Long before streaming, social media and cable’s Food Network, my older sister Pam, like myself, was a fan of watching the kitchen celebrities of PBS-TV. Julia Child, southern country gentleman Justin Wilson and the Frugal Gourmet Jeff Smith have all long passed, but Chinese kitchen wizard Chef Martin Yan is still very alive at age 76, bursting with energy and cultural pride. I’ve met him a few times and interviewed this flavorful personality also known from his longtime PBS alter-ego name taken from his show’s title “Yan Can Cook.” Our last table encounter was in November 2010 when he brought his stage cooking show to Northwest Indiana. After the show, I joined him and other friends in Chicago’s Chinatown in a secluded private dining room of one of the famed restaurants along the main stretch of this celebrated neighborhood. The owners of the restaurant, who were good friends of the chef, brought out a lavish spread of assorted delectables adorning various trays, with many of the specialties, from seafood and pork to poultry, staring at me from the platters with their tiny faces, eyes and expressions still completely intact. Guests enjoy Chinese menu delicacies in YOUYU Noodle Bar’s contemporary Hong Kong-inspired dining atmosphere in the restaurant’s anchor location near the Asian gaming area at the front of the Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana in Gary. (Philip Potempa/for Post-Tribune) In the moment, Chef Yan was prompted to compare our round table, heaped and brimming with all of the menu specialties, as likened to the Lunar New Year celebration, despite it being months away. Our 2025 Lunar New Year arrives this week on Wednesday. Treated as a “spring festival,” this year’s designation is “the year of the snake.” According to Chinese star charts, “the year of the snake symbolizes the pursuit of love and happiness, as drawn from ancient Chinese literature references, including the folk tale ‘The Legend of the White Snake.’ This reptile symbol also represents wealth and wisdom in the Chinese culture.” On my WJOB weekly radio show “Of Notoriety,” Jenny Moy, the director of Asian player development for Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana, joined me as a guest last week, along with my co-host Tony Panek. Moy is helping plan a 15-day observance of what she refers to as “the lunar new year,” celebrated as a theme for YOUYU Noodle Bar, which is one of Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana’s five restaurants. YOUYU Noodle Bar serves up a mouthwatering variety of Asian dishes as well as freshly made noodles in savory broths with flavors inspired by both fine dining, like roast duck, to Asian street food fare like dumplings. Guests enjoy these delicacies in YOUYU’s contemporary Hong Kong-inspired atmosphere in the restaurant’s anchor location near the Asian gaming area at the front of the casino. Moy said seafood specialties like lobster, Chilean sea bass and abalone are being shipped in starting next week and in the spotlight as menu highlights during the 15-day new year’s celebration through Feb. 2. “Fish is a Chinese symbol for abundance, so it is very common on our special menus as a way to assure good luck and prosperity,” Moy said. “In China, we call lobster ‘the dragon of the sea.’ And as for abalone, a small shell mollusk, it is a very special delicacy.” Moy said Hard Rock Casino Northern Indiana’s Asian gaming landscape includes an upscale Asian gaming lounge with hosts who speak a variety of Asian languages including Cantonese, Taishanese, Mandarin and Vietnamese. More information is available at casino.hardrock.com/northern-indiana or 219-228-2383. “We want everyone to feel right at home and welcomed,” Moy said. “And most of all, this is a great time to share another new year filled with symbolism and good luck.” Columnist Philip Potempa has published four cookbooks and is the director of marketing at Theatre at the Center. He can be reached at [email protected] or mail your questions: From the Farm, PO Box 68, San Pierre, Ind. 46374. Chef Martin Yan Can’s Rainbow Chicken Stir-Fry Makes 4 servings Chicken starter: 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast 2 tablespoons oyster sauce 1 teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved into 2 teaspoons water 2 tablespoons cooking oil, divided use 2 teaspoons garlic, minced 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 3/4-inch pieces 1/2 yellow bell pepper, cut into 3/4-inch pieces 1 green onion, cut into 3/4-inch pieces 1/4 cup pistachios, for garnish Sauce: 1 chili pepper, seeded, sliced (optional) 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons dry sherry 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce 2 teaspoons soy sauce Directions: 1. Cut chicken into 1/2-inch pieces. Combine oyster sauce and cornstarch into a bowl and add chicken, tossing to coat. Let stand for 10 minutes. 2. To prepare sauce, combine fresh chili pepper, balsamic vinegar, dry sherry, hoisin sauce and soy sauce into a bowl. Set aside. 3. To stir fry, place a wok or stir-fry pan over high heat until hot and add 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, swirling to coat sides. Add the marinated chicken and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Remove chicken from wok. 4. Add remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil, swirling to coat sides. Add garlic and cook, stirring until fragrant, about 10 seconds. Add bell peppers and green onion, stir-fry for 1 1/2 minutes. 5. Return chicken to wok, stir-fry for 1 minute. Add sauce and bring to a boil. Add remaining cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens. 6. Sprinkle with pistachios before serving over steamed white rice.