If I were to prepare an Asian-themed New Year meal…

I thought about starting a separate blog for Holiday menu ideas, but, what the heck? There’s no reason why they can’t all be published here. That way, you won’t have to switch from one location to another. No need to get confused, right? Most of us are already much too harassed as it is. Christmas is 16 days away, we still don’t have a Christmas tree, no real shopping has been done…

Anyway, if I were to prepare an all-Asian family meal for the New Year, what would I cook? Say, my family and my in-laws were all coming over for dinner and I have to cook for 20 to 25 persons, what dishes will I choose? I think I’ll start with three appetizers.

Pearl balls, fried spring rolls and steamed dumplings. I can prepare just one filling mixture and use it in three different ways. And since each dish will be served with a different dipping sauce, they won’t seem boring and repetitious.

Next, the salad and the soup. Thai crispy catfish salad and clam soup with ginger (below, left and center).

Next come the main dishes. Roast duckling (above, right — perhaps, I can serve the skins with Chinese pancakes as a fourth appetizer), mapu tofu (below, left)… And we’ll also have…

… Hainanese chicken (above, center) and thrice-cooked pata tim (above, right).

But what’s a Chinese meal without rice, eh? I think I’ll serve my baby prawns and broccoli fried rice (above, left) and there will be a noodle dish too — lo mein (above, center) which is less greasy than chow mein. And, finally, for dessert, hot chicken salad.

Can I really cook all of those dishes for 20 to 25 people? Well, it’s just an idea. A pretty good idea, I think. In reality? I think I’ll tell everyone we’re going potluck.

More Holiday menu suggestions? Click here and here for two rather dated (but still very good) ideas.