Chinese New Year is Monday, and it's the year of the ox. Join the celebration in Chinatown this weekend. Events are free, and there'll be lots of food, entertainment and fun for the whole family.

But if you can't join the festivities, have your own celebration at home with these longtime favorite recipes that are tasty and simple to prepare. Kung Hee Fat Choy!

Chinese Steamed Fish

1 pound mullet, kumu or moi
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons chopped ginger
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped chung choi (preserved salted turnip), if desired
Chinese parsley

Scale and clean fish. Sprinkle salt inside and over fish. Place in shallow heat-resistant dish. Combine sugar, soy sauce and 1 tablespoon oil; pour over fish. Sprinkle with ginger, green onion and chung choi. Steam over boiling water 15 minutes.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil and pour over fish. Garnish with parsley. Serves 4.

To cook in microwave: Place fish in 9-inch glass pie plate. Pour soy sauce mixture over fish. Microwave, uncovered, on high 2 to 3 minutes.

Turn fish over, sprinkle with ginger, green onion and chung choi. Microwave 3 to 4 more minutes. Pour remaining 2 tablespoons oil over fish; microwave 1 to 2 more minutes.

Oyster Sauce Beef and Chinese Peas

1-1/2 pounds beef, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons sherry
1/4 cup oyster sauce
2 tablespoons salad oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
1 cup Chinese peas

Combine beef, cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, sherry, oyster sauce and 1 tablespoon oil; marinate 20 minutes.

Heat remaining oil and brown garlic. Add meat and onion; stir-fry 1 minute. Add peas and cook 1 more minute. Serves 6.

Gon Lo Mein

2 pounds ready-to-eat chow mein noodles
3/4 cup oyster sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
8 dried mushrooms, soaked
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 package (12 ounces) bean sprouts
4 stalks celery, slivered
1/2 cup Chinese peas, sliced
3/4 pound green beans, slivered
3/4 pound char siu, slivered
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place noodles in 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup oyster sauce and 1 tablespoon sesame oil; heat in oven 10 minutes.

Remove stems from mushrooms; slice caps. In a wok or skillet, heat remaining oil. Add mushrooms and other vegetables; stir-fry 2 minutes. Stir in char siu, salt and remaining oyster sauce. Add noodles and toss gently. Serves 12.