Money, Money, Money

I’m not superstitious.  But as I look to grow my business, I’ll explore every tool possible – from a sound marketing plan to feng shui to the foods I eat.

According to the tenets of Feng Shui, the southeast corner represents wealth.  The jade plant with its flat, round leaves that resemble coins, symbolizes prosperity. Placing a jade plant in the southeast corner of your office is the ultimate way to attract wealth.

For food, cooked greens resemble folded money, spring rolls gold bars and clams look like coins.   As we turn the corner to a new year, now seems the ideal time to incorporate some of these wealth generating foods into my diet.

Happy New Year! I hope it’s filled with prosperity, health, good fortune and joy.

From the garden: tomatoes

Clams with Red Chili Sauce
(Adapted from The Chinese Kitchen )

4 tsp. chili-garlic sauce
1 tbs. soy sauce
½ tsp. rice vinegar
2 tbs. Shao-Xing Wine
½ tsp. salt
1 tbs. sugar

2 dozen little neck clams
¼ cup shao-xing wine
1 tbs. plain oil
1 ½ tsp. chopped ginger
1 ½ tsp. chopped garlic
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 – 10 oz. can tomatoes
1/8 tsp. salt
3 scallions – cut into rounds

1.    In a bowl combine ingredients for sauce: chili-garlic sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, wine, salt and sugar.
2.    Wash clams thoroughly. Put in a pot with ¼ cup of shao-xing wine.  Cover and cook over high heat until the clams start to open.  Remove them from the pan as they open as to not overcook them.  Reserve the clams and discard the cooking liquid.  The clams may give off more juice – save that to add to the sauce.
3.    In a skillet or sauce pan, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add the ginger, garlic and onions and cook for 1 minute or until they soften.  Add tomatoes and salt and cook for 5 minutes more.
4.    Toss the clams (and any juice that may have accumulated) into sauce and sprinkle with scallions.
Serve immediately.