In Asia, the Lunar New Year is a two-week long festival where families migrate home to celebrate with loved ones. Last year, I celebrated Chinese New Year in Hong Kong for the first time since my family moved to Canada and it was such a memorable experience. This year, I was not so fortunate. It’s not easy to maintain the same level of excitement in Canada, especially when CNY is shadowed by Valentine’s Day and the Olympics.

The first stop I had to make for some CNY spirit is to Kian, the Red Cook’s blog. Kian is a Chinese private kitchen’s chef with in depth and hands-on knowledge on traditional Chinese fares. His creative approach and utilization of seasonal, local ingredients constantly expands my recipe repertoire. I especially love how he carefully explains his techniques and ingredient choices to inspire a fresh perspective on traditional Chinese cooking. In other words, Kian is my online culinary si-fu!