LUCKY FOODS FOR THE NEW YEAR

Did you know that, on January 1st, certain foods are eaten to bring luck during the upcoming year? This practice, started centuries ago, is one which does not leave everything up to fate. The traditions vary from culture to culture, but are generally connected to having money, being prosperous and having enough to eat. Some of my more interesting findings follow.

Legumes: In many cultures, small beans, peas and lentils are eaten - not only do they resemble coins, but they swell up when cooked, just as you would want your fortune to swell. There are some who believe you should eat at least 365 black-eyed peas, preferably before noon on New Year’s Day, to ensure good fortune for each day of the coming year!

In the Southern United States, it's a tradition to eat Hoppin' John, a combination of black-eyed peas and rice – in fact, this is the most popular New Year’s Day necessity in the United States. Folklore has it that the town of Vicksburg, Virginia ran out of food while under attack during the Civil War. The town residents discovered black-eyed peas; because of this discovery, the city did not starve or fall and was able to fight on for the cause.

Cooked Greens: All over the world, cooked greens (such as cabbage, collard greens, mustard greens, kale or spinach) are eaten on New Year’s Day. This is because green leaves look like folded money and have become a symbol of economic good fortune. It is believed that the more greens you eat on New Year’s, the greater your wealth in the coming year.

Cornbread: In the Southern United States, cornbread is eaten because its color is representative of gold. As per the old Southern expression, "peas for pennies, greens for dollars, and cornbread for gold".

Pork: The custom of eating pork on New Year's is popular worldwide. Many cultures believe that eating a fat pig may translate to increased riches or a fat wallet in the New Year.

But the most popular reasoning is that the pig symbolize progress since the animal pushes forward, rooting itself in the ground before moving. In contrast, it is believed that lobster and chicken should be avoided on New Year’s Day. Lobsters move backwards which could lead to setbacks; chickens scratch backwards, which could cause regret or dwelling on the past.

Fruit: In Spain in 1909, the tradition began of eating twelve grapes at midnight –one on each chime of the clock.. The practice spread to Portugal, Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, Ecuador and Peru. Each grape represents a different month; if one of the grapes happens to be bad or sour, the same will be true of the corresponding month in the coming year. For most, the goal is to swallow all the grapes before the last stroke of midnight, but Peruvians insist on taking in a 13th grape for good measure.

The pomegranate's many seeds symbolize prosperity; thus, this fruit is eaten throughout the Middle East to insure fertility and abundance. Figs are a symbol of fertility.

Noodles: As the clock strikes midnight in Japan, long soba noodles are slurped up to ensure a long life. Those who can swallow at least one of them without chewing or breaking it are supposed to enjoy good luck and a long life.

Fish: Many cultures eat fish on New Year’s Day. Some believe forward swimming schools of fish symbolize progress and abundance, while others believe their shiny silver scales represent wealth and prosperity. Herring is consumed at midnight in Poland and Germany for luck in the upcoming year. Germans also enjoy carp and have been known to place a few fish scales in their wallets for good luck. In Japan, herring roe is consumed for fertility, shrimp for long life, and dried sardines for a good harvest. In China red fish is served with the head and tail attached, representing a good beginning and end to the coming New Year. But in Hungary, fish is avoided on New Year’s to ensure that your money doesn’t swim away.

Round or Ring-Shaped Foods: Many cultures believe that round or ring-shaped foods will bring good luck as they are symbolic of the year coming full circle. Round or ring-shaped foods include cakes, bagels, doughnuts, and cookies. Many cultures serve round baked goods with coins or other trinkets baked inside. The person who receives the piece with the coin or trinket will have a lucky year ahead.

In Greece, a special round cake called vasilopita is baked with a coin hidden inside. At midnight or after the New Year's Day meal, the cake is cut, with the first piece going to St. Basil and the rest being distributed to guests in order of age. It is believed that the person who bites into the piece of cake with the coin will have good fortune throughout the upcoming year. The cake recognizes a miracle thought to have happened in the Ottoman Empire. According to legend, a Bishop of Greece recovered a large portion of the country's riches back from the Ottomans but, when he tried to redistribute them, the people fought over the property. It is believed that Saint Basil asked the women of Greece to bake a cake with the riches inside - when he sliced the cake, the goods miraculously found their way to their proper owners.

(Sources: www.epicurious.com, www.shopwiki.com, www.fabulousfoods.com)

We’ve chosen a cookie recipe to share this month that should be extra-lucky – it has a round shape and contains beans! The recipe is from the cookbook "From the Queen's Kitchen". Permission to reprint the recipe has been granted by Adobe Milling in Dove Creek, Colorado.

