Tag Archive for Black-Eyed Peas Recipe

Happy Jewish New Year…Southern Style!

Happy 5774!  Wishing you and your family many blessings this year!

My first blog post in March 2013 featured the culinary expertise of Tina Wasserman, author of “Entree to Judaism:  A Culinary Exploration of the Jewish Diaspora.”  This blog shares more of her knowledge of Jewish cuisine and features a recipe from her book.

Tina’s recipe that I am sharing today is LUBIYA or SEPHARDIC BLACK-EYED PEAS.  Since moving to Alabama, I participate in the Southern tradition of eating black-eyed peas on January 1st.  Grocery stores in the Heart of Dixie showcase black-eyed peas and collard greens at this time of year.  Eating these foods on New Year’s Day is suppose to bring you good luck throughout the new year.

Tina has a theory about this Southern tradition of eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s day.  For over 2000 years, Ethiopian Jews have celebrated Rosh Hashanah (The Jewish New Year) by eating black-eyed peas.  Tina believes it is entirely possible that this custom spread to West Africa over the spice trading route, and the slaves learned about this recipe.  When the slaves came to the United States to work on the plantations in the South, they brought the recipe and the tradition of eating black-eyed peas at the beginnning of the New Year!

I know you have been waiting patiently, so here is Tina’s recipe for LUBIYA or SEPHARDIC BLACK-EYED PEAS!

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced into 1/4-inch pieces

2 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups water

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 pound fresh or frozen black-eyed peas

1/2 teaspoon cumin

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1.  Heat a 3-quart pot over high heat for 20 seconds.  Add the olive oil and heat for another 10 seconds.  Add the onion and garlic and saute over medium heat until the onions are lightly golden.

2.  Add the water and tomato paste, and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low.  Add the peas and the cumin, and cook covered for 1-2 hours or until the peas are tender.  It might be necessary to add a small amount of additional water to the post if the mixture looks to dry.  Conversely, if the mixture is too soupy, continue to cook uncovered until some of the liquids has evaporated.

3.  Remove from the heat, and add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.  Serve hot or at room temperature.  Serve alone or over rice.

Yield:  8 servings

TINA’S TIDBITS

* Peas need time to absorb water and expand.  Either soak the peas for a few hours before cooking, or cook them for a long time until they reach the desired consistency.

*Never put salt in the water prior to cooking beans, as it will harden the beans and prevent them from absorbing the watear and becoming soft.

*Save leftover tomato paste by scooping out tablespoons of the paste onto a sheet of plastic wrap.  Place them in the freezer, and when frozen, peel off the plastic and store in a freezer ziplock bag until needed.

Source:  Tina Wasserman.  Entree to Judaism:  A Culinary Exploration of the Jewish Diaspora.  New York:  URJ Press.  Copyright 2010.  Page 221

Tina Wasserman’s website is www.cookingandmore.com

Have fun preparing and tasting Tina’s Lubiya recipe.  It is sure to bring you good luck throughout the year! 😉

LUBIYA OR SEPHARDIC BLACK-EYED PEAS

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