| Did a friend forward this to you? Sign up here. Lucky charms How do you like to ring in the New Year? A few years ago I went to a party at my friend Patty's home, and we each ate 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight — 12 grapes in 12 seconds! — to bring sweetness and luck to every month of the new year. The reason for and origin of las doce uvas de la suerte is unclear, but it's a Spanish tradition that's made inroads throughout Latin America. And I haven't celebrated a New Year's Eve without grapes since. So tell me: Do you toast with champagne? Cook lentils? Bake bread? Eat long noodles? Eat marzipan? Set a baked Alaska aflame? Wear something special? Watch fireworks on TV? I want to know! Are you among those who believe black-eyed peas bring good luck? Then today's recipe, for black-eyed peas with mushrooms and some spice, might be just the thing to cook for dinner tonight. (If you prefer hoppin' John, here's a recipe for the Low Country dish from my colleague Tim Carman.)  | Today's recipe |  Photos by Stacy Zarin Goldberg for The Washington Post; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky for The Washington Post | Black-Eyed Peas With Mushrooms - Canned whole tomatoes are called for here >> but you can use diced or crushed or even fresh, chopped.
- I wouldn't skip the cumin >> but if you must, swap it for coriander.
- No garlic? >> How about shallots or onions?
- In place of chili powder >> I used ground Kashmiri chiles, but any kind of ground chile works, or you can skip it.
- Canned black-eyed peas speed things up here. >> You could use around 1 cup of cooked or frozen and drained instead.
- Not a fan of mushrooms? >> How about thinly sliced bell peppers or tender winter squash, such as delicata?
For easy printing and scaling, view this recipe in our Recipe Finder. Servings: 4 (makes 6 1/2 cups; freezes well)
Active time: 20 mins
Total time: 40 mins Ingredients - One (28-ounce) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon sunflower or other neutral vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- One (14-ounce) can no-salt-added black-eyed peas, drained and rinsed
- 12 ounces button or cremini mushrooms, washed, patted dry and thickly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, or more as needed
Steps1. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the whole tomatoes to a medium bowl, leaving the extra liquid behind (reserve it for another use). Snip the tomatoes into bite-size pieces with kitchen scissors or crush them with your hands. 2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the cumin seeds and cook, stirring, until they start to darken, about 30 seconds. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, another 30 seconds. Stir in the chili powder, turmeric and garam masala, cook for a few seconds, then pour in the water and cook until it evaporates and the oil separates, 2 to 3 minutes. 3. Stir in the tomatoes, black-eyed peas, mushrooms and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the flavors have melded and the mixture has thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and, if you'd like, use a wooden spoon to mash some of the peas to thicken the sauce. Serve hot. Adapted from "Indian in 7," by Monisha Bharadwaj (Kyle, 2019). Tested by Joe Yonan. Nutrition information per serving (based on 4): Calories: 170; Total Fat: 5 g; Saturated Fat: 1 g; Cholesterol: 0 mg; Sodium: 330 mg; Carbohydrates: 23 g; Dietary Fiber: 5 g; Sugars: 5 g; Protein: 9 g.  | Dessert | 🎧 "Maps" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.
📚 "Colombiana: A Rediscovery of Recipes and Rituals from the Soul of Colombia" by Mariana Velasquez Villegas.
📖 "Joan Didion, who chronicled American decadence and hypocrisy, dies at 87" by Harrison Smith in The Post.
👀 George is innocent.
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