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Chinese New Year: A family affair By Kathy Lee

The joyful Chinese New Year is traditionally a whole-family celebration, so it's fitting that for our feast, Canadian Living's Kathy Lee shared her own family's favourites.

Photo: (Clockwise from bottom left) Almond Cookies, dried fuits and candied walnuts
Photography by Edward Pond

Celebrating my roots comes to a high point during Chinese New Year, which falls anywhere from mid-January to mid-February for a 15-day period of the lunar calendar. It's a time of peace and happiness for family and friends, and we celebrate with symbolic dishes representing good luck, prosperity and health. In our home there are must-haves, such as noodles, which represent long life; a whole steamed fish, which symbolizes abundance; and a sweet tray, which brings togetherness and good fortune.

WORK PLAN

Two weeks ahead:
• Make and freeze pancakes for Roast Duck Rolls.
• Make Almond Cookies and freeze.

One week ahead:
• Make sauce for Roast Duck Rolls.
• Make and refrigerate pancakes for Roast Duck Rolls if not already frozen.
• Make Sugared Walnuts.

Five days ahead:
• Make Almond Cookies if not already frozen.

Three days ahead:
• If using frozen duck, transfer to large rimmed tray and defrost in refrigerator.

Two days ahead:
• Marinate duck cavity for Roast Duck Rolls.

One day ahead:
• Cook duck in water; glaze duck.
• Blanch bok choy for stir-fry; refrigerate.
• Make Mum's Sticky Rice; refrigerate..
• Make Home-Style Crab Egg Foo Young; refrigerate.
• Remove pancakes and cookies from freezer; thaw in refrigerator.

Two to three hours ahead:
• Roast duck for Roast Duck Rolls.

Forty minutes ahead ahead:
• Assemble platter for Roast Duck Rolls and set up steamer basket for pancakes.

Just before feasting:
• Cook fish for Poached Pickerel.
• Reheat Mum's Sticky Rice.
• Reheat Home-Style Crab Egg Foo Young.
• Steam pancakes for Roast Duck ROlls.
• Cook Bok Choy Stir-Fry.