HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR

Paris-Brest, a delicate pastry dessert that was a splashy finish to my Chinese New Year celebratory dinner.

Paris-Brest, a delicate pastry dessert that was a splashy finish to my Chinese New Year celebratory dinner.

For anyone believing this holiday has come, gone and you missed it, I’m about to make your day. For more than five-thousand years the Chinese people have observed New Years their way. In the simplest of terms, it’s about the moon and our earth’s creatures. Once upon a time Buddha invited all the animals to join him for New Years. Twelve came to his party, resulting in a year being named to honor each one. This year, we’re observing the Horse.

Astrology doesn’t interest me. “What’s your sign?” is a question I can’t answer. I never read horoscopes. Every year a friend buys the current Chinese horoscope book and insists I read the chapter pertaining to me. I am a Monkey. For each of the last three years, the prognosis has been lousy. This year I flat-out refused to read it.  “No, no, Mary, it’s good,” she promised. “You’re going to have a great year.” 

I read. I saw. I’ll believe it after I live it.

 

Mussels and Chorizo with Pasta is a delicious and filling main course for any festive celebration.

Mussels and Chorizo with Pasta is a delicious and filling main course for any festive celebration.

 

Admittedly, Mary the Monkey is looking good for the next twelve months. On a scale of 1 to 12, I’d give myself a 9.3. Since Chinese New Year is a two-week affair, I still could honor that Horse, who is hopefully filled with good fortune, with a celebratory meal. I decided to make two recipes my French Friday colleagues had already made. I also baked blueberry-corn muffins and visited the winery-of-the-horse for vino. If the year ahead is as scrumptious as the dinner honoring it, I will be one merry monkey.

 

Blueberry-Corn Muffins added a touch of sweetness to the spicy seafood.

Blueberry-Corn Muffins added a touch of sweetness to the spicy seafood.

 

My entrée was Mussels and Chorizo with Pasta. You may think this dish was created by committee but it’s a Basquaise. With a nod to the simplicity of French Basque cuisine, these recipes often include tomatoes and sweet or hot red peppers. This dish includes both.

I bought my mussels at Piers 46 Seafood and already had a spicy pork link in the fridge. Since there’s a limit to the nod I want to give a Basquaise, I cut the diced fire-roasted tomatoes with green chiles by half. Fettuccine, with its slithery journey among the mussels, is the perfect pasta option.  The sweetness of the blueberry-corn muffins provided just that tinge of sugar so needed with this spicy seafood dish.

 

It's all about the horse, of course. I visited the Wild Horse Winery and picked a Pinot Noir.

It’s all about the horse, of course. I visited the Wild Horse Winery and picked a Pinot Noir.

 

If you’ll recall, last week’s FFWD recipe choice was a delicacy of caramelized almonds, pâte à choux and vanilla pastry cream. Knowing I didn’t have the proper equipment and pastry tips in my rental kitchen, I opted to save it until spring. Over the weekend, however, I experienced baker’s remorse.  Each of my colleagues’ Paris-Brest write-ups were taste taunts to my stomach.

 

I used the heart pan pattern to more easily pipe the Pâte à Choux into a shape.

I used the heart pan to more easily pipe the Pâte à Choux into a shape.

 

Wasn’t the Year of the Horse worthy of a splashy dessert? Couldn’t this Monkey go the extra mile to cobble together the right stuff? Don’t Doristas always find a path? It took some scrambling but this week I put together my first Paris-Brest. Aside from its heart rather than round shape, I’m guessing it looked and tasted much like a novice’s Paris-Brest should.

 

Yum.

Yum.

 

Here’s the recipe for the Mussels and Chorizo with Pasta. If you’re interested in the Paris-Brest recipe, here it is. If you’d like to see what my colleagues are making this week, go here. For the past three weeks I’ve been focused on Dorie’s recipes that this FFWD group made before I joined. I’ve completed my seafood and fish catch-up and next Friday I’ll be following our regular FFWD recipe schedule.

Happy New Year, readers. Horse or no horse, may we all find goodness and joy in the months ahead.

 

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