Year of the Horse (Chestnut's Moment)

It’s Chinese New Year. Year of the Horse.

You can imagine how Chestnut took the news.

Chestnut the stuffed horse surrounded by a herd of horse figurines on the dining table — He assembled a herd. Within hours.

Chestnut has been with us for a while now, but this is his first Chinese New Year in the house, and wouldn’t you know it — it’s his year. He hasn’t shut up about it. The house is full of horse figurines. The couch is full of horse figurines. I’m not sure where they all came from but Chestnut seems to think they’re his entourage.

A stampede of brown and red stuffed horses arranged across the entire sofa with red pillows — The sofa. THE ENTIRE SOFA. As if the bears arriving wasn’t enough.

Apparently the Year of the Horse symbolizes energy, freedom, and enthusiasm. Which is just Chestnut’s normal personality turned up to eleven with cultural validation. Great.

We got Chinese New Year gifts. I got chocolates. Chestnut got apples. Seems appropriate — horses eat apples, bears eat chocolate. I’m not going to pretend the chocolates weren’t excellent.

Sumi Bear and Chestnut with heart-shaped chocolates and an apple on the kitchen counter — My chocolates. His apple. The system works.

Now, the main event. Pokin decided to go all out this year and bought a proper wok for the occasion. One problem: she didn’t realize you have to season a wok before you cook with it. It’s not like a regular pan. You have to heat it up, oil it, burn the oil off, repeat, build up the coating, the whole thing. She tried to cook with it raw and it went about as well as you’d expect.

So Nicholas stepped in, seasoned the wok properly, and then — this is the important part — wouldn’t let Pokin use it.

He seasoned it and claimed it. That’s the wok now. His wok. Pokin bought a wok for Chinese New Year and Nicholas got a new wok.

A seasoned carbon steel wok on a professional gas range — The contested wok. Seasoned by Nicholas. Owned by Nicholas. Purchased by Pokin.

The actual dinner was ridiculous though. Pokin made an entire five-course menu with cultural notes explaining what each dish symbolized. Potstickers shaped like gold ingots for prosperity. Steamed seabass for surplus. Sesame balls because they expand when fried and that means your luck is expanding. Noodles for longevity. There was a whole printed menu card and everything.

A red and gold Lunar New Year feast menu card with horse illustration at an elegant place setting — Five courses. Cultural footnotes. Printed menus. Pokin does not do things halfway.

I mostly cared about Course V: The Sweet Finish. Mango pudding, almond jello, sesame balls, mochi, AND cookies. Five desserts. In one meal. This is my kind of cultural celebration.

Chestnut says this was the best night of his life. I told him to settle down, it’s February.

But the chocolates were really good.