January 1st: Tunisian Chickpea Stew

Tunisian Chickpea Stew (Lablabi). The first time we made this, I had a temper tantrum. There were so many steps. I was hungry. The step stool was stuck in the open position and maybe I tried to close it a bit too harshly. Maybe I was a little mad at someone else too and the step stool was an unwilling recipient of my misdirected anger.  Whatever the case dinner was delicious, we needed a new step stool and I apologized to my daughter for my outburst.

This dish is really Nuala's. She's figured out ways to de-faffify the steps and I'm just her sous chef. I chop and zest at her command. It's a family hit as everyone- even the pickiest among us- likes it. It gets big hits too because it makes the house smell damn good. We've made this for company and they rave about it. 

I know lots of people around us like the black eyed peas and collards tradition- which I've done before- but it's not really my jam. I want to start letting go of the south too. One finger at a time. As a kid I think we just ate leftovers from the day before. This dish was perfect to kick off the new year. Made mostly of pantry staples, but still fresh and healthy. Plus it has an international flair which I think sets our intentions for the year as well. 

More days spent outside with my people. More cooking the kitchen with my kiddo. More food like this.

Did I take a picture? Absolutely not, but I'll try to remember to do that. It's the least I can do.