Lin and I like to celebrate Chinese New Year. Neither of us is Chinese, but
it's an opportunity to have fun. Being madly in love with each other, we
also like to celebrate Valentine's Day. In 2010, Chinese New Year is the
same day as Valentine's Day.

What to do, what to do... Well, our local Chinese restaurant serves a dish
called "Lovers' Shrimp," which contains shrimp with lobster sauce on one
side of the dish and what they call "Hot Braised Shrimp" on the other side.
Unfortunately, I can't find a recipe for the hot braised shrimp, although
I'm about 95% sure that the shrimp are NOT braised. They seem to be
stir-fried and then coated with a spicy-gingery-garlicky tomato sauce. As
far as I can tell, it's a Chinese-American dish rather than an authentic
Chinese dish, but details are very sketchy. Of course, calling the
combination "Lovers' Shrimp" is poetic license, so I could make something
totally different and call it "Lovers' Liver" or whatnot, but I'm trying to
come up with something a little more classy.

Given the information that Valentine's Day is also Chinese New Year, am I
the only one contemplating coming up with a menu which celebrates both
occasions?

Bob

Andy wrote:

> Bob, you're SO stupidly unromantic.
>
> Can't take your wife out for the time of her life on a day like Valentines
> Day?
>
> You're a life long stupid idiot, obviously!


LOL! Good luck in YOUR marriage, Andy -- oh, wait, it's already FUBAR, isn't
it? And nobody in this forum wonders why. What on EARTH makes you think I
would pay even a moment's heed to your advice on romance, when you have
failed so completely at it?

I think I'll just continue to muddle along with my own ideas; I seem to be a
lot more successful at this stuff than you are.

Here's a FREE CLUE which might help your love life get back on track: With a
modicum of creativity and planning, you can provide your loved one a BETTER
experience by staying at home, especially if you're good at putting a meal
together and setting the mood. (Same thing's true for a PROSPECTIVE loved
one, for that matter. So go hit up that chain-smoking waitress at Denny's,
impress her with your thoughtfulness, dazzle her with your culinary skills,
and get back in the saddle.)

Bob

Andy wrote:

> You're 1,000,000 miles way far from reality.
>
> Lin must be pitifully patient waiting for you to die.

Since all you know of Lin's and my marriage is that we're both deliriously
happy, it's rather funny to see the conclusions you draw. Lacking
substantive information, you must be filling in the gaps in your knowledge
with your own experiences -- after all, what other information do you have?

There's no sting to your words because there's not even a shred of truth or
insight there. It's plain to see that Valentine's Day is a painful period of
the year for you (for obvious reasons), and the mere mention of it is enough
to kick your brain****ed irrationality into overdrive, so in your hysterical
state you lash out ineffectually like a blind platypus in a sumo ring. I
welcome the entertainment; bring on the Stupid Andy Show!

Say, how's that ex of yours doing? How many restraining orders have there
been? Did you used to take HER out for "the time of her life" on Valentine's
Day, Big Spender? How'd that work out for you?

Bob

Bob Terwilliger wrote:
> but I'm trying to
> come up with something a little more classy.
>
> Given the information that Valentine's Day is also Chinese New Year, am I
> the only one contemplating coming up with a menu which celebrates both
> occasions?
>
> Bob

Yes..I will probably cook some Mexican food. Happy New Years.

jay

"Bob Terwilliger" > wrote:
>
>Well, our local Chinese restaurant serves a dish
>called "Lovers' Shrimp," which contains shrimp with lobster sauce on one
>side of the dish and what they call "Hot Braised Shrimp" on the other side.
>Unfortunately, I can't find a recipe for the hot braised shrimp, although
>I'm about 95% sure that the shrimp are NOT braised. They seem to be
>stir-fried and then coated with a spicy-gingery-garlicky tomato sauce. As
>far as I can tell, it's a Chinese-American dish rather than an authentic
>Chinese dish, but details are very sketchy.
>

If someone actually ate there and really gave a fig they'd ask. duh

Obviously simply grilled shrimp... folks who actually cook would
immediately know.

Chinese menus often misuse language in their transliterations... they
probably meant to write "braziered". Of course were it my menu it
would say "Hot Jumbo Brassiered Blowfish (two from column DD)".

