For my dad's birthday this year, it was interesting planning and preparing the food. Because of the timing, with the get-together scheduled during Easter weekend, the grocery shopping was done a week earlier and the menu had to take that into consideration. Following is what was served:
- Kimchee - this radish one was tastier than the traditional cabbage one
- Fish Hot Pot - using a chicken stock (from teriyaki chicken bones and skin) as base, added napa cabbage, mushrooms, silken tofu, mock abalone, and Alaskan polluck. While it is good served over rice, it was also able to be like a soup as well.
- Clams with Black Bean Sauce - the Black Bean sauce was considered salty, so might need to be diluted more next time. Also, mistakenly, cooked clams were used. Next time, it would be better to use fresh clams. Garlic and ginger did help enhance the sauce.
- Chicken with Celery - this was not a very popular dish, probably because it is not so special. However, it was not bad, with the marinated chicken breast pieces with Asian sauce and cornstarch.
- Stir-fry Vegetables - used a broccoli, cauliflower, carrots mixture, added with snap peas, baby carrots, water chestnuts, and mushrooms
- Mao Pao Tofu - kind of a staple now
- Spinach with Mushroom soup - using a chicken stock with celery, carrots and herbs (green onion, garlic, ginger) as base and mixed in spinach and soaked dry sliced mushrooms - it was "fine" but nothing astounding
- Asian Chicken - baked chicken with an Asian marinade sauce, which was actually quite tasty
- Garlic Shrimp - had originally intended to add this to the hot pot to make a seafood hot pot; but, decided to serve it as a separate dish since the shrimps were jumbo and made for a good dish on its own
- Carrot cake - baked a cake and topped it with a coconut pecan frosting; served with banana cream pie
Not counting the soup or dessert, that would be considered 8 dishes, which I'm told is a good lucky number for celebrations.
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