A Jeanne in the Kitchen

Black-eyed peas. What are they? Are they peas or are they beans? Well, both are part of the legume family, but what is the difference? Legumes technically refers to the whole plant package (leaves, stems, and pods), whereas the terms beans or peas refer to the seed found within the pods of a legume plant. So black-eyed peas, as are all peas, are actually the seeds found within the legume plant, and are really beans.

Black-eyed peas have been around for a very long time; since pre-historic times, dating back over 5000 years. They were originally grown in China and India. From China and India, they made their way through Africa and Europe and were a favorite of the Ancient Greeks and Romans. They were food for both livestock as well as the enslaved peoples brought to the West Indies. During the American Civil War, the black-eyed pea crops were spared from destruction because “they were food crops for the slaves”, however, when the South was ravaged by war, these spared crops became a life saving food source for all. Today, as they have been for hundreds of years, black- eyed peas are considered to be a lucky food for those who are from the South, especially when eaten on New Year’s Day and when eaten with collard greens and pork. The peas symbolize coins and the greens symbolize paper money.

As you know, I have very Southern roots. And I still adhere to these Southern traditions for good luck on New Year’s Day, although I do not count out my black-eyed peas to a serving of exactly 365, as is also part of the traditional way of eating them. Triple Good Luck For The New Year I made my black-eyed peas in a salad this year, that I served along side my ham and pretzel bun sliders. Pretzel Buns I did not have collard greens, but I did enjoy my black-eyed peas with ham.

Black-Eyed Pea Salad

This is an easy, quick salad to make that is very full of flavor. I soaked my black-eyed peas for 24 hours before cooking them. When in doubt on how to prepare them, just follow the instructions on the bag.

2-3 cups cooked black-eyed peas, cooled and drained

2 carrots, diced fine

2 celery ribs, dicd fine

1/2 red bell pepper, diced fine

1/2 red onion, diced fine

1-2 TBSP Peruvian peppers, optional

1 TBSP garlic

1/2 cup olive oil

3 TBSP lemon balsamic vinegar, optional

1-2 TBSP lemon juice

salt & pepper to taste

4-5 sprigs fresh thyme

Once the peas are completely cooked and cooled, combine them with the vegetables and toss well.

Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing and add to the beans and vegetable mixture, using only as much as needed. Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. the beans will soak up the dressing, so if you need to add more before serving, that’s fine.

This delicious salad is perfect anytime. It is NOT only for special occasions or for New Year’s Day. It can be lucky for you anytime you want to eat it, especially since it is a very healthy salad that is high in protein and low in calories. You can also add either ham, bacon, or chicken to this colorful and tasty salad too to make it more of a meal.

Start the new year off lucky by staying well and staying safe. ‘Til next time.

Larry is still off from work for the holidays, so it was nice to go out for a walk together. The weather was cool and brisk, but other than that, pleasant. We did not see much since the lakes were very quiet, but we did see a couple of Northern Flickers having fun up high in the tree. We have so many beautiful birds in our area. I just love seeing them all and capturing as many as I can with my camera.

Enjoy all yours days. Tomorrow is never guaranteed, yesterday is gone, and today is the present, which is a precious gift that we have been given. Seize the day. Carpe diem.

Pretzels, especially soft pretzels, are a food that Germans, and the Bavarian Germans of the south in particular, have been enjoying for at least 1500 years. They were eaten by themselves, or as a side dish to the main meal or even as dessert. They also go very well with beer, and beer is very popular in the German culture. It doesn’t get more German than pretzels and beer or Brezeln und Bier.

Pretzels were brought to America when the German and Dutch immigrants began to immigrate to the US in the late 18th century, and were mostly found in the Midwest, or in the largely German populated areas of the country. The pretzels started off as soft pretzels, but if they were not eaten quickly they would go bad, so hard pretzels were invented by adding less water, in order to preserve them for longer. Traditionally, it is the soft pretzels that are eaten at New Year’s celebrations though.

How did pretzels become part of the German New Year’s tradition? Germans ring in the New Year with a Grosse Neujahrs-Breze, or Big New Year’s Pretzel. This braided sweet yeast bread shaped like a pretzel is the first thing many Germans put into their mouth when the clock strikes 12 on New Year’s Eve because it is thought to bring good luck, and the German-Americans continued this tradition when they immigrated to America too.

There are a few different theories about the origins of the German New Years Pretzel. One is that they were first baked by monks in Southern Germany as a reward for children who learned their prayers. Thus they were shaped to represent the crossed arms of a child praying. Another story is that the circular shape of the symbolic loaf is derived from the old calendar sign for the winter solstice, which was a circle with a dot in its center. The central cross was added to represent the four seasons. Yet another story tells of German citizens parading through the streets with pretzels piled onto long sticks, and groups of people would go calling on friends and relatives and exchange pretzels instead of greetings. No one really knows for sure, but they are all fun theories.

