Happy Ethiopian New Year!
This year the 10th anniversary of September 11th also falls on the same weekend as the Ethiopian New Year. Our choice today was to celebrate with our children a day of new beginnings in our beloved country of America, a country that allows a family like ours to unite and thrive as any other.
Today was a day to revel in our blessings, to contemplate what it means to be alive and well, to engage the senses. Ethiopian food, prepared and consumed today in celebration, is such that it engages all of the senses. The wats arranged on the injera are a kaleidoscope of red, yellow, and green. Rich aromas of berbere, garlic and onions hang in the air. The spongy injera used to scoop up the wat soaks up the spices, which explode on the tongue, countered with the slightly sour fermentation. And then the satisfied murmurs and sighs as our bellies fill.
The morning began with dancing. Ian requested Ethiopian music, so we but on Bole to Harlem and spun in circles and raised our shoulders with many giggles in our pajamas. There was much silliness and the boys decided to trade pajama shirts before abandoning them all together. As I settled in to make Ambesha, our favorite bread of an earlier blog post, the boys played school. Mostly it was taking their toys in and out of their backpacks, but the occasional book was read as well. Their innocence in so precious, to be protected from the events a decade ago that took what remained of my own. I couldn't help but join them in their play.
For the new year, I decided to make Doro Wat, a chicken stew. This is a pretty traditional wat, one served in berbere sauce with a hard boiled egg. This was a new recipe for me from Extending the Table, and I broke from the recipe to make it in the crock pot. Crock Pot Sundays during the school year are a long tradition in our house, and this was our inaugural slow cooking of the year. By the time I had it all placed in the slow cooker, the boys were ready to get going for the day. Ian wanted to wear an Ethiopian outfit for the day, and looked so sweet in his traditional white shirt and shorts. Suki joined in as well in a Learn Amharic tee shirt, and away we went to buy our injera.
When house hunting two years ago, I always joked that I wanted to live within walking distance of the Holy Land Deli, and wouldn't you know it, we ended up pretty close. Fresh spices and breads from the Middle East and beyond are right at our finger tips. We of course ran into an Ethiopian gentleman there, dressed very similarly to Ian, and exchanged wishes for a happy new year as we both bought our injera for the night's celebration. We love the deli, and today I couldn't help but marvel at my Thai kid in his Learn Amharic shirt picking out Greek humus at the Holy Land. Only in America, that's for sure!
While Suki and Daddy napped, Ian and I went to my mom's to share the Ambesha, one of her favorites as well. Again, it felt right, comforting to spend today sharing fresh baked bread and chatting with my mom while Ian and Grandpa searched for pine cones in the yard.
Along with our Doro Wat, I also put together some Alecha, a mild Ethiopian stew with veggies. The cabbage came from the garden and had been saved for this very recipe since we planted it back in June. This bright yellow dish, seasoned with ginger and turmeric, is the perfect balance to the spicy chicken. As we piled the food high on our injera, Ian broke into a spontaneous Happy New Year song, composed on the spot, and sung in his sweet, sweet voice, a sweet, sweet balm at the end of a challenging day to mark another new beginning.
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