Happy New Year everyone! Chinese fondue (also known as hot pot) is my family’s New Year’s Eve dish; everyone helps out. We usually go to the grocery store together and everyone is given various tasks to help prepare the meal. My mother prepares the sauces and a simple stock. Kelly and my mother arrange all the ingredients and set the table; this year David did too. My dad pours champagne and slices all the meat. I help with random tasks, such as making dessert. The food is cooked in the boiling soup pot at the table as we are eating together. My mother’s focus for this meal is using the freshest ingredients possible. This year, the scallops and shrimp were especially good; the scallops were expensive but she says that she doesn’t mind paying for them as long as they are indeed fresh and tasty. She also buys good quality steak, pork, and chicken breast. We freeze it until it is rock solid, and then my dad uses a meat slicing machine to make slices …