Dim Sum for The Year of the Hare
Chinese New Year’s is on February 3rd this year, which is the year of the hare or the rabbit. What better time to have a ‘do it yourself’ party where everyone can help to make Dim Sum. Dim Sum are small dishes or appetizers that are of course, Chinese in nature. This would be a great idea for a February Birthday Party or for just a small group of friends who like to get together and cook.
You can also do this for your children – 8 years and older would be advised. Children are much more capable than many adults believe them to be and if you just give them a little instruction and safety tips, they can do most anything. They will enjoy preparing the food and will have something to talk about and share with their friends and also create memories that they will savor later in life. Some suggested items are: Egg Rolls, Won Tons, Shrimp Skewers, Bao, Chinese Chicken Salad, Almond Cookies and Cashew Cookies.
For a successful and enjoyable party, have all the prep done ahead of time. With most Chinese and Asian cooking, the prep takes much longer than the actual assembling and cooking time. Most items can be prepped ahead and refrigerated until time for cooking and serving.
Some equipment that you may wish to have for ease in preparing Dim Sum or other Chinese Food would be a wok, wire basket (spider) for fried foods, ginger grater Dumpling Press, Individual Sauce dishes for dips, chopsticks, for fun and cooking, Asian Soup Bowls and spoons rice bowls , etc. For more equipment ideas visit your local culinary store or check on-line to see what is available.
For table settings and decorations, you can purchase Chinese Zodiac Placemats at ‘On-Line’ Stores. Red napkins will complete the décor. Chinese Party decorations can probably be found at your local party store or if you have the time and inclination, you can pay a visit to your nearest Asian Market or even visit China Town where all sorts of items can be purchased. If you do go to an Asian Market or visit China Town, you may also want to purchase some of your grocery items there, as some may not be found in your local supermarket and the prices are usually lower in the Asian Markets.
Planning is the key to a successful party, so plan your meal ahead of time, make grocery lists, decoration lists and a timetable for your preparations.
Recipes can be found in cookbooks at your local library, perhaps your own bookshelf and on-line. Or you can try the recipes on this website. All-in all, enjoy what you are doing and have a good time.
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