No cooking this Chinese New Year reunion dinner

From left: my youngest nephew, Calvin, 

my son, Nick, my eldest nephew, Christopher 

and my only niece, Christine

Time flies, and all these kids are now young adults, and they are all so busy with their own lives. 

Despite how busy they are, they never fail to come to my house for Chinese New Year reunion dinner every year. And whether it is here, or some where else in the future, the tradition of gathering together is one I believe they will uphold for many generations to come. I like that. Traditions are what draws family members together and make each family unique. The traditions that is upheld in my family includes serving tea to the elders on the first day of Chinese New Year. 

The family values that I can see in our son and my nephews and niece are honesty, generosity and the willingness to forgive. They have a sense of belonging and responsibilities. They respect themselves and others. Most of all they value the "togetherness" of both our families. 

So two weeks ago, I received a text message from my eldest nephew, Christopher. He suggested that Mom and I take a break from cooking reunion dinner this year. He said it is time that he hosts the reunion dinner and take his grandma, me, my Quay Lo and his cousin to dine out. I was so pleased for his thoughtfulness. My mother agreed, it would be a nice break for a change. Chinese New Year eve arrived and I was relaxed.  

As most of the Chinese "makan" places (eateries) had closed for the holiday, we decided to have a simple lunch at home as we knew we were going to have a feast in the evening. While it was a quick Western lunch, I think it is one that is worth sharing the recipe for.

Sausage casserole

Recipe by Quay Lo

Ingredients:

2 pound ground garlic pork sausage

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup milk

2 cups stale bread cubes

1 cup shredded cheese

Method:

Chopped up sausage and cook over medium heat until evenly brown. Mix together ground cumin, eggs and milk. Add the sausage, bread cubes, and cheese, and stir to coat evenly. Pour into a greased baking dish. Cover with aluminium foil and bake in a preheated oven at 170 degrees C for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an another 20 minus. Let is rest for 5 minutes before serving. 

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