A smile spread across my face as we got closer and closer to auntie Faye’s. With each step, my heartbeat increased. The outbreak of coronavirus kept us from gathering in person which made it difficult for our family to keep in touch, regardless of the modern communication technology, due to each individual's occupied life. When I reached the doorstep, I struggled to ring the doorbell due to the heavy bags of groceries we bought for hotpot -- ranging from meats, vegetables, seafood, tofu, sauces, and noodles. The door opened as cheerful greetings echoed throughout the neighborhood, everyone was finally reunited after 3 years. 

I boiled about 9 cups of water in a pot, then proceeded to prepare the fresh vegetables with my aunt. After a while, I opened the pot lid, absorbing the hot gust of steam rising from the boiling water, then added the fragrant Lee Kum Kee soup base into the water to make the broth. The aromatic scent sent me a wave of nostalgic memories. In an instant, I was brought back to the Christmas season of 2019. I was 12 once again waiting in the small line formed by the other kids next to the kitchen counter to make my signature hotpot dipping sauce. 

In a tiny bowl, combine 1 tbsp of peanut butter, 1.5 tbsp of hoisin sauce, 2 tbsp of sesame sauce, 1 tbsp of sha cha sauce, a drizzle of sesame oil, 1 tsp of minced garlic, and a sprinkle of green onions, sesame seeds, and fried garlic. This sauce delivers the perfect balance of nutty, sweet, and savory flavor while giving off a wonderful creamy texture.

When the soup started boiling, my dad transferred the pot from the stove top to the portable gas stove in the middle of the dining table. There was minimal space on the dining table due to the overwhelming variety of ingredients surrounding the main event, the hotpot. We turned the portable stove to high heat and began adding napa cabbage, bok choy, fish balls, fish tofu, enoki mushrooms, tofu, and corn, for starters. While waiting to eat, the volume in the house amplified once again as everybody continued to catch up. 

As soon as the pot boiled again, it was time to eat. Everyone took a portion of the food, making room to put more uncooked ingredients into the pot. “心心，我幫你煮啲牛肉吧！(Sum Sum, let me cook you some beef!) 嗱，要快啲食喎！(Here! Eat it quickly!) 趁新鮮食先好食啊！(It tastes best when it’s fresh)” Aunt Christine said as she signaled me to bring her my bowl and placed the beautifully marbled wagyu meat on top of the bed of napa cabbage and bok choy in my bowl. To most Cantonese, meat is very precious, therefore, offering meat to one another is often interpreted as a form of expressing love. 

Despite the obstacle of a life-threatening pandemic, my family was capable of reconnecting through a comforting and heartwarming meal of hotpot that granted us opportunities to generously feed our loved ones.