OPENING THE YEAR IN STYLE

The traditional first meal for Chinese New Year, which is now, should be vegetarian. Now, this is a Buddhist custom, and some people may not be familiar with it, or might even discard the reasoning behind it entirely. Such as my apartment mate and several other people I know, who all concluded that a nice chop, or roast, or spot of mutton korma, would be a splendid way to celebrate the beginning of the Year of the Sheep.

Lamb chops are indeed delicious.

Not all animals of the Chinese zodiac are, strictly speaking, edible.

But feasting in good company is approved of, so twelve of us headed over to Chubby Noodle in the Marina district to devour roast suckling pig. Two of which bit the dust.

The Buddhists don't know what they're missing.


Being, as you know, a man with a perverse sense of humour, I decided that truly appropriate garb for the occasion was a football sweatshirt for an ultra-orthodox Jewish seminary.
It's a handsome garment, but I may have been the only one around the table for whom 'Medrash Govoha' has any meaning. Delight in irony is no less delicious for being singular.

Man, that was some magnificent roast pig.

There's got to be a brocha for that.



新年快樂、富貴長春、歲歲平安、吉慶多福、萬事如意。
San nin faai lok, fu gwai cheung chun, seui seui ping on, gat hing do fu, maan si yü yi.



AFTER-WORD

While heading over to dinner, I passed two elderly Chinese gentlemen leaving Harris' Restaurant, famous for the best steaks in San Francisco. The lovely top-notch beef they serve there is the ONLY reason to go.
Both gentlemen looked quite happy, and were softly talking about their meal as they wandered out.
I approve of that; elderly gentlemen should have a nice juicy beefsteak once in a while. It puts a spring in their step.

Happy Year of the Sheep.




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