As a child growing up in Southern Ohio with grandparents in Eastern Kentucky, I never heard tell of the great and noble lentil. Yet here I am at 49 years of age with a vegetarian, Asian daughter in my house and lentils are a major staple of our diet.
I was pretty much unaware of the lentil’s existence until my mid-twenties when I discovered Indian food while living in Japan. A good dal is one of the greatest joys of life! I make some sort of dal most every week for my daughter’s lunch. This always gets her some questions, comments and odd looks. She could not care less. No one loves Indian food more than my kid—except for maybe an actual Indian person.
It was many years later still when I discovered just how many different kinds of damn lentils one could obtain. Green, brown, yellow, red, and my favorite, black—known as the beluga lentil. It is considered the caviar of lentils due of its resemblance. Then just recently I learned of French and Italian lentils—which are quite similar and pricy AF. That does not stop me from buying them, much to my husband’s dismay. I recently purchased two fairly small packs of Umbrian lentils for a new recipe and I’m embarrassed to reveal what I paid for them. For the record, they are delish!
Now you might be asking yourself, can one living in Southeastern Kentucky really find all these varieties of lentils? The answer is a solid, “No.” However, this bitch is all about shopping online for bougie groceries and I will hunt down an ingredient for a new recipe like one of my dogs in pursuit of a bird.
Because we consume so many lentils as an alternative protein source, I’m always on lookout for a new lentil recipe. Many that I make have an Indian flair, which is a favorite in the Traver household. I also have made Parisian lentils, Turkish lentils and a sassy little fresh rosemary number.
I need to give a huge shout out to Milk Street for keeping the lentils recipes interesting and abundant in all their publications. They have really expanded my lentil horizons, if you will.
Lentils, in all their colors and forms, have become one of my favorite foods. It’s really crazy to think how my tastes have changed and grown over the years. My husband and I often discuss how amazing it is we prepare and eat the things we do, given our limited variety in foods growing up.
Don’t get me wrong, I ate very well as a child. My mom and granny were excellent Southern cooks. I was just not having curry, tofu, chickpeas, salmon (except from a can, formed into a patty and fried), or a variety of other things that are now common in my diet.
All this to say, don’t be afraid to try something new. I realize not everyone lives to eat the way I do. It is basically my favorite activity. However, if you do have a bit of an adventuresome palate, be bold! They won’t all be winners (Hint: anything with both vegan and meatball in the title is going to disappoint), but when you find your lentil, your life will be all the better for it. It will also keep your vegetarian teenager from bitching about what’s for dinner.
Angela Traver
What is this blog about? Well, it's a general blog, but it is also a very specific blog. If you get that reference, you get a gold star! I have been a public relations professional and writer of press releases for more than 20 years—primarily in the booze biz. I decided to do some writing for fun and embrace the humor that gets me through most days. Hopefully it will make you chuckle—or at least smile. I’m a certified crazy magnet, and more than a little nutty myself, so buckle up. Also, I have two vices—profanity and red wine/whiskey. You’ve been warned. It should also be noted, that I’m a HUGE Bob & Sheri fan. I’ve been a listener for more than 20 years. This opportunity is a dream come true and it may have made me cry. That being said, I cry at everything. If you are into booze, dogs, food and/or knitting, hit me up on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter (although I’m terrible at Twitter and it scares me) @kyspiritsgal. You can also find all my previous blog posts at www.kyspiritsgal.com.
