Lunar New Year, or Tet if you are Vietnamese, began yesterday, with the new moon. Celebrations continue for two weeks, until the full moon, though some of the biggest festivities will happen later, such as San Francisco’s Chinese New Year Parade on Feb. 19.

Locally, the Redwood Empire Chinese Association is hosting a special celebration, from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 5, at the Museum of Sonoma County on Seventh Street in Santa Rosa. It will be outside and food will not be served, but there’s a good chance there will be a lion dance and a dragon dance, highlights of the celebration.

One of the sweetest things about Lunar New Year is that it doesn’t take place after weeks of holidays that leave many of us exhausted. It comes right about the time we need it, as daylight is lengthening, it’s growing warmer and signs of spring are everywhere. It’s a great time to start your spring cleaning. Just don’t do it on the first day of the celebration, as you don’t want to sweep away your good luck.

Cultures that observe Lunar New Year have scores of foods that are enjoyed during the holiday. Some require lengthy cooking and ingredients not readily available without a search, but others are easy to make. One of the most important elements is the noodle, as long as possible. Long noodles predict a good year, good luck and a long life: don’t cut them!

Lunar New Year also provides a second chance, just in case Jan. 1 didn’t go so well. And if you don’t get it right this time, next up is the Iranian New Year, Nowruz, on March 21.

If you can, use an intact chicken, with head and feet still attached, because it symbolizes prosperity, togetherness and completeness. The noodles in this dish are not quite traditional; I’ve added ginger, lime and cilantro, which makes the noodles irresistible, at least to my palate. I love the noodles served with the poached chicken on top.

Poached Chicken with Ginger and Garlic Dipping Sauce and Longevity Noodles

1 whole chicken, as fresh as possible, preferably with head and feet intact

2-inch piece of ginger root, crushed

Peanut oil, for glazing the chicken

3 bunches green onions, trimmed and cut into thin rounds

6 medium slices fresh ginger root, peeled and minced

Fill a large and heavy pot half full with cold water, season generously with salt and add the chicken and ginger and enough water to fully cover the chicken. Bring to a boil over medium heat and, when the water reaches a rolling boil, cover the pot and remove it from the heat. Let the chicken steep, covered, for 45 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a platter, pour some peanut oil over it so the skin glistens and let it cool until it’s easy to handle. Pull the meat off the bones, cut it into bite-size pieces and set aside briefly. Put the carcass and any juices on the platter into the pot, set over medium heat and lower the heat when the liquid begins to boil. Simmer for 2 to 3 hours.

While the chicken cooks, prepare the noodles and set them aside.

Reserve 3 tablespoons of the green onions, spread the rest over the surface of a serving platter and set the chicken on top. Add the tangerines, as a garnish.

Working quickly, prepare the sauce. Put the reserved green onions into a small, wide serving bowl. Add the ginger, garlic, pinch of sugar and cilantro. Pour the peanut oil into a small pan set over medium heat; when it just begins to smoke, gently pour it over the cilantro mixture.

Enjoy right away, with chicken and its dipping sauce on top of the noodles.

When the stock has been cooking for several hours, remove it from the heat, cool, strain and refrigerate for up to 4 days. It can be kept in the freezer for several months.

12 ounces very long, thin rice noodles or bean thread vermicelli

4 garlic cloves, crushed and minced

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger root

2 - 3 tablespoons best-quality soy sauce

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

Black or white pepper in a mill

1 bunch green onions, trimmed and cut into thin rounds

1 tablespoon sesame seeds, lightly toasted

Put the noodles, without breaking or cutting them, into a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit until clear and tender, about 4 to 10 minutes, depending on the size, and drain thoroughly. Wipe the bowl dry and return the noodles to it.

Put the sesame oil, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and lime juice into a bowl; stir and season with pepper. Taste and correct for acid balance, adding a bit more lime juice or a bit more soy sauce as needed.

Pour over the noodles, add the green onion and cilantro and toss very gently.

Transfer to an oblong serving platter, scatter sesame seeds on top and enjoy right away, with the poached chicken and dipping sauce on top or alongside.

For several years, Thang Long, a Vietnamese restaurant that opened in Petaluma in 2000, made the best pho (pronounced “fuh”) in the county. They closed a few years ago but, long before they closed, they shared their recipe for the classic pho of North Vietnam with me. The main ingredient needed for this soup is simply patience: If you start the broth in the morning, it will be ready in time for dinner and doesn’t require much attention while it cooks. The fructus amomi is available in Asian markets.

2 fructus amomi (round cardamom fruit)

⅓ cup fish sauce, plus more to taste

2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

2 pounds dried thin rice noodles, uncut and unbroken

1½ pounds round steak, sliced paper thin (see Note below)

8 - 10 green onions, white and green parts, very thinly sliced

2 lemons or limes, cut into wedges

2 - 3 fresh chiles, such as Thai, serrano or jalapeño, very thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Put the beef bones and oxtails into a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook for 5 minutes, remove from the heat and pour off the water.

Meanwhile, put the onion in the oven and let it cook for several minutes, until it begins to soften a bit. Transfer to a work surface and use the flat side of a broad knife or cleaver to smash it. Put the star anise and fructus amomi in a spice bag or tie in several layers of cheesecloth.

Clean the pot and return the bones and oxtails to it. Add the smashed onion, the spice bag and the ginger. Cover with 6 quarts of fresh water, bring to a boil over medium heat and, when the water boils, lower the heat immediately so the water simmers very gently. Cook for 5 to 6 hours, until the broth is fragrant, flavorful and golden but clear; the water should simmer so gently that you don’t need to add more during the cooking process. Do not stir while the broth cooks.

Put the noodles in a large bowl and cover with water.

Add the fish sauce, salt and sugar. Stir very gently, taking care not to disturb the ingredients on the bottom of the pan, and taste. Correct for salt as needed for balance.

To serve the pho, fill a large pot half full with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Drain the rice noodles, drop into the boiling water, stir and immediately drain.

Divide the noodles among large bowls and top with some of the raw steak. Ladle the boiling hot broth over the noodles and steak, which will cook in the broth provided it is sliced thinly enough.

Mix together the green onions and cilantro in a small serving bowl.

Enjoy right away, with the green onion mixture, the lemons or limes, the chiles and the chile sauce alongside to use as condiments.

Note: Ask your butcher to slice the steak for you or find the steak already sliced thin in Asian and Latino markets that carry meat. If you plan to slice it yourself, it’s best to do it when the meat is almost frozen. Slice it against the grain.

Michele Anna Jordan is the author of 24 books to date, including “The Good Cook’s Book of Mustard.” Email her at michele @micheleannajordan.com.

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