Larry is 100% German American. His great-grandparents immigrated first from Germany to the Volga River area of Russia, and from there his grandparents came to America, landing in Hays, KS, which is a mostly German area even today. They eat a lot of traditional German foods, and my mother-in-law Ollie cooks some great German foods. Ironically though, they did not know about the New Year’s tradition of the soft pretzels. It was only years after, once Larry and I got married and I started delving into the history of foods in general that we learned about this tradition. We have been eating soft pretzels for New Year’s Day ever since. This year, we had our pretzels as pretzel buns, rather than in the normal twisted fashion. Triple Good Luck For The New Year

Soft Pretzel Buns

As with so many things I like to cook, these pretzel buns require simple, basic ingredients that most of us have in our house at all times.

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1/4 cup or 4 TBSP melted butter, divided

1 tsp salt

1 TBSP brown sugar

3 3/4 cup flour

coarse salt for sprinkling on top

1/2 cup baking soda

9 cups water

Mix the yeast with the water and let set for a minute. Then add 1 TBSP of melted butter, salt and the brown sugar and whisk together. Slowly add the flour and mix in. You will have a very soft dough. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 3 minutes to form into a ball. Slowly add more flour if needed. Grease a bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the prepared bowl. I like to coat my dough with olive oil as well, to make sure it doesn’t dry out. Cover and let rise for a hour or until the dough doubles in size. You can also freeze the dough at this point too if you like.

When the dough is ready, cut the dough ball into 3, and then divide each 1/3 into 4 and roll it into twelve dough balls. Roll them lightly in your hands until they form into a ball.

Preheat the oven to 400* F or 200* C.

Bring the water and baking soda to a full, rapid boil, then add about 1-3 dough balls into the boiling water and boil for 30 seconds or until the dough balls rise to the surface. Continue until all the dough balls are boiled. If they boil any longer, the buns will have a metallic taste.

Place them very close together in a 9×13 baking sheet lined with parchment paper. With a sharp serrated knife, slice a cross on the top of each bun. Brush the tops and sides of each pretzel with the remaining melted butter and sprinkle with the coarse salt.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until the buns are a deep golden brown on all sides. If you want to, you can brush another coat of melted butter on top of the buns as soon as they come out of the oven to give them more flavor and to make them shiny. I learned this from my mother-in-law Ollie.

You can eat these buns as is, or you can use them as sliders. We ate them as sliders with the ham I prepared for New Year’s Eve and some honey mustard along with my black-eyed pea salad and some crisp golden steak fries.

Frohes neues Jahr und das Gluck liegt vor uns or Happy New Year and good fortune lies ahead.

Aside from her stitches and her her cone, you would never know that just last week we were saying a lot of prayers for Juneau. She is almost back to normal. We still have her on her meds, and she is still wearing her cone, and she would definitely be running all around and wrestling with her big brother if we would let her. She is acting as though nothing happened to her at all. But she still has to lay low and wear her cone for at least one more week. We have to make sure all her stitches heal.

She is still playing with her ball.

Being a malamute, she LOVES the cold weather and the snow. She was born for the snow. We had about 7 inches of snow fall from the skies on New Year’s Eve and Juneau was loving every minute of it. We called her our snow cone.

She is still healing and has to rest as much as she can, as much as she hates it. Vinnie decided he would watch over her, so they rested together. Vinnie is such a good big brother. He loves his little sister.

Many cultures have traditional foods they eat for good luck and prosperity for the New Year. For instance, in Spain, they eat 12 grapes at midnight. In Mexico, they eat tamales. The Japanese eat soba noodles and residents of New Orleans eat King cakes. These are just some of the many, many traditional foods from around the world that people eat on New Year’s Day. Many cultures eat round foods because they are supposed to represent money and coins. The theory is if you don’t eat round foods on New Year’s Day, you could be doomed to a year of bad luck. We (the whole world) have already had enough bad luck these past two years, so I am NOT going to be the one who goes against these traditions. It is long past the time for some good luck to come around. In my house, we honor our cultural traditions for New Year’s Day as well.

My mother was from Southeast Texas, and all over the South, people eat black-eyed peas for good luck on New Year’s Day. Black-eyed peas are associated with a mystical and mythical power to bring good luck. We have always had black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day. I make them different ways every year. It doesn’t matter how how make them, you just need to eat them. In addition, legend says you are supposed to eat exactly 365 black-eyed peas, no more, no less, but one for each day of the year, for good luck on each day. We didn’t do this, but we did eat our black-eyed peas. This year I made a black-eyed pea salad.

