The juxtaposition of the Chinese or lunar new year with Valentine’s Day offers interesting culinary possibilities for home cooks and those heading out to dinner on what is one of the most popular restaurant nights of the year.

What you do to mark the Year of the Tiger and V-Day on Feb. 14 is up to you, but a Chinese-themed meal does seem in order. Just don’t expect a lot of Cupids to sprout up on a traditional Chinese menu stocked with foods and ingredients that have special meaning at the beginning of the new year.

“The Chinese aren’t big on romance as a whole,” said Laura Yee, a Chicago publicist, “but they do take fertility, marriage and building a family seriously, as expressed in the symbolic foods.”

Just how deep the symbolism runs can be seen in a menu composed by Belinda Chang, wine director of The Modern restaurant in New York City. The dishes, all her mother’s, make a clear statement: Marbled eggs cooked in tea (fertility), stir-fried spaghetti with vegetables (long strands for long life), red-cooked chicken (happiness, good fortune) and a whole bass (prosperity) cooked in hot oil with green onions and fermented black beans.

“It all worked on my dad; maybe it will work for me,” Chang said.

Lychee champagne granita

Prep: 10 minutes Freeze: 6 hours or overnight

Makes: 4 servings

Ming Tsai calls for Champagne here, but any sparkling wine can be used.

1 can (15 ounces) lychees, ¾ cup syrup reserved

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1½ cups sparkling wine, plus more for serving

4 whole fresh or canned lychees, optional

Combine lychees, reserved syrup and lemon juice in a blender. Blend until smooth. Strain mixture into a bowl. Add sparkling wine; stir to combine. Pour mixture into baking dish; stir once. Freeze overnight. Scrape the granita, using the back of a fork; pile into chilled martini glasses. Top with more sparkling wine and a whole lychee, if desired.

Nutrition information: Per serving: 146 calories, 0 percent of calories from fat, 0 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 22 g carbohydrates, 0 g protein, 7 mg sodium, 0 g fiber

Hoisin-
pomegranate glazed duck breast

Prep: 60 minutes Marinate: 1 hour

Cook: 33 minutes Makes: 2 servings

“Duck symbolizes fidelity and the red color of this dish is the color of happiness,” said Ming Tsai. “Pomegranates, because of their many seeds, symbolize fertility.”

2 duck breasts, fat trimmed, skin scored

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup hoisin sauce

¼ cup pomegranate molasses

1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced

1 head garlic, finely chopped

1 pomegranate, seeded, optional

Chopped chives

Season duck with salt and pepper. Cook, skin-side down, in a skillet over medium-low heat until skin is browned and crispy, 20-25 minutes. Reserve duck fat for later use. Cool duck to room temperature.

Combine the hoisin sauce, pomegranate molasses, green onions, scallions and garlic in a nonreactive baking dish just large enough to hold the duck. Add the duck, turning to coat. Marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Remove duck from marinade; cook and sear meat-side down over low-medium heat until medium-rare, 4-6 minutes. Turn; cook until skin is crispy, about 2 minutes. Remove to a cutting board to rest, skin-side up, 5 minutes. Slice each duck breast; fan on plates. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and chives.

Nutrition information: Per serving: 417 calories, 12 percent of calories from fat, 6 g fat, 1 g saturated fat, 138 mg cholesterol, 62 g carbohydrates, 31 g protein, 1,731 mg sodium, 6 g fiber

Shrimp and egg fried rice timbale

Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 12 minutes Makes: 2 appetizer servings

"Eggs symbolize fertility, and the Chinese word for shrimp sounds like the word for laughter and smile, which is great for a relationship," said Ming Tsai. If you don't have day-old leftover rice, spread cooked rice in a single layer on rimmed cookie sheets and chill in the freezer until the grains dry out. Let come to room temperature before using.

2 tablespoons oil

1 egg, beaten

¼ teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

¼ pound small shrimp, cleaned, peeled, patted dry

3 green onions, white and green parts thinly sliced, kept separate

1 carrot, grated

1 rib celery, cut into ¼-inch dice

1 clove garlic, minced

1 piece (1-inch long) ginger root, peeled, minced

1 ½ cups leftover cooked brown and white rice combination

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil. When oil is hot, pour in beaten egg. Season with 1/8 teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste. Cook until egg puffs up and is cooked through, about 3 minutes; transfer egg to a large plate lined with paper towels.

Add shrimp to the wok; season with remaining 1/8 teaspoon of the salt and pepper to taste. Stir-fry until just cooked through. Remove shrimp to a plate; reserve 2 for garnish.

Pour in remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil, if needed. Add the green onion whites, carrot, celery, garlic and ginger. Stir-fry until softened, about 4 minutes. Add rice, shrimp and egg, using a spatula to break up the egg. Toss thoroughly until heated through. Add the soy sauce; toss. Adjust seasonings.

Moisten interior of 2 small bowls or cups with water. Place 1 of the reserved shrimp on bottom of each. Add fried rice to fill to the top; press to pack. Unmold bowls into center of 2 plates; garnish with green portion of green onions.

Nutrition information: Per serving: 400 calories, 40 percent of calories from fat, 18 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 190 mg cholesterol, 43 g carbohydrates, 18 g protein, 1,149 mg sodium, 4 g fiber