My mother Maria would tell us to eat lentils on New Years Eve?...Why

you ask? The answer is very simple.. Because her mother Luisa said

that it is an Italian tradition in Naples, Food ,Love is the same thing and

so is Lentils for good luck.

Lentil Recipe

Maria would take out a big stock pot and start simmering lots of chopped

onions Carrots and Celery (mirepoix) with either pancetta (Italian Bacon ) or

Italian sausage for flavor. Once the sausage was browned and the onions

translucent, she would remove the sausage and serve it on the side. Then

she would add Homemade Chicken Broth, Cleaned Lentils (she would stand

over a colander cleaning the lentils to make sure there were no little pebbles

mixed in ) add strips of Canned Pomodoro tomatoes, and cubes of cleaned

potatoes. I am not sure what made her lentil soup taste so delicious. Was it

her singing over the simmering stock pot , or the shared memories of her

mother making this special traditional dish?

Today we want to share this family tradition with you. With a Vegetarian

twist from her original recipe…. No sausage or pancetta or chicken

stock.

We Make it purely Vegetarian, using freshly made Vegetable stock, and only

fresh local vegetables with cleaned Lentils.

And being the inquisitive person that I am , I poured over my mother’s

cookbook library for the tradition of why Italians eat Lentils on New

Year’s?... I discovered it is symbolic .

The lentils, with their coinlike shape, represent luck and prosperity

We all need a Big Yummy Bowl of Lentils to warm our tummy and our heart

with hope of a joyful year to come.

At Marias Italian Kitchen we believe Food and Love ……… Same thing

Wishing you and your families Happy Healthy and prosperous New Year

Maddy Alfano