In last week's AJC Food section, I wrote about Chinese New Year traditions, and talked to George Yu and Michael Lo, who will be hosting a Lunar New Year dinner on Wednesday evening at their Decatur restaurant, Makan .
Both were born in China, but Yu’s family is from Taiwan and Lo’s from southern China. Yu lived in Milwaukee, and Lo lived in Philadelphia. Their family and community traditions were somewhat different. But they remember many similarities, too.
Like New Year traditions in the U.S., there are many superstitions connected with Chinese New Year, especially concerning foods you should eat for good luck, such as dumplings, fish and noodles.
One of Yu's favorite lucky foods is long beans in black bean sauce. But since he cooks with the seasons at Makan, he often substitutes other vegetables, such as roasted beets, in the recipe.
Over the weekend, we found long beans at Super H Mart, along with the other ingredients for the dish. Here's the recipe, which can easily be doubled to tripled to feed more folks:
Long Beans in Black Bean Sauce
This recipe is a nod to the superstition of eating long foods, a symbol of longevity in Chinese culture, traditionally eaten during Chinese New Year’s in hopes of living a long, unbroken life. Long beans can usually be found in large Asian supermarkets. Or substitute another seasonal vegetable.
1 pound Chinese long beans, cut into 3 inch lengths
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons garlic, cut into think slivers
2 teaspoons ginger, julienned
2 tablespoons vegetable stock
1 tablespoon Chinese Black bean sauce
½ teaspoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon Chinese rice wine vinegar
½ teaspoon sugar
In a wok or large pot, blanch long beans in boiling water and then shock in an ice batch. Heat a large wok or pan, add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil until hot, then add the garlic and ginger. Sauté till aromatic but not burnt. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable stock and long beans and sauté for a few more minutes. Add black bean sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and sugar, and cook until sauce is no longer loose and coats the beans well.
Serves: 4
Per serving: 84 calories (percent of calories from fat, 42), 2 grams protein, 10 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 4 grams fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 147 milligrams sodium.
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