Chinese
New
Year
19th February 2015
“Chinese New Year is a special time for millions
of people around the world, and I am no
exception. I am delighted to be celebrating the
Year of the Goat in London, a real home from
home for me. The fantastic Asian restaurants
in London and the UK are, in my opinion,
amongst the best in Europe. The change in
Asian food in the UK, since my first visit in
1971, has been staggering.
People born in the Year of the Goat have
personality traits such as creativity,
dependability, intelligence and calmness
making them very charming to be with –
you will not be surprised to learn that Bill
Gates is a Goat!
My booklet gives you an insight into how the
12 animal zodiac signs were chosen, one of
my favourite recipes and my chilled range
accompaniments, that I always include in my
own Chinese New Year banquet.
Wherever you celebrate Chinese New Year, I hope
that you enjoy good luck and plenty of fortune.”
signs
of the
zodiac
Which symbol are you?
Legend has it the 12 animals of the
Chinese Zodiac were chosen by Buddha.
When Buddha was near death he invited
all the animals to visit him. Only 12
came: the rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon,
snake, horse, goat, monkey, rooster,
dog and pig. As a thank you for
visiting him, Buddha honoured each
by using them to represent the
12 phases of the Zodiac.
I was born in the Year of the Ox; find out which
sign of the Zodiac you are:
Rat
Ox
Tiger Rabbit Dragon Snake Horse Goat MonkeyRooster Dog
Pig
191219131914191519161917191819191920192119221923
192419251926192719281929193019311932193319341935
193619371938193919401941194219431944194519461947
194819491950195119521953195419551956195719581959
196019611962196319641965196619671968196919701971
197219731974197519761977197819791980198119821983
198419851986198719881989199019911992199319941995
199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007
200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019
Each animal has their own characteristics and some animals are
more compatible than others. Now you know what symbol you
are, find out your compatibility with the other signs of the zodiac:
Rat
Dragon
Worst compatibility:
Goat, Horse, Rabbit, Rooster
Worst compatibility:
Dog, Ox, Rabbit
Best compatibility:
Dragon, Monkey, Ox
Best compatibility:
Rat, Monkey, Rooster
Ox
Snake
Worst compatibility:
Dragon, Horse, Goat
Worst compatibility:
Tiger, Monkey, Pig
Best compatibility:
Rat, Snake, Dog, Rabbit, Rooster
Best compatibility:
Ox, Rooster
Tiger
Horse
Worst compatibility:
Goat, Horse, Rabbit, Rooster
Worst compatibility:
Rat, Ox, Rabbit, Horse
Best compatibility:
Dragon, Monkey, Ox
Best compatibility:
Tiger, Goat, Dog
Rabbit
Goat
Worst compatibility:
Rat, Ox, Dragon, Rooster, Horse
Worst compatibility:
Rat, Ox, Dog
Best compatibility:
Goat, Dog, Pig
Best compatibility:
Rabbit, Horse, Pig
Intelligent, adaptable, quick-witted,
charming, artistic, sociable
Loyal, reliable, thorough, strong,
reasonable, steady, determined
Enthusiastic, courageous, ambitious,
leadership, confident, charismatic
Trustworthy, empathetic, modest,
diplomatic, sincere, sociable, caretakers
Lucky, flexible, eccentric, imaginative,
artistic, spiritual, charismatic
Philosophical, organised, intelligent,
intuitive, elegant, attentive, decisive
Adaptable, loyal, courageous, ambitious,
intelligent, adventurous, strong Creative, crafty, warm, creative,
charming, intuitive, sensitive, calm celebrity
pairs
Monkey
Quick-witted, charming, lucky, adaptable,
bright, versatile, lively, smart
Worst compatibility:
Tiger, Snake, Pig
Best compatibility:
Rat, Dragon
Rooster
Honest, energetic, intelligent, flamboyant,
flexible, diverse, confident
Worst compatibility:
Rabbit, Chicken, Dog
Best compatibility:
Ox, Dragon, Snake
Dog
Loyal, sociable, courageous, diligent,
steady, lively, adaptable, smart Worst compatibility:
Ox, Dragon, Goat, Rooster
Best compatibility:
Tiger, Rabbit, Horse
Pig
Honourable, philanthropic, determined,
optimistic, sincere, sociable Worst compatibility:
Snake, Pig, Monkey
Best compatibility:
Goat, Rabbit
Victoria Beckham
Tiger
David Beckham
Rabbit
A match of two
halves, not great
but can work
Kim Kardashian
Monkey
Kanye West
Snake
Harmonious
compatibility, potential
of a long lasting match
HRH The Duchess of Cambridge
Dog
HRH Prince William
Dog
A royal match with
sterling compatibility,
loyal and loving
Amal Alamuddin
Horse
George Clooney
Ox
Seems like a mismatch,
but their differences
could just work!
