Cold January Day

It's a cold January day in Georgia. It's 9:30 am and the temperature is 27F. I've not even had my morning coffee and I am already thinking about what to make for dinner! Am I the only person that wakes up thinking about stuffed cabbage leaves? I've not made them since last winter, but they certainly are a warming dish. I was thinking if I could make a kind of stuffed cabbage lasagna style, using the cabbage leaves instead of the pasta. This is something I will have to think on today. Let's see.... cabbage leaves, ground sirloin/veal/pork mixture mixed with onion, garlic and tomato sauce. I'm wondering if it needs a sour cream/creme fraiche layer mixed with fresh dill. Perhaps just layers of cabbage, and meat sauce for now. I can always top it with a sour cream dill sauce. I may just give it a go. Don't know if I want to spend the time rolling up the individual leaves today. Yes, my dinner is set. Now, I need to find a good bakery with some fresh pumpernickel bread to serve with it. Off to find my Hungarian cookbook to get a few more variations on herbs and spices to use. Caraway, Dill, ... those are a given for me. A nice cucumber salad will compliment it nicely.

Essen Sie! Ok, that's German, but my translator did not have Hungarian! Eat!

New Year Traditions

Tomorrow will be a new year! There are so many traditions that I think are fun. In the south, we have some eating traditions. Black eyed peas are for good luck and any kind of greens (spinach, turnip, or collard) will bring money in the new year. I'm not really superstitious, but I will eat these "just in case". It's the time for resolutions, which I no longer make. Well, I can't keep them but for a few weeks or so. I hope that by next New Year's Eve I will be able to say that it was "my best year ever!".

I am going to a party tonight where everyone brings something to eat. I always mull over in my head over these events as I never know what to make. I was going to make homemade domathes (Greek stuffed grape leaves), but a lot of people are afraid to try them. I think I'll save making them for a time when a lot of relatives will be present, or at least a few people that I know can eat them by the handful. I'm one of those people. I can sit and eat tons of them. I tried to think of something different, yet familiar enough that people would like. I have some canned beans in the house, so I decided to make a salsa. Being that tomorrow is New Years, I decided to use black eye peas too. I usually don't measure many ingredients when making salsa, but I did measure these.

1 16 oz can black eye peas (drained and rinsed)

1 25.11 oz can black beans (drained and rinsed)

1 16 oz can garbanzo beans (drained and rinsed)

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 of a large green bell pepper, diced

1/4 cup chopped Spanish olives (stuffed with pimentos)

2 green onions (sliced thinly)

8 Jalapeno slices, finely chopped

1 4 oz can green chilies (drained)

I put the above ingredients in a large bowl. In a small bowl, I whisk the following ingredients:

Juice of one lime

Juice of one lemon

Juice of one clementine (you can use 1/4 cup fresh orange or pineapple juice too)

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp Oregano

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp salt

1 tsp ground pepper

2 cloves garlic minced

Combine the ingredients and mix with the beans. Chill until serving time. Let come to room temperature before serving. Serve with tortilla chips.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy new year! Let me know some of your New Year traditions. I've heard there is going to be a "running with the suitcase" at this party. It means more travel in your future (from Colombia).