How to Prepare a Chinese New Year Meal

Celebrate the Chinese New Year with a meal featuring traditional Chinese food that invites good luck for you and your friends and family in the coming year. Here's how to prepare your feast.

Things You'll Need

• Chinese New Year traditional recipes
• Candy, dried fruits and other foods for a tray of togetherness

Instructions

1. Prepare your guest list. Send invitations or call and invite people over to share the meal and the good luck that will accompany it.

2. Pore over recipe books and search online for traditional Chinese New Year recipes, or ask Chinese acquaintances for suggestions. Many Chinese restaurants will cater New Year's meals, a great option if you don't want to cook.

3. Serve your guests lucky foods such as dumplings, fish and noodles. Top off the meal with fortune cookies, of course.

4. If you serve fish, order enough to have leftovers-a symbol for abundant provisions in the coming year.

5. If you serve dumplings, insert a cleaned coin into one of them-the person who gets the coin will have extra special good luck in the coming year.

6. Prepare a traditional Chinese "tray of togetherness" to offer guests as an aperitif-this is simply a platter of eight different types of food such as dried fruits, nuts and candies.

Tips & Warnings

• In 2007, the Chinese New Year festivities begin on February 18.

• Prepare as much food as possible the day before the meal (particularly if your guest list is long). Make sauces, chop and peel vegetables (store in plastic bags or in ice water in the fridge).