New Year – Old Recipes

We have just a few more days of 2009, and the promise of a fresh start in 2010 is on the horizon.

All around the world, people celebrate the New Year with foods for good luck.  I’m familiar with liverwurst, pickled herring, and black beans and rice to name but a smattering.  Many of the food traditions I’ve heard of hail from Germany, Ireland and the South Pacific – and I’m sure many more have roots in places from every corner of the globe.

Every year I struggle with one of my rooted food traditions, sauerbraten.  I can never remember all of the parts, steps and cooking the marinade or not cooking the marinade.  How many days of marinating worked the best?  What cut of beef is that again? Didn’t venison work well one year?  All sorts of questions come up and because it’s a recipe that was never written down in the family I have but my memories and cooking sense to rely on.

Her e is where Mr. Science really comes in and saves the day.  He always remembers all of the ingredients, the steps, the number of days, etc.  Perhaps this is because sauerbraten is one of his favorite dishes.  Off to the kitchen we go, and collaboratively make the magic marinade.  This year it really smells good, looks right and is going to serve the roast well when it comes time to cook the meal on New Year’s Day.  This New Year’s food tradition has been in my family (on both sides) for about a hundred years, and Mr. Science’s family, although not a steady tradition there, had made its appearances on occasion.

As for the rest of the meal, it includes red cabbage, kudufleglais (sp.)  (potato dumplings), and the wonderful gravy gotten by adding ginger snaps to the cooking marinade and roast.

So here’s to all of the great and good luck fortune of food traditions all over the world. Happy New Year!

PLJ&H, Jule

Posted by WNV Headline News on December 28, 2009. Filed under Human Interest,Leisure,Opinion Editorial. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.