It’s still not too late to celebrate the year of the Dragon.

The year of the dragon started on January 23, 2012 and it will end on February 9th, 2013.

These recipes are tried and true for an entire meal at home with friends.

Each menu item has a symbolic meaning.

And, don’t forget the oranges because they represent wealth and good fortune!

Year of the Dragon Chinese Feast Recipes:

• Red Lotus Cocktail Recipe with Lichido Liqueur or Lychee Liqueur
• Lychee suggests that future success is likely.
• http://cocktails.about.com/od/vodkadrinkrecipes/r/red_lotus.htm

• Wild Mushroom Spring Rolls with Chinese Mustard Dipping Sauce (Killer mustard sauce)
  
• Spring rolls represent wealth and fortune.
• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/wild-mushroom-spring-rolls-with-chinese-mustard-dipping-sauce-recipe/index.html

• Hot and Sour Soup Recipe
  
• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/hot-and-sour-soup-recipe/index.html

• Szechuan Style Spareribs Recipe
  
• http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/szechuan-style-spareribs-recipe/index.html

• Vegetable Chow Mein Recipe
• Noodles symbolize longevity.
• http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/ching-he-huang/vegetable-chow-mein-recipe/index.html

• Zesty Chile Tiger Prawns Recipe
• Shrimp are believed to bring happiness and joy.
• http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/ching-he-huang/zesty-chile-tiger-prawns-recipe/index.html

For Chinese New Year in South Bay you have to make a stop by Cupertino Village. I have to admit right off the bat that I am not a Dim Sum expert.  However, my friend, originally from Singapore, knows Asian food in the Bay Area and has taken me to Joy Luck Palace (Cantonese) for Dim Sum (on weekdays) for the past two years to celebrate the Chinese New Year.  There is a lot of variety and I’ve always found it to be tasty. This year I made a new tradition and that is to eat a chicken foot (not pickled) and it was pretty good!

After lunch/brunch, walk around and buy jasmine tea at Ten Ren and bubble tea or a green mango smoothie at Fantasia.  Pick up Chinese New Year Candy and Mooncakes from Sheng Kee Bakery.  Then, with your Chinese New Year shopping list in hand, stop by 99 Ranch Market and pick up everything you need. Mandarin oranges are the most popular and most abundant fruit during Chinese New Year so don’t forget to pick some up at 99 Ranch Market.

Everyone goes crazy over the parking at Cupertino Village on yelp.  If you go during the week just make sure it is after lunch (but at least by 2pm to be able to eat at Joy Luck Place which closes for lunch at 2:30pm), it is much easier to park but at that point, remember, they are starting to have fewer Dim Sum choices.

• 99 Ranch Market • Asian Groceries
  
• Joy Luck Palace • Dim Sum (busy on weekends)
  
• Fantasia • Pearl Tea Drinks (mango smoothie)
• Ten Ren • Boba Milk Tea (Bubble Tea/Pearl Milk Tea)
  
• Sheng Kee Bakery • Chinese Bakery (for Candy & Mooncakes /yue bing)

(408) 255-6988

Oranges and tangerines are symbols for plentiful happiness. Tangerines with leaves intact assure that one’s relationship with the other remains secure. The Chinese New Year Flower Market in SF will be selling supplies for the new year starting next Sat. Feb. 6th.

This is a beautiful orange that a friend from Singapore gave me.  I wrote her and thanked her for the beautiful, good luck orange.  She said we were so Chinese!

The San Francisco Chinese New Year Parade & Festivities begin next weekend in Chinatown, Feb. 6th- Feb.27th.