It can be difficult when people of two different cultures join a life together, and each spouse’s traditions are totally non-negotiable. Where my tradition is, of course, the right way, and yours, then, is the wrong way. It’s a challenge for many, many couples.
For us, it’s the New Year’s Good Luck Dinner.
My mother’s side of my family is rooted in the South, and our said dinner consists of black-eyed peas, collard greens and ham. My husband comes from Northwest Pennsylvania, and he think a good luck dinner is pork chops and sauerkraut. Now, my husband’s dinner is more appealing to my taste buds- I always hated the greens, but choked them down for the threat of an unlucky year- but it just doesn’t seem right.
So, for ten years now, we have tripped over this point every January 1st. Some years, we’ve made my dinner (you know- the good years!), and some years we’ve made his. I gather from my google research, that there are lots of different ways to have a good luck dinner… and while my inclination is to say that they are all wrong (except mine), I think that this year, we’re going to set down a new tradition, unique to us. This is now our good luck dinner. It’s a soup that we have all the time- it’s yummy comfort food, similar in its appeal to French onion soup, but it contains most of the elements common among different good luck dinners- greens and pork. I might have to throw a legume in there though, just to be safe…
Baked Cabbage Soup
- 2 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
- 2-4 oz. ham or prosciutto, cut into strips
- 1 quart of chicken stock
- 1 small head of green cabbage, chopped into bite size pieces
- 2 – 3 slices of toasted wheat bread
- ½ cup shredded swiss cheese
- ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
- 2 T olive oil
In a large pot over medium high heat, brown the bacon in the olive oil. Add the cabbage, and stir often until the cabbage is wilted- about 5 minutes. It doesn’t wilt like spinach, but it will definitely reduce in bulk.
Tear the toasted bread into pieces, and arrange on the bottom of a casserole dish. Top with wilted cabbage mixture, then with ham, and finally with the shredded swiss and parmesan. Pour the chicken stock into the dish until it covers the cabbage. (How much stock you need will depend on the size and shape of your casserole dish.) Cover, and bake in a 350 degree oven for one hour, removing the lid for the last 2o minutes.
Yum. (I feel luckier already.)
It can be difficult when people of two different cultures join a life together, and each spouse’s traditions are totally non-negotiable. Where my tradition is, of course, the right way, and yours, then, is the wrong way. It’s a challenge for many, many couples.
For us, it’s the New Year’s Good Luck Dinner.
My mother’s side of my family is rooted in the South, and our said dinner consists of black-eyed peas, collard greens and ham. My husband comes from Northwest Pennsylvania, and he think a good luck dinner is pork chops and sauerkraut. Now, my husband’s dinner is more appealing to my taste buds- I always hated the greens, but choked them down for the threat of an unlucky year- but it just doesn’t seem right.
So, for ten years now, we have tripped over this point every January 1st. Some years, we’ve made my dinner (you know- the good years!), and some years we’ve made his. I gather from my google research, that there are lots of different ways to have a good luck dinner… and while my inclination is to say that they are all wrong (except mine), I think that this year, we’re going to set down a new tradition, unique to us. This is now our good luck dinner. It’s a soup that we have all the time- it’s yummy comfort food, similar in its appeal to French onion soup, but it contains most of the elements common among different good luck dinners- greens and pork. I might have to throw a legume in there though, just to be safe…
Baked Cabbage Soup
2 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
2-4 oz. ham or prosciutto, cut into strips
1 quart of chicken stock
1 small head of green cabbage, chopped into bite size pieces
2 – 3 slices of toasted wheat bread
½ cup shredded swiss cheese
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 T olive oil
In a large pot over medium high heat, brown the bacon in the olive oil. Add the cabbage, and stir often until the cabbage is wilted- about 5 minutes. It doesn’t wilt like spinach, but it will definitely reduce in bulk.
Tear the toasted bread into pieces, and arrange on the bottom of a casserole dish. Top with wilted cabbage mixture, then with ham, and finally with the shredded swiss and parmesan. Pour the chicken stock into the dish until it covers the cabbage. (How much stock you need will depend on the size and shape of your casserole dish.) Cover, and bake in a 350 degree oven for one hour, removing the lid for the last 2o minutes.
Yum. (I feel luckier already.)
(I usually make a bigger serving than this, but someone pilfered some of the yogurt while in the freezing process. Punk.)