Larry is German, though he and his family never knew about this, but one of the German traditions is to eat pretzels on New Year’s Day. Larry and I have been eating pretzels as well as black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day for quite a few years now. Sometimes I make traditional pretzels and sometimes I make pretzel bread. This year I made pretzel buns.

Pork is also supposed to be a good luck food for the new year. Pork is for prosperity, the greens/ cabbage is for money and black-eyed peas are for luck, so you put them all together and hopefully, you’ve got a good year coming up. I cooked a big ham for New Year’s Eve, and then we made some ham sliders with the pretzel buns and honey mustard for New Year’s Day and served them alongside my black-eyed pea salad. We should be set for lots of good luck this upcoming year. That’s certainly the plan at least.

Happy New Year to all. May it be filled with good luck, good health and prosperity for all. ‘Til next time.

We both love lamb, especially if it is cooked right, even though we don’t eat it all that much. And I love curries of all kinds – Indian, Thai, Chinese, etc., it doesn’t really matter. They are all good to me. I made a deliciously warm Indian lamb curry that was perfect for a cold and chilly night. It warmed us up from the inside out, just like a curry is supposed to do. It was most definitely a delicious win/win for us.

There is an infinite array of curried dishes from around the world. A curried dish is more a style of cooking rather than any particular recipe. In Indian dishes, a curry is simply a recipe of any combination of fish, meat, chicken, vegetables or tofu that is in a spicy “gravy” or sauce. They normally contain a wide variety of different spices too. They can be hot and spicy or mild or anywhere in between. You can add as little or as much heat as you like. The only common characteristics of curry, no matter where they hail from, is the use of chilies, spices, garlic and onions. Other than that, the infinite possibilities are left to the maker’s own imaginations and creativity.

Curries, from Southeast Asia to the Middle East to India, have been a staple of eastern cuisine for centuries. No one really knows the exact origins of curried dishes, but we do know that people have been using spices to “cure” and flavor meats since 2500 BCE and even earlier. It is believed that these different “curried” spices and flavors traveled around the Middle East and through the East via the Silk Route, and from there, they made their ways into Spain and Portugal and Southern Europe, and then expanded on to the rest of the world. As with anything that is so widely popular, each region has its own unique style and flavors, making for many, many delicious possibilities and varieties that can be found around the globe.

The traditional method of using spices in curries is to make a ‘tarka’, or pan fry spices in oil first. The heat releases the flavors and infuses them in the oil, which is then poured over the main ingredients.  This process also mellows out some of the harsh tones of the raw spice mixes.

Indian curries, in particular, are known throughout their home country as a dish that brings people together, either for a quick snack or a decadent meal shared by family and friends. This is a trend that has been brought to many countries with Indian communities, and undoubtedly when most people think ‘curry’, they think of delicious Indian food, though as I stated above, there are many wonderful and different versions of curry from around the world.

This is but one of an infinite collection of fabulous curries. I don’t think I will really ever be able to try ALL the curries available, but I am certainly willing to give it my very best efforts. 🙂

Indian Curried Lamb

The Tarka

3 cinnamon sticks (I used 1 TBSP of cinnamon nibs instead this time though)

4-6 whole cloves

either 4 whole green cardamom pods or about 1 tsp of dried caradmom

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp corriander

2-3 bay leaves

1-2 tsp turmeric

The Curry

1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil

1 onion, sliced very thin

1 1/2-2 lbs lamb, cubed

2-3 tomatoes, diced medium

1 1/2 TBSP garlic

1 TBSP ginger

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp coriander

1 jalapeno, diced fine

1-1 1/2 cups green beans, cut into pieces about 1 inch in size

3 potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 cups water

salt & pepper to taste

Heat the tarka ingredients together and cook in about 1 TBSP olive or cooking oil for about 1-2 minutes.

Once the tarka is ready, add the lamb and more oil and cook for about 5-7 minutes.

Add all the vegetables except for the tomatoes and the remaining spices and combine well. Cook for an additional 4-5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes, water, salt & pepper. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and continue to cook for an additional 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When the lamb, potatoes and vegetables are tender, the curry is done. Serve over rice or lentils. I chose to serve it over red lentils this time for something a little different.

I chose a rich, creamy, buttery chardonnay to compliment the meal. The rich creaminess of the chardonnay helps cut down the heat and the spiciness of the sauce. Delicious!

Happy New Year Everyone! May 2022 be better than 2021 for one and for all. Stay safe and stay well. ‘Til next time.

