The Week After Christmas

New Year's Eve Stuff. Don't forget your lentils

The week after Christmas was one to enjoy when I was a kid living in Providence. There was so much to appreciate with the treasures that we received over the years . . . sleds, balls, boxing gloves, a basketball, a football, Monopoly, Parcheesi, toy cars and trucks, a bike (When would the snow melt?), ice skates (When will the Duck Pond freeze?) and roller skates (Go away ice). I never thought of New Year’s Eve until New Year’s Eve, when I tried to stay awake long enough to hear something but never did.

Of the few traditions I remember, one was lentils. Lentils were not my favorite, so the New Year’s Eve meal was not memorable. It was long before I learned that lentils include beneficial nutrients like fiber, protein, minerals and vitamins, are low in calories and contain virtually no fat. Who knew at 10?

Please note this wonderful comprehensive article about lentils by Chef Walter Potenza in the RI News Today.

Later in life, I savored those dishes that I avoided in my youth; lentils, polenta, undercooked eggs (well, not yet), snails, smelts and castor oil (oops). I mention castor oil because though not a food, Grandma seemed to consider it one, feeding it to us for any ailment when we complained. She used it for a headache, sore throat, cramps, and yup, diarrhea. She even used it when we were well. Italians seemed to think that a good purge was necessary every once in a while. We learned not to complain.

Back to the lentils.

According to tradition, lentils are served on New Year’s Eve. Why? Well, with their coin-like shape appearance in the dish, they are supposed to represent luck and prosperity. Lentils are often served with cotechino, a spicy pork sausage that signifies the fat or the bounty of the land.

For immigrants like our grandparents, America was now their land, one they appreciated, so they continued this tradition in recognition that they now were living in good times and enjoying an abundance of things for which they had to work so hard. I suspect a bit of superstition crept in. But more so, eating those traditional dishes rekindled the comfort they enjoyed during childhood or times of hardship. There must have been solace in connecting with the past.

Cotechino with lentils and polenta

They must have feared reverting to the poverty suffered in the old country, which is why they escaped, of course. This may have been the superstition of never allowing themselves to forget, and it was a reminder of how far they had come in their new country, and so they appreciated it.

My friend, Werner, sent me a recipe for

Glowing Spiced Lentil Soup:

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil or coconut oil

1 medium onion, diced onion

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons ground turmeric

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 (14-ounce) can of diced tomatoes with juices

1 can of coconut milk

3/4 cup uncooked red lentils, rinsed and drained

4 cups vegetable broth

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Red pepper flakes to taste

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Add the oil, onion, and garlic to a large pot. Add a pinch of salt, stir, and sauté over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes until the onion softens.

Stir in the turmeric, cumin, and cinnamon until combined. Continue cooking for about 1 minute.

Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), entire can of coconut milk, red lentils, and broth. Add red pepper flakes or cayenne, if desired, to taste. Stir to combine. Increase heat to high and bring to a low boil.

Once it boils, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for about 30 to 40 minutes, until the lentils are fluffy and tender.

Turn off the heat and add the lime juice to taste.

It’s the first thing I’ll make in 2025.

Italians also eat pork sausage at The New Year to conjure the future because pigs root forward, whereas other animals, such as chickens or cows, move backward or stand still. Lord knows they had their fill of chicken.

. . . and another New Year tradition

I remember the wonderful scene from the 1988 Italian film “Cinema Paradiso,” one of the greatest movies ever made. Toto awaits his love, Elena,

while staring up at her window. At midnight, the revelers throw pots and pans out of windows. The act symbolizes casting away the old in favor of the new, letting go of past troubles for a more hopeful time. Out-with-the-old, make-room-for-the-new.

Grandma used a hammer to smash a plate covered with a mopine (dish towel) on New Year’s Eve. It was her damping down of the tradition.

Oh, yes, one other thing: In Italy, wearing red underwear on New Year's Day is thought to bring good luck for the coming year. Red is the color associated with passion, energy, and prosperity. Some believe wearing red underwear on New Year's Day will attract love and passion in the coming year. Oh well, worth a try. Look for my upcoming blog on wearing long underwear.

When you move into the New Year, keep your eyes and hopes looking forward. Throw out the old.

And don’t forget your lentils.

Happy 2025!

©2024