The New Year holiday is a fresh start and a chance to gather close friends and family together. With a the menu that augurs good luck, surely the year is off to a fortuitous start. Couple that with local sourcing of key ingredients and you end up with community support as well as wonderfully and auspicious dishes to share with those you love.
New Year Good Luck Recipes with Pittsburgh Sourcing
Miso Sweet Potato Pie with 12 Grapes
In Spain and parts of Latin America, New Year revelers are required to eat 12 grapes at midnight to ensure luck all year long. Here, Chef Uleman invites us to eat our grapes as part of a scrumptious sweet potato pie laced with miso and tahini and a reduction of dark beer. “I believe that miso and tahini absolutely belong in sweet treats!” says Marijke Uleman. They build layers of umami that make this dessert an adventure for the palette. Head to WFH Oriental Market for miso, Pitaland for tahini, and Shenot Farm for sweet potatoes and table grapes.
Pickled Baby Carrots with Lentils
This gorgeous plate of pickled baby carrots will emerge from your kitchen looking like glistening gems. They are served with lentils, whose coin shape has made them an ancient symbol of financial wealth and security. Add smoked labneh and a toasted pita chip for the perfect combination of creaminess, sharpness, sweetness, and crunch. In addition to the lentils’ good luck message, this dish starts the year off on note of good health. Pitaland is a wonderful place for labneh and pita chips. Head to the Strip to Penn Mac for carrots and herbs, and then to Penzey’s for spices.
Good Luck Tamales
In many parts of Latin America, and in Latino communities in the United States, tamales are an integral part of the winter holidays. They’re usually made in big batches by family and friends who form a casual assembly line to spread the corn husk wrappers, fill them with masa and seasoned meats, and tie the wrappers closed for steaming. This recipe for 30 tamales calls for Cochinita Pibil, a Yucatan specialty of pork marinated in achiote (annatto seeds) and citrus, then wrapped in banana leaves, and slow-cooked. Hibiscus flowers (“Jamaica” in Spanish) are usually used to make tart, ruby-red tea; here they dye the corn husks a bright pink. Shop for spices, masa, corn husks, and hibiscus at Pittsburgh’s most prominent Latino market, Reyna’s in the Strip.
Black-Eyed Peas Salad
You’ll find black-eyed peas on every Southern table at the New Year. Since we’re at the northern tip of the Appalachias, maybe we need to embrace this dish more often than we do! The sheer number of black-eyed peas (a type of bean) makes them a symbol of plenty and abundance. This fresh, vibrant salad is a take on the classic Southern “Hoppin’ John,” swapping rice for citrus-dressed greens and adding crunchy cornbread croutons for texture. Head to Trax Farm’s store for most of what you need for this dish but find Coldco Farm’s legendary radicchio to add radiant color and a complex note of bitterness.
Sweet Potato Waffles with Citrus Curd
Wishing your friends and family good financial fortune in 2026 is a gift in and of itself. Express that hope with golden foods like a silky citrus curd paired with crispy-edged sweet potato waffles made savory and complex with the delicate anise note of roasted fennel. A bit of fresh dill cuts through the richness with a grassy freshness. If you’re feeding a crowd, you can make the waffles in batches and keep them warm in a low oven. The citrus curd can be made up to 3 days in advance. We’ll be heading to the farm store at Soergel’s for supplies.
Grapefruit Chai Masala “Mimosa”
Kick-start your New Year festivities by welcoming guests with a riff on a classic mimosa, minus the alcohol and using grapefruit instead of orange juice. “In many cultures around the world, citrus fruits are symbols of good luck and prosperity,” Chef Uleman says. The alcohol-free drink was a nod to the fact that many people – including Uleman – cut out alcohol in January. If you’re imbibing, however, feel free to use prosecco, cava, or champagne in the recipe. We’re heading to East End Food Co-op to look for the best grapefruit. Their winter citrus selection tends towards the inspiring. We will also use locally bottled Red Ribbon Seltzer for bubbles!
Buy Fresh Buy Local Western Pennsylvania helps TABLE Magazine find farms, farm shares, farmers’ markets, and retailers who carry local farm products in our area.
Story by Julia Platt Leonard
Recipes by Chef Marijke Uleman
Styling by Jessica Baca
Photography by Tira Howard
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