PINTO CHIP COOKIES (White Ribbon 1982 by Amelia Jacobs)

1 cup OLEO
1 cup WHITE SUGAR (less 1 Tbsp.)
1 Tbsp. BROWN SUGAR
2 well beaten EGGS
2 cups FLOUR
1 tsp. BAKING POWDER
½ tsp. SODA
½ tsp. SALT

Combine together oleo, sugar, brown sugar, and the egg. Sift together flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Add creamed mixture to flour mixture, then add 2 cups cooked and well drained PINTO BEANS. Drop by spoonful onto cookie sheet. Bake at 400° for 12 to 15 minutes or until desired brownness is reached.

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Southwest Brunch for the Holidays

Happy Holidays from Kokopelli's Kitchen! For those of you that would like to serve a special brunch for the holidays, you're in luck! We've reprinted some special recipes from "Christmas in New Mexico" by Lynn Nusom. Permission to reprint the recipes has been granted by Golden West Publishers here in Phoenix, Arizona.

CANYON ROAD EGGS BENEDICT

• 4 ENGLISH MUFFINS
  
• 8 slices CANADIAN BACON
  
• 8 EGGS
  
• GUACAMOLE HOLLANDAISE (recipe below)
  
• BLACK OLIVE SLICES
  
• chopped PIMENTO

Toast the English muffins and place the two halves on each plate. Lightly sauté Canadian bacon and top each muffin half with a slice. Poach eggs and top each slice of bacon with one egg. Pour guacamole Hollandaise sauce over them. Garnish with black olive slice and pimento and serve.GUACAMOLE HOLLANDAISE

• 2 ripe AVOCADOS
  
• 1 cup MAYONNAISE
  
• 2 Tbsp. LIME JUICE
  
• TABASCO® to taste

Mash avocados; whip in mayonnaise, lime juice and Tabasco with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over Eggs Benedict.
Serves 4.

RED CHILE POTATOES

• 2 Tbsp. BUTTER
  
• 2 Tbsp. OLIVE OIL
  
• 2 cloves GARLIC, minced
  
• 1 large ONION, finely chopped
  
• 1 Tbsp. PARSLEY, chopped
  
• 6 POTATOES, peeled & diced
  
• ½ tsp. SALT
  
• 1 tsp. ground BLACK PEPPER
  
• 1 tsp. RED CHILE POWDER
  

Melt butter in a frying pan. Add olive oil and sauté garlic, onion and parsley for 2 to 3 minutes. Add potatoes, salt, pepper, and chile powder. Saute; cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes or until potatoes are done. Serves 4 – 6.

BLUE CORNMEAL PANCAKES

• 1 cup BLUE CORNMEAL
  
• 1 cup ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
  
• 2 tsp. BAKING POWDER
  
• ½ tsp. SALT
  
• 1½ cups MILK
  
• 2 EGGS, well beaten
  
• ½ cup VEGETABLE OIL
  

Mix together blue cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir in milk, then the eggs and beat. Slowly beat in the oil. Drop by tablespoon onto a hot griddle.

SERVE WITH:
• ½ cup SOUR CREAM
  
• ¼ cup GREEN CHILE, chopped
  Mix sour cream and green chile together. Using a small ice cream scoop, put a scoopful on top of each stack of pancakes. Yield: approx. 12 pancakes.

Thanksgiving Day Desserts

Thanksgiving Day is fast approaching! The traditional Thanksgiving dessert is pumpkin pie. There are other desserts that are traditionally served, but these often vary from family to family as well as by region of the country. For those of you looking to spice up your dessert table this year, check out these contest winning recipes we found in FROM THE QUEEN'S COOKBOOK. Permission to reprint the recipes has been granted by Adobe Milling in Dove Creek, Colorado.

SOUR CREAM APPLE PIE (Blue Ribbon 1984 by Bev Young)
Filling:

• 1 EGG
  
• ½ cup SUGAR
  
• 2 Tbsp. FLOUR
  
• ¼ tsp. SALT
  
• 2 Tbsp. LEMON JUICE
  
• 1 cup thick SOUR CREAM
  
• 4 cups peeled, sliced APPLES
  

Topping:

• ¼ cup FLOUR
  
• 1 tsp. GROUND CINNAMON
  
• ¼ cup BUTTER
  
• ½ cup BROWN SUGAR
  

Filling: Beat together egg, sugar, flour, salt and lemon juice, then beat in sour cream. Place apples in shell. Pour sour cream mixture over apples and bake in a preheated 400° oven for 15 minutes. Topping: Combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and butter until mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Reduce oven to 350° and bake about 35 more minutes or until apples are tender.