Barack Obama
Ox
Vladimir Putin
Dragon
‘Spirited
compatibility’,
a tricky pair
Ken Hom’s
© Ken Hom’s Complete Chinese Cookbook
chicken
on crispy
noodles
Serves 4
This dish is a real favourite of mine;
I love it so much that I tend to order it
whenever I can, especially at Chinese New
Year. The thin, crispy fresh egg noodles
represent longevity and the chicken
represents prosperity. Whilst creating my
Chinese New Year Banquet for friends
and family I always supplement it with
additional dishes and accompaniments
from my chilled meal range from Tesco.
Ingredients
Method
• 225g (8oz) boneless, skinless chicken
breasts, finely shredded
• 1 egg white
• 2 teaspoons cornflour
• salt and white pepper
• 225g (8oz) thin Chinese fresh egg noodles
• 300ml (10fl oz) groundnut or vegetable oil
• plus 2–3 tablespoons oil
1. Combine the chicken, egg white,
cornflour, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½
teaspoon of white pepper in a small bowl.
Mix well and leave in the fridge for at least
20 minutes. Blanch the noodles for
2 minutes in a large pan of salted
boiling water, draining them well.
FOR THE
SAUCE
• 175g (6oz) fresh bean sprouts
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine or
dry sherry
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 300ml (10fl oz) chicken stock
• salt and black pepper
• 1 tablespoon cornflour, mixed with
1½ tablespoons of water
FOR THE
GARNISH
• coarsely chopped spring onions
Why not
supplement
your banquet
with:
• Chinese Pork BBQ Noodles
– noodles represent longevity of life
• Crispy Chilli Prawns
– for energy
2. Heat a frying pan until it is hot and
add 1½ tablespoons of oil. Spread the
noodles evenly over the surface, then
turn the heat to low and allow them to
slowly brown. This should take about 5
minutes. When the noodles are brown,
gently flip them over and brown the other
side, adding more oil if needed. When
both sides are browned, remove the
noodles to a platter and keep warm.
3. Heat a wok until it is very hot and
then add the larger quantity of oil
(if using water, see below). When the
oil is very hot, remove the wok from the
heat and immediately add the chicken
shreds, stirring vigorously to keep them
from sticking together. After about
2 minutes, when the chicken has turned
white, quickly drain it in a stainless steel
colander set over a bowl. Discard the oil.
4. Clean the wok and reheat it over high heat.
Add the bean sprouts, rice wine, oyster
sauce, soy sauce, chicken stock, 1 teaspoon
of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper.
5. Bring to a boil and stir in the cornflour
mixture. Bring it to a simmer again, then
return the chicken to the sauce and give
the mixture a few stirs. Pour the sauce
over the noodles, garnish with the spring
onions and serve at once.
SHORT ON TIME?
“Create your own Chinese feast from my chilled ready meal
range and share good luck and fortune with your friends
and family. Or for the perfect meal for two, my Banquet Box
is the ideal Chinese New Year celebration.”
Half Duck (fidelity)
Chicken & Black Bean (fortune)
Crispy Chilli Prawns (energy)
Sweet & Sour Chicken (fortune)
Egg Fried Rice (fertility)
Teriyaki Chicken noodles (longevity)
Chinese BBQ Pork Noodles (strength)
Banquet box (luck & fortune)
Find the Ken Hom
range exclusively at
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www.kenhom.co.uk
facebook.com/ChefKenHom
@ChefKenHom