My husband found an old cookery book in a second hand shop called Jewish Cooking In America. He gave it to me with a little trepidation as I don’t like receiving cooking books as gifts. It’s a gem of a book tracing Jewish cooking from Eastern Europe, Greece, Turkey and Syria. There are so many fascinating recipes and accounts, including a very touching account of the Jewish community in Salonica, Greece and their escape, the lucky few, to the USA. The recipe below is an adaptation of a recipe in the book and one which epitomises East Med Food as variations of it can be found in other East Med countries.

I would just as happily use kid goat for this, the black eyed peas are creamy and the sauce is lively and satisfying. I froze some of it and it was great as a mid-week dinner.

500g of dry black eyed peas
1.5kg of diced veal
250g of spinach
100ml of olive oil
1 onion finely diced
20g of fresh garlic
1 large cinnamon stick
2 heaped tablespoons of tomato paste
1ltr of chicken stock
1 heaped teaspoon of coriander

Directions

1. Soak the peas for 8 hours.
2. Boil the peas in a pan for 30 minutes removing the scum as it appears. Drain.
3. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and add the onions, garlic, and cinnamon. Fry on a medium heat until the onions are translucent.
4. Stir in the coriander and tomato paste.
5. Add the veal and fry for a couple more minutes.
6. Add 500 ml of stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes.
7. Transfer to a big pot and add the peas and the rest of the stock.
8. Cook for an hour and 15 minutes or until veal is very soft.
9. Do not serve immediately and allow to stand for at least 20 minutes. It is best eaten at room temperature. Serve with fresh crusty bread.