M-W

brazier
noun
Etymology: French brasier, from Old French, fire of hot coals, from
breze hot coals — more at braise
Date: 1658
1 : a pan for holding burning coals
2 : a utensil in which food is exposed to heat through a wire grill
---

Sheldon wrote:

> Obviously simply grilled shrimp... folks who actually cook would
> immediately know.

Obviously not grilled, since the restaurant doesn't have a grill. Folks who
actually cook would be able to figure that out from where I wrote
"stir-fried."

Bob

On Dec 31, 1:32 am, "Bob Terwilliger" >
wrote:
> .... Well, our local Chinese restaurant serves a dish
> called "Lovers' Shrimp," which contains shrimp with lobster sauce on one
> side of the dish and what they call "Hot Braised Shrimp" on the other side.
> Unfortunately, I can't find a recipe for the hot braised shrimp, although
> I'm about 95% sure that the shrimp are NOT braised. They seem to be
> stir-fried and then coated with a spicy-gingery-garlicky tomato sauce. As
> far as I can tell, it's a Chinese-American dish rather than an authentic
> Chinese dish, but details are very sketchy. Of course, calling the
> combination "Lovers' Shrimp" is poetic license, so I could make something
> totally different and call it "Lovers' Liver" or whatnot, but I'm trying to
> come up with something a little more classy.
>
> Given the information that Valentine's Day is also Chinese New Year, am I
> the only one contemplating coming up with a menu which celebrates both
> occasions?
>
> Bob

On Dec 31, 1:32 am, "Bob Terwilliger" >
wrote:
> [snip]
> Given the information that Valentine's Day is also Chinese New Year, am I
> the only one contemplating coming up with a menu which celebrates both
> occasions?

Probably. The Chinese New Year tradition encompasses a lot of dishes
chosen for their symbolic value--noodles for long life, various things
for prosperity, etc.--but I don't know of a romantic tradition for the
day. I'd go by general principles and plan a menu of things I know
the spouse likes and that won't force me into staying in the kitchen
too long. The shrimp in lobster sauce would be a good choice because
it goes pretty well with a sparkling wine. If you want to prep them
the day before, we think shrimp and scallop dumplings are pretty
special.

My mom's annual New Year's feast nearly always featured winter melon
soup, but that was just because it made a very good impression while
not being very difficult to make.

A very easy version of the spicy shrimp you mention is just a stirfry
of peapods and shrimp with chili garlic sauce stirred in at the end.
That doesn't go so well with bubbly, however. -aem

I'm having "surprise" Chinese food today! My son's bringing it so
it's a mystery menu for me.
Enjoy your feast with Lin and a Happy 2010!

Dora

In article 7>,
Wayne Boatwright > wrote:

> On Thu 31 Dec 2009 02:32:57a, Bob Terwilliger told us...
>
> > Given the information that Valentine's Day is also Chinese New Year, am I
> > the only one contemplating coming up with a menu which celebrates both
> > occasions?
> >
> > Bob
> >
>
> You're probably the only Occidental.

No, I'm sure people like my brother will celebrate it. He's married to
a Chinese woman.

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA

On Thu, 31 Dec 2009 03:06:54 -0800, Bob Terwilliger wrote:

> Andy wrote:
>
>> Bob, you're SO stupidly unromantic.
>>
>> Can't take your wife out for the time of her life on a day like Valentines
>> Day?
>>
>> You're a life long stupid idiot, obviously!
>
> LOL! Good luck in YOUR marriage, Andy -- oh, wait, it's already FUBAR, isn't
> it? And nobody in this forum wonders why. What on EARTH makes you think I
> would pay even a moment's heed to your advice on romance, when you have
> failed so completely at it?
>
> I think I'll just continue to muddle along with my own ideas; I seem to be a
> lot more successful at this stuff than you are.
>
> Here's a FREE CLUE which might help your love life get back on track: With a
> modicum of creativity and planning, you can provide your loved one a BETTER
> experience by staying at home, especially if you're good at putting a meal
> together and setting the mood. (Same thing's true for a PROSPECTIVE loved
> one, for that matter. So go hit up that chain-smoking waitress at Denny's,
> impress her with your thoughtfulness, dazzle her with your culinary skills,
> and get back in the saddle.)
>
> Bob

eeew.

