ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, January 29, 1997 TAG: 9701290075
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 8 EDITION: METRO
FOR MORE THAN 5,000 years, people have been celebrating Chinese New Year, a two-week festival welcoming the onset of spring and the start of the Chinese calendar year. It is the most important of all Chinese holidays and is characterized by many rituals.
The Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year. In 1997, it starts with the new moon on Feb. 7 and ends on Feb. 23. By the Chinese calendar, 1997 is reckoned as the year 4695.
Noodles, although only one part of myriad foods served during the new year festivities, play an important role.
Charlotte Chan is well known and respected for her delicious cuisine and for the cooking classes she has taught for the past 12 years at Main Street Bazaar in Blacksburg. She said that the seventh day of the new year is considered everyone's birthday, with everyone theoretically becoming a year older on the same day. Noodle dishes, which among other things symbolize longevity, are sort of a birthday cake, Chan said.
Nancy Chang also is a familiar name among area fans of Chinese cuisine. The professionally trained chef, with more than 20 years of teaching experience, is noted for her popular series of classes taught at schools and other locations in Roanoke County that combine authentic Chinese cooking with snippets of Chinese culture. Chang said that the following recipe for spicy noodles is one of her favorites.
Author Nina Simonds is one of the country's foremost experts on Asian cuisine. Her fifth and latest book on the subject is "Asian Noodles: Mouthwatering Dishes to Twirl, Slurp and Savor" ($21, William Morrow). The collection of 75 recipes represent China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam and Korea, with charts and photographs showing the noodle varieties and telling how best to cook them.
Simonds says that slurping noodles is polite in Asian cultures because it demonstrates relish and appreciation for the dish. From her book, we've included a couple of versatile sauces that can be mixed and matched with many types of noodles and other foods, as well.
According to Nasoya Foods Inc., the Chinese calendar has an animal-based zodiac. This is the Year of the Ox.
Legend says that the ox once lived in heaven as a minor deity. The great Buddha, disturbed by man's ongoing struggle against starvation, sent the ox to tell his subjects that if they worked diligently, they would receive sustenance every third day. But the ox became confused and told the humans that their labor would result in three meals a day. The exasperated Buddha stripped the ox of his divinity and sent him back down to earth to work and help man produce the necessary food to keep his promise.
Asian astrologers say that the Year of the Ox is a period of productivity, a time to cultivate practical pursuits and carry past projects to fruition. If you were born in 1901, 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985 or 1997, you supposedly possess the characteristics of the Ox. Among your qualities:
* You are very patient and speak very little;
* You have a gift for inspiring confidence in others;
* You are unusually dexterous, handy around the house and skilled in the arts;
* You are remarkably stubborn and hate to be prevented from working on projects of your choosing;
* You hate to fail and are usually successful.
Some famous Ox people include Margaret Thatcher, Richard Nixon, Japan's Emperor Hirohito, Dustin Hoffman, Walt Disney, Charlie Chaplin, Adolf Hitler, Jack Nicholson, Meryl Streep, Princess Diana, Napoleon and Vincent Van Gogh.
The American Institute for Cancer Research says that Chinese cooking has a lot to offer, including fresh nutritious ingredients, an emphasis on low-fat cooking methods, the use of sensational seasonings and basic staples that include lots of grains and vegetables.
When recipes call for specific varieties of noodles that are unavailable, the institute says that substitutions can be made. For instance, spaghettini or vermicelli can stand in for thin Chinese noodles in soups. Linguine or fettucine can fill the role of flat noodles in stir-fry dishes. Or, it can work vice-versa. In many cases, you can substitute Oriental pastas and wrappers for more familiar Italian varieties.
The following list from the Associated Press explains some of the different products and how to prepare them.
* Bean threads. Because they're clear, these are also called cellophane noodles. Fry them in hot oil or soften them in hot water before using.
* Buckwheat noodles. Known as soba in Japan, these thin, dried grayish noodles are made from buckwheat flour. Cook them as you would spaghetti.
* Chinese egg noodles. Made from wheat flour, water and eggs, Chinese noodles
are similar to American-made fine egg noodles. Cook fresh or dried noodles in boiling salted water.
* Udon. Also known as white noodles, these thick, broad strands of Japanese pasta are made from wheat flour. Although thicker and chewier, their flavor is very similar to their Italian counterparts. Buy udon fresh or dried.
* Egg roll wrappers. These paper-thin square sheets of noodle dough are also called egg roll skins. Wrap them around fillings and steam or deep-fry them. You can buy wrappers fresh or frozen.
* Potsticker wrappers. These round, thin dumpling wrappers envelope a variety
of fillings. Cook the filled potstickers in a little oil first, then add water, cover and steam.
* Wonton wrappers. Prepared from noodle dough, these small square wrappers, also called skins, are sold fresh or frozen. You can cut egg roll wrappers into quarters as a substitute.
* Rice papers. Thin and brittle, dried round rice papers are made from rice flour. They have a unique woven pattern on the surface that comes from drying them on bamboo mats. Vietnamese cooks use them as wrappers for fillings. Soak them briefly in warm water to soften.
* Rice sticks. Made from rice flour, rice sticks are also called rice noodles or rice vermicelli. They are opaque when dried, yet become clear after cooking, similar to bean threads. Fry them in hot oil or soften them in hot water before using.
To receive a free brochure of international menus and recipes to lower cancer risk, send a self-addressed business-size envelope with 55 cents postage to AICR, Department AW, Washington, D.C. 20069.
Nasoya is offering free New Year's recipes in local grocery and natural foods stores, or call (800) 229-TOFU or access the World Wide Web at http://www.nasoya.com.
You can also get a recipe booklet and a 3-ounce sample of Lee Kum Kee's Stir Fry Sauce by sending your name, address and $1.28 postage to Lee Kum Kee Chinese New Year Offer, 304 South Date Ave., Alhambra, Calif. 91803.
- INFORMATION IN THIS STORY COMPILED BY FOOD EDITOR ALMENA HUGHES
Recipes for: NOODLES SZECHUN STYLE
SUMMERTIME COLD NOODLE SALAD
RICH, HOT AND SOUR DRESSING:
CHINESE PEANUT DRESSING
KOREAN SESAME DRESSING
LENGTH: Long : 128 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: Photo illustration by STEPHANIE KLEIN-DAVIS STAFF. 1.by CNBDelicious meals are a part of the ritual of the Chinese New Year. 2.
This photo illustration shows the variety of Oriental-style noodles.
Some are made with egg, others with rice, wheat or buckwheat flour.
color.