Lentils: The Good Luck Legume

Felice Anno Nuovo! (Happy New Year!)

I like New Year’s Day—out with the old and in with the new.

I am always optimistic for what this brand new year will bring; however, I start out each Jan. 1st the same way I have since the day I moved out of my parents' house.

It starts with a phone call from my mother.

Ma calls to wish me a Felice Anno Nuovo (Happy New Year), and to ask me if I will be eating lentils. She reminds me that “Since we are Italian, this is the food that we must eat on New Year’s Day.”

Why you ask?? In order to keep the malocchio (bad luck/evil eye) away, of course!! The right food eaten on the first day of the new year is a must.

Once again this is one of those things in my life that I just accept as gospel truth. When an Italian mother tells you about a family tradition, you go with it and never question it. Trust me on this one, I learned the hard way.

I know it is not the norm for what is eaten on the first day of January in this area. Back home in the northeast, we had a slightly different twist on our New Year’s Day dinner. Normally it was lentils—specifically, we ate lentil soup.

So why do we eat lentils? I was always told that these little legumes symbolize good luck, good fortune and money. Their round shape resembles coins/money, and it is supposed to bring riches and buona fortuna (good luck) for the upcoming year.

Knowing that, who wouldn’t want to eat lentils as the first dish of the new year? Buona fortuna for all I say!!

Pork, kielbasa and sauerkraut are the traditional foods served here in western PA. The thought of adding a bean to the mix, well it could cause a gastronomic nightmare. It would scare most people, but then again I am not like most people.

In my family we laugh at the fear of a little GI distress. Beano for all is my thought!! Call me oobatz’/patz (crazy), but if it will bring me good luck then it is a sacrifice that I am willing to make. Sorry kids, but it something that mom has to do.

Every year I do eat lentils!

I have either soup or lentil salad. It is something that I have done for many years. Yes, I am a superstitious person. Come on now just from reading this blog you should realize that most Italians are. For the record, I do make each of my children eat a single lentil—one counts within this tradition.

If you do not eat it on the first day of January, does it mean that bad luck will come? No! But I do recommend eating these delicious legumes.

Lentils have a benign taste. This is why there are so many different variations of soup or salad—it works well with so many different types of ingredients. It really depends on your taste and adventurous palate.

I want to share with you my recipe for lentil salad:

Nicky D Cooks Lentil Salad

½ lb cooked lentils

1 shallot minced

1 handful Italian parsley chopped

3-4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3-4 tablespoons red wine or balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Fixins; add what you want—for example, you can add some of the following items: shredded carrots; chopped tomatoes; chopped celery; and chopped red pepper (the amounts are up to you).

In a bowl mix the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Set aside. In another bowl, add the lentils, shallots, parsley and whatever vegetables that you are using. Mix gently and toss with the oil and vinegar mixture.

Buon Appetito

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