CHEESE CRUST THREE FRUIT PIE (White Ribbon 1989 by Beverly Young)

• 3 tsp. SHARP CHEESE
  
• 4 cups thinly sliced APPLES
  
• 1/3 cup CRANBERRY SAUCE
  
• 2 Tbsp. grated ORANGE PEEL
  
• 1 Tbsp. CORNSTARCH
  

In your favorite pie crust, add cheese and fill with all other ingredients. Dot with butter; cover. Dot top crust with butter. Dust with sugar and bake at 400° for 40 minutes or until brown.

PUMPKIN CHEESY BARS (Blue Ribbon 1990 by Genevieve Wells)

• 1 cup ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
  
• 1/3 cup packed BROWN SUGAR
  
• 5 Tbsp. soft BUTTER
  
• ½ cup finely chopped PECANS
  
• 8 oz. CREAM CHEESE
  
• 1 tsp. VANILLA
  
• ¾ cup SUGAR
  
• ½ cup PUMPKIN
  
• 2 beaten EGGS
  
• ½ tsp. SALT
  
• 1½ tsp. CINNAMON
  
• 1 tsp. ground ALLSPICE
  

Combine flour and brown sugar in a bowl. Cut in butter to make a crumb mixture for topping. Stir in nuts. Set aside ¾ cup for top. Press remaining mixture into bottom of an 8 x 8½ inch pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool. Combine cream cheese, sugar, spices, pumpkin and vanilla in a large bowl. Blend until smooth. Pour over baked crust. Sprinkle with reserved topping. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Cool before cutting into bars. Make bars 1 x 2 inches.

Happy Thanksgiving to You & Yours!

Happy Thanksgiving!

In the fall of 1621, the religious separatist Pilgrims held a three-day feast to celebrate a bountiful harvest, an event many regard as the nation’s first Thanksgiving. It eventually became a national holiday in 1863 when President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday of November as a national day of thanksgiving. Later, President Franklin Roosevelt clarified that Thanksgiving should always be celebrated on the fourth Thursday of the month to encourage earlier holiday shopping, never on the occasional fifth Thursday. (US Census Bureau)

271 million - The preliminary estimate of turkeys raised in the United States in 2008. That’s not statistically significantly different from the number raised during 2007. The turkeys produced in 2007 together weighed 7.9 billion pounds and were valued at $3.7 billion. Source: USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service

13.8 pounds - The quantity of turkey consumed by the typical American in 2007, with a hearty helping devoured at Thanksgiving time. Per capita sweet potato consumption was 5.2 pounds. Source: Statistical Abstract of the United States: 2010, Tables 212-213

3 - Number of places in the United States named after the holiday's traditional main course. Turkey, Texas was the most populous in 2008, with 456 residents, followed by Turkey Creek, La. (361) and Turkey, N.C. (272). There are also nine townships around the country named Turkey, three in Kansas. Source: Population estimates

117 million - Number of households across the nation -- all potential gathering places for people to celebrate the holiday. Source: Families and Living Arrangements: 2008

The Pumpkin Pie recipes that we've elected to share this month are from "The Pumpkin Lovers Cookbook" by Betty B. Gabbert. Permission to print granted by Golden West Publishers, Phoenix, AZ 85014.

DELICIOUS PUMPKIN PIE

• 4 lbs. FRESH PUMPKIN (3¾ cup)
  
• 1 (14oz) can SWEETENED CONDENSED MILK
  
• 2 EGGS
  
• 1 tsp. CINNAMON
  
• ½ tsp. NUTMEG
  
• ½ tsp. GINGER
  
• ½ tsp. SALT
  
• PASTRY for 9 inch pie (see recipe below)
  
• ½ cup PECAN HALVES
  
• 3 Tbsp. DARK BROWN SUGAR
  
• 3 Tbsp. WHIPPING CREAM
  

Combine 3¾ cup pumpkin, milk, eggs & seasonings in processor bowl. Pulse just until blended. Fit pastry into pie plate, pour pumpkin mixture into pastry shell. Bake at 375° for 50-to-55 minutes or till knife inserted halfway between center and edge of pie comes out clean. Cool slightly. Sprinkle chopped pecans around outer edge of pie. Combine sugar and whipping cream in small pan; cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes; let cool 5 minutes. Spoon over pecans. NOTE: 2 cans pumpkin may be substituted for 3¾ cup fresh pumpkin.

FOOLPROOF PIE CRUST

• 2 cups UNBLEACHED FLOUR
  
• 1 tsp. SALT
  
• 2/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp. melted MARGARINE
  
• 1 Tbsp. CIDER VINEGAR
  
• 1/3 cup cold WATER
  

Mix dry ingredients, cut in melted margarine. Mix vinegar and cold water, add to flour mixture tossing and stirring as you add. Stir vigorously with fork until mixture holds together well, then form into ball. Roll out between wax paper sheets, as needed.

Happy Thanksgiving to You & Yours!