Jewish and Chinese holidays, despite some obvious differences, actually have many important features in common. Nothing puts a Jew at ease like a holiday characterized by ancient traditions, delicious foods that represent those traditions, and the widespread exchange of cash. As good Jews, Max and I decided this week to honor Chinese New Years with an ice cream recipe that pays homage to the tradition of using gold-colored ingredients for a rich year. Golden persimmons, golden honey, golden yolks, a touch of golden ginger; you get the picture. More

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Pomelos are the sweeter, peppery ancestor of the grapefruit. This salad was the prevailing crowd-pleaser at our recent Lunar New Year party. The lively flavors of this dish will trick you into thinking it's summer. More

In areas with a sizable Vietnamese community, you can find banh chung around Lunar New Year. Stacked in neat bricks, sometimes even warm, the sign of a good banh chung is one that's meaty, hefty, and tightly rolled. Here's a recipe and how-to. More