In Italy, it is a tradition to eat them at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve because they are said to bring money and luck. Lentils are considered the oldest legume, cultivated as early as 7000 BC. in Mesopotamia and loved by the ancient Romans, to whom we owe the custom of eating them on New Year’s Eve and giving them a “scarsella”, or a leather bag containing lentils, with the hope that they would turn into sound coins during the year. Even today we say “Eat the lentils that bring good …”
Only New year’s Eve?
Absolutely NOT ! Eat lentils in January, February and March …. and more , if you like!

PHILIP SINSHEIMER
Appreciated ‘private chef’, he has cooked for many Hollywood celebrities including Jane Fonda, Lisa Kudrow, Keanu Reeves. He loves discovering the Italian villages and studying their gastronomic traditions.Ha pubblicato il libro sulla storia della pasta italiana “Les Pâtes du Terroir Italien”
Philip published the book on the history of Italian pasta “Les Pâtes du Terroir Italien”

ORIENTAL STEW WITH LAMB, LENTILS AND VEGETABLES

4 to 6 servings
preparation time: 20 min, cooling time: 35 min
Ingredients
350 g of lamb stew meat cut into 2-inch cubes. 200 g of lentils 1 chopped onion 2 chopped garlic cloves. 250 g of potatoes, 1 large carrot, 2 celery sticks. 50 cl of vegetable broth, 2 tablespoons of olive or coconut oil, 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger. 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, 1 teaspoon of, turmeric / turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon of tomato paste. Salt and pepper
Preparation
Peel and dice the potatoes and carrots. Clean and slice the celery. Brown the lamb and onion for 5 minutes over high heat in a large pot with oil. Add salt and pepper, garlic, spices and tomato paste and continue to brown for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the lentils, vegetables, broth and enough water to cover the ingredients with 5 cm of liquid.
Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 25 minutes. Season with salt and pepper if necessary and leave to rest covered for 10 minutes before serving (as a first / soup or as a main course together with basmati rice).
For extra taste, add 1 tablespoon of butter or 2 tablespoons of coconut cream at the end of cooking. -Add a little freshness by sprinkling chopped coriander and mint once served on the plates. -Let everyone add a little spiciness to their taste by serving a little chilli on the side.