Foods to bring you Luck this New Year

New Year’s Day is just 2 short days away. With a new year comes the opportunity to look back on what has past, forget about the year’s disappointments and move forward with high hopes for what is to come.
For some many, what is eaten on New Year’s Day will set the year on a successful path. There are a variety of foods eaten around the world that are believed to be lucky and to improve the odds for a great year. Throughout the world the most common auspicious foods include, grapes, legumes, greens, fish, pork and cakes.

Grapes: In Spain 12 grapes are eaten, one per stroke of the clock counting down to midnight. Each grape represents a month of the year. If the fourth grape, representing April is sour, the Spaniards believe that April will be a rocky month.

Cooked Greens: cabbage, kale, collards, chard and spinach, are consumed in a many countries around the world. Greens are chosen because when folded they look like money and therefore symbolize economic fortune. The Danish eat stewed kale; the Germans sauerkraut (cabbage) and the southern section of the United States eat collard greens. It is believed that there is a direct relationship with the amount of greens you consume and your fortune for the year.

Legumes: dried beans, peas and lentils are symbolic of money. Their small seeds swell when soaked in water so they are consumed with financial reward in mind. In Italy it is customary to eat sausage and green lentils just after midnight. Combining the pork with the beans makes this dish a particularly lucky dish. Germans also partner pork and legumes, usually lentils or split pea soup with sausage. In Brazil the first meal of the year eaten includes lentil soup. The Japanese eat a dish of sweet black beans.
In the southern United States black eyed peas is the traditional dish. Some people will actually eat one pea for each day of the year, a tradition which began during the Civil War.

Pork: In Cuba, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, Sweden, Italy, Germany and Austria all eat pork. It is believed that pigs are symbolic of progress since they push forward in the ground before moving.
Fish: Cod fish is eaten in some European countries from Christmas through New Year’s. Dry Cod gained its popularity in the middle ages when refrigeration was not yet invented.

Cakes: Cakes baked in a ring shape are eaten from Christmas through New Year. There is a tradition in some countries to bury a trinket or coin in the dough and the one who gets the trinket in their cake will have a good new year. In Sweden and Norway an almond is buried in rice pudding. Whoever gets the nut is guaranteed great fortune in the New Year.

What not to eat: There are a few foods which should not be eaten according to superstition. Lobster, because they move backwards should be avoided on New Year’s Day. Also, chicken should be avoided because they scratch backwards, which is believed to cause great regret or dwelling in the past. Finally there is a theory that you should not eat anything with wings because good luck could fly away.

I wish you good health and fortune this year, no matter what New Year’s dish you chose to eat.

Ginger

There are certain smells that just set you back in time or set a mood for a certain season of the year.  Ginger just says "Christmas".  I was baking some gingerbread last night and it sure helped to bring the Christmas spirit into my home.

Ginger is a wonderful spice! Not only is is tasty but it has many health benefits. Did you know that ginger-

1. is effective in alleviating gastrointestinal distress

2. has antioxidant properties

3. has anti-inflammatory properties

4. boosts the immune system

5. prevents symptoms of motion sickness

6. decrease nausea associated with pregnancy

7. protects against colorectal cancer

Ginger can be purchased in a variety of forms.  Fresh, crystallized, candied and pickled, as well as ground ginger, can be found in your local grocery stores. When possible, purchase fresh ginger, since it is not only superior in flavor, but contains higher levels of gingerol, ginger's anti-inflammatory properties. Make sure the root is firm, smooth and free of mold. Mature ginger, generally sold in America, has a tough brown skin, which needs to be peeled. Fresh ginger can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three weeks if it is left unpeeled.  Store unpeeled ginger in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Dried ginger should be stored in a tightly sealed glass container in a cool, dark and dry place. It can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to one year.

Preparing and serving Ginger

Remove skin with a paring knife or vegetable peeler. The ginger can be sliced, minced or julienned. If you enjoy a more subtle flavor of ginger, add it to your cooking process in the beginning.  For a more pungent flavor add the ginger near the end of cooking.

Quick Serving Ideas

• ginger lemonade-combine freshly grated ginger, lemon juice, sugar or honey and water
• heat up a rice dish by adding grated ginger and sesame seeds
• combine ginger, soy sauce, olive oil and garlic to make a salad dressing
• add ginger and orange juice to pureed sweet potatoes
• add grated ginger to your favorite stuffing for baked apples
• spice up a vegetable dish by adding fresh minced ginger

Try this recipe-

Pineapple Salas with Ginger Syrup

Ingredients:
1 cup water
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup peeled and thinly sliced fresh ginger
1 medium pineapple cut into 1-inch chunks
4 firm bananas, sliced

Directions:

Combine water, honey and ginger in a small sauce pan over high heat. Cook for about 15 minutes, until it reduces and becomes somewhat syrupy. Strain and refrigerate. Make sure you give the syrup a chance to slightly thicken and chill before mixing it.
Cut pineapple and banana and mix together with chilled syrup.
Serves 4

Recipe courtesy of Whole Foods