We were all set to host a small gathering of friends to ring in the New Year. We were going to have a feast and play some games while ushering out 2021 and ringing in 2022. However, we decided against it. Mother Nature has not been kind to us in these last few days of 2021. In fact, she has been very cruel to us here in Colorado.

Yesterday and all through the night, our part of Colorado saw the worst and most expensive wildfires in our state’s history. We were VERY lucky, but we too had a bag packed and were ready to gather up the fur babies and head for safer parts. The fires were less than 3 miles from us. Fortunately, we were spared, however, I know to many people who were not. We had high winds and no moisture and the fires were horrific. Over 600 homes and counting were lost in last night’s fires. We are only just learning of all the actual loss and devastation.

If this isn’t bad enough, we are expecting heavy snows and bitter cold temperatures today and throughout the night as well. We are expecting 5-10 inches of snow in our area and the mountain areas are expecting 1-2 feet of snow. We sure could have have used some of this snow and moisture last night. The moisture would have definitely been a blessing. With all that is currently going on, we just decided it wasn’t a safe or good idea to be celebrating when so many have lost so much and it just isn’t worth risking everyone’s safety for a few short hours of celebrations. We can always celebrate another time. This year, we decided it was better for everyone to stay safe instead.

I think it is safe to say, like the end of 2020, we are all very glad to see 2021 come to an end. It was a better year than 2020 in some ways, and in some ways not. I am hoping and praying for a much better, safer and healthier 2022 for everyone, whether near or far. Be safe and count your blessings. We are fortunate and have many blessings.

I always have my camera at the ready when I go out. I just never know what I am going to see. This time, I was entertained by two squirrels who were having so much fun playing in a tree.

I see squirrels all the time, but rarely do I see two together having so much fun with each other.

Don’t worry, I’ve got your back.

Just a little push and you’ve got this.

We made it.

WOW! Would you look at the view from here.

Life is always so much better when shared with friends.

Now that Juneau is home resting and healing well, it is time to get back to the business of cooking. I never stopped cooking; I just wasn’t posting about the things I was making.

The first of these recipes I am going to share is the poached pears I made for Christmas Day dessert. Christmas 2021 These are so easy to make and are a healthy dessert not just for the holidays, but for anytime. They are simple and eloquent but very tasty all at the same time.

Wine Poached Pears

There were only four of us and I used 1 pear per person. I used the red pears, but you can use any kind of pears and any kind of wine you like. Do as I do and mix them up too. I used a reduced port cooking wine this time.

4-6 pears, peeled and kept whole

2-3 cups wine of your choice

3 TBSP honey-ginger balsamic vinegar, optional

1 TBSP cinnamon nibs, optional or 1-2 whole cinnamon sticks

1 cup sugar

chocolate balsamic vinegar, optional

whipped cream or ice cream

deep cooking pot or Dutch oven with a tight fitting lid

Mix all the ingredients together in the pot and add the pears.

Cover and bring to a full, rapid boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the pears are tender. Rotate the pears a few times during the cooking process to ensure they cook evenly and completely.

When the pears are cooked, remove them from the liquid and serve. I served them on a bed of fresh whipped cream with some honey pecans on the side. I drizzled some of the poaching liquid onto the pears and then drizzled some chocolate balsamic vinegar on top. These were a healthy and delicious treat. They were lightly sweet and you could taste the hints of cinnamon without being overwhelmed by it. They are a perfect, light and healthy dessert, especially after a heavy meal.

Happy New Year Everyone. May 2022 bring you much health, happiness and prosperity. ‘Til next time.

Thank you all so much for all the loving thoughts and prayers. They have helped tremendously. We went to visit Juneau last night. She started singing when she heard our voices. We got to visit with her for about 1/2 hour last night and she was up, walking around. She was also telling us how much she hated her cone.

She had over 100 stitches and they had to cut out about 8″ of her small intestine, but the prognosis is very good. It helps too that she is a young, healthy puppy too. She is over 85 lbs and is still growing.

We got the call around 6:30 this morning that we could pick her up and bring her home around 9:00 AM. She is on meds and we have to keep her calm for the next couple of weeks, but we are expecting a full recovery. We have her in her crate right now so she can rest. Keeping her calm and quiet is going to be the real challenge though. She is VERY active. But at least we have her resting right now. Soon, God willing, she will be back to her active and mischievous self once again. Just NO more soft toys, especially those with squeakers, EVER!

Her brothers and sister are watching over her. And she even ate a little bit this morning too. This is GREAT news. Again, many thanks for all your loving thoughts and prayers. They meant so much and have helped tremendously. Nicky is watching from above and Vinnie is on the couch watching over his little sister. They were worried too.

I am a firm believer in the power of prayer, and they have most definitely helped us out tremendously. Thank you all so much. I feel truly blessed.