofu to clean the palate.  It
could be green beans, snow peas, Chinese broccoli… but it's got to be
fresh!  Tofu is great… I grew up eating it since I was a little
kid.  I know a lot of caucasians who detest tofu… maybe this
venerable bean curd staple is the Chinese equivalent of
haggis?)

7 – Haggis (You can't have a
Robbie Burns Supper without Haggis… The first time I tried haggis – I
gagged.  It reminded me of poi – the Hawaiian taro paste.  I
put some haggis in with my rice… it wasn't bad.  I added sweet
& sour sauce.  Plum sauce was great with it.  Then I
learned that I didn't like the lard recipe haggis and there were many
other haggis recipes.  My favorite is from Peter Black and Sons,
found at Park Royal Shopping Centre in West Vancouver.  It is
savoury with Peter's unique and special recipe.  Featured on
CityTV's City Cooks last year two days in a row!)

8 – Crispy Skin Chicken (need we say more – better than Fried Chicken and healthier too! A regular for Chinese banquets.)

9 – Buddha's Feast with Mixed Vegetables (Thin
Rice Vermicelli with mushrooms and vegetable – so called because it is
a favorite vegetarian dish for Buddist Monks.  It is also a
traditional New Year's fare to bring enlightenment for the coming
months).

10 – Fish Dish (The Chinese
Pronouciation of Fish “Yee” sounds like the word for “coin.”  It
is important for New Year's dishes to evoke prosperity and
wealth.  Often the fish is served whole – our fish may or may not
be – it just depends on the inspiration of the cook, and what is fresh
that day!)

11 – Special Gung Haggis Fat Choy Fried Rice (no haggis!)

12 – Dessert

– Hope you enjoyed these delicious descriptions… Todd 

Dinner starts at 6:00pm.  Be there or be hungry!