your pal,
blake

On Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:16:23 -0800, Bob Terwilliger wrote:

> Andy wrote:
>
>> You're 1,000,000 miles way far from reality.
>>
>> Lin must be pitifully patient waiting for you to die.
>
> Since all you know of Lin's and my marriage is that we're both deliriously
> happy, it's rather funny to see the conclusions you draw. Lacking
> substantive information, you must be filling in the gaps in your knowledge
> with your own experiences -- after all, what other information do you have?
>
> There's no sting to your words because there's not even a shred of truth or
> insight there. It's plain to see that Valentine's Day is a painful period of
> the year for you (for obvious reasons), and the mere mention of it is enough
> to kick your brain****ed irrationality into overdrive, so in your hysterical
> state you lash out ineffectually like a blind platypus in a sumo ring. I
> welcome the entertainment; bring on the Stupid Andy Show!
>
> Say, how's that ex of yours doing? How many restraining orders have there
> been? Did you used to take HER out for "the time of her life" on Valentine's
> Day, Big Spender? How'd that work out for you?
>
> Bob

she probably bolted after one too many egg beater breakfasts.

your pal,
blake

On Thu, 31 Dec 2009 03:06:54 -0800, "Bob Terwilliger"
> wrote:

>I think I'll just continue to muddle along with my own ideas;

Unfortunately, my news server dropped your OP so I can't reply to
that. However, I think it's a great idea - why not? Red is the color
for both: Red Hearts, red envelopes of money.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On Thu, 31 Dec 2009 05:34:28 -0600, Andy > wrote:

>You're 1,000,000 miles way far from reality.
>
>Lin must be pitifully patient waiting for you to die.

They have a very good relationship, Andy. Please leave her out of it.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

Bob Terwilliger wrote:
So go hit up that chain-smoking
> waitress at Denny's, impress her with your thoughtfulness, dazzle her
> with your culinary skills, and get back in the saddle.)
>
> Bob

...and don't forget to wear that ruffled blouse of yours Andy

On Jan 1, 1:36*am, Goomba > wrote:
> Bob Terwilliger wrote:
>
> * So go hit up that chain-smoking
>
> > waitress at Denny's, impress her with your thoughtfulness, dazzle her
> > with your culinary skills, and get back in the saddle.)
>
> > Bob
>
> ..and don't forget to wear that ruffled blouse of yours Andy

Happy New years everyone......some things never change, like the
childish nitpicking insulting posts of some people. Grow up and act
right.
Nan in DE

On Thu, 31 Dec 2009 23:09:22 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
> wrote:

>On Thu 31 Dec 2009 10:47:20a, Dan Abel told us...
>
>> In article 7>,
>> Wayne Boatwright > wrote:
>>
>>> On Thu 31 Dec 2009 02:32:57a, Bob Terwilliger told us...
>>>
>>> > Given the information that Valentine's Day is also Chinese New Year,
>>> > am I the only one contemplating coming up with a menu which
>>> > celebrates both occasions?
>>> >
>>> > Bob
>>> >
>>>
>>> You're probably the only Occidental.
>>
>> No, I'm sure people like my brother will celebrate it. He's married to
>> a Chinese woman.
>>
>
>I"m sure anyone married to or in a relationoship with a Chinese person
>would do the same. Occidental couples? Maybe not.

Agree. Areas like mine with large asian populations give their public
schools a day off for Chinese New Year's. So in a way, everyone
celebrates.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

On 1/1/2010 8:37 AM, sf wrote:

> Agree. Areas like mine with large asian populations give their public
> schools a day off for Chinese New Year's. So in a way, everyone
> celebrates.
>

You guys do that? I like that idea. We don't have the day off, but we
should. I remember going to the cemetery on CNY, there would be families
at the graves with a bunch of food for the departed and hopefully some
for the living. I recall seeing an entire roast pig. Every once in a
while, someone would throw a string of firecrackers. The atmosphere was
pretty festive - for a cemetery.

Speaking of which, after a funeral, my friends had me step over burning
paper to enter the house. My guess is that the smoke was supposed to
purify my body. Perhaps they should have used something stronger, like a
20 foot long bed of hot coals... :-)