Mrs. Puff

*groan*

I don't know if any of you watch Spongebob Squarepants but I feel like Mrs. Puff when she puffs up after Spongebob crashes the boat, failing to get his boating license for the upteenth time.

Yep, it's been a boatcrash of meals this Chinese New Year season! Unfortunately since I had sold my camera yet again, I have no pics to show. Never fear, I plan to buy a new camera with generous lai see money given to me! Hehehe!

First of all, Kung Hei Fat Choi to everyone and for those of you that are married, you know what to do!

The boatcrash started with the big meal on the eve of the New Year at my Dad's second eldest aunt's house. Food included wasabi marinated cucumbers, jelly fish, fried porky-bits (I have no idea what this is even though I've had it many a time), a huge bowl of shark's fin (yes, for all of you bleeding hearts, I know, I know, I'm evil but trust me, it's not worth arguing with the family about but I don't eat it if I am out), two huge chickens (one salted and one "plain" with ginger/green onion sauce), fish, abalone and mushrooms, three types of veg, kobe beef with mango, fish (of course, "neen neen yow yu"), fat choi (no, not a rotund vegetable but that black fungus that looks like thin noodles) and a whole bunch of other dishes I don't remember too well. Suffice it to say that it was more than enough.

This continued on New Year's day where we went yet again to that same aunt's house for a vegetarian meal of "lo hon jai" which consisted of fat choi, wood ear, mushrooms, dried oysters (this is considered vegetarian since it was at the foot of the buddha), fat choi (rhymes with hitting the jackpot in Chinese and is traditional for this time of year), and maybe some other stuff I'm not familiar with. Also on the table was stewed lotus roots, huge shitake mushrooms, dried grilled oysters, stewed chestnuts and of course, "neen goh" (type of dessert also traditional at this time of year, it's hard to explain but it's like a chewy, carmalized pudding that is sliced and pan fried briefly to yield a slightly crispy edge with a chewy inside). It was all delicious and we rolled away from the table feeling quite full. Of course that night it was at my parent's house for a "light" dinner of my Dad's famous chicken in rice wine, radish "cake" or pudding, and of course some more "neen goh"

Yesterday the fooding continued with dim sum lunch, noodles for a snack and a family dinner at my parents after the fireworks.

Yep, I not only feel like Mrs. Puff but I look like Mrs. Puff.

And in two week's time my parents, the boy and I are off on another fooding adventure, this time in Taiwan!!

Stay tuned......