Goodbye rooster, hello dog.
Chinese New Year began Feb. 16 and it's the year of the dog.
There are several lucky foods associated with Chinese New Year including dumplings, fish, spring rolls and longevity noodles.
Dumplings are called jiao zi, a term associated with money or wealth.
Several years ago, P.F. Chang's had a special Flaming Pork Wontons dish on their menu for Chinese New Year. It was a terrific-tasting appetizer that I shared with a friend. We liked it so much we almost asked for another order.
Soon after I recreated the dish and came in with great results. I've made them plenty of times since with a few little tweaks here and there. These are best served as an appetizer. And they are like deviled eggs or pigs in a blanket, the first thing to be gobbled up.
What really makes these dumplings sing, is the sauce, which gets its spiciness from chili paste Sambal Oelek. You'll find the sauce at most grocery stores in the ethnic aisle or Asian specialty stores. You can use any variety of a red chili paste. While, the sauce is spicy, you don't need a big gulp of something to cool it off _ the sugar balances it.
It's also a soy sauce-based and I recommend using a reduced sodium soy sauce. My favorite is Trader Joe's because it has flavor but 60 percent less sodium than their regular soy sauce.
The only bit of a challenge is shaping the wontons. But once you make a few, you will develop your own rhyme for shaping them. Look for round or square wontons in the produce section of most grocery stores. What you don't use you can freeze.
Chinese New Year, also known as the spring festival, is tied to the Chinese Zodiac as well as the elements metal, wood, water, fire and earth. And this year the dog, the eleventh sign of the Chinese zodiac, is paired with earth. The element is not the same for every birth year associated with the dog.
Traits of those born under the dog are considered loyal, honest and kind. You fall under the dog sign if your birth year is: 1934, 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994, 2006, and 2018. Some famous people born under the dog but with different elements, include presidents Donald Trump, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. Other well-knowns are Mother Theresa, Elvis Presley and Madonna.
