Baklava -- Sweetness Worth Waiting For

New Year's 2033. Black-eyed peas for the twenty-first year. Legal drinking age for the tradition, which we celebrate by giving the tradition a glass of sparkling cider (Cody doesn't drink, so the house doesn't drink, and the house doesn't drink is a rule that Dustin adopted without comment because Dustin Turner doesn't need reasons to do the right thing — he just does it). Dustin made the peas. Tenth consecutive year. The mastery is complete. The student is the teacher. The teacher is sitting on the couch eating peas she didn't make and feeling complex emotions about her role in the black-eyed pea dynasty.

Resolution: Take a vacation. Dustin has been pushing for this for three years. "A beach," he says. "Any beach." And I say, "We can't afford it," and the saying is a reflex, a leftover from the years when we genuinely couldn't afford it, and the reflex hasn't updated to match the reality, which is: we can afford it. The business is profitable. The food bank salary is steady. The book royalties are small but consistent. We can afford a beach. We can afford three days at Gulf Shores, Alabama, which is the cheapest beach within driving distance and which Dustin has researched with the thoroughness of a man who has been waiting five years for his wife to say yes to sand.

I haven't said yes. But I said, "Maybe." And Dustin knows that "maybe" from Kaylee Turner is a yes that hasn't fully formed yet, a yes that's still in the oven, rising, not yet ready to come out. The beach is coming. The scarcity reflex is releasing. Slowly. Like everything in this family. Slowly and then all at once.

Dustin’s peas were perfect — they always are now — and I sat there on the couch thinking about layers: the layers of years, the layers of habit, the layers of a scarcity reflex that hasn’t caught up to reality yet. Baklava felt right for exactly that reason. It’s all layers, all patience, all slow sweetness that doesn’t rush itself — and then all at once it’s the best thing on the table. If I’m learning anything this year, it’s that some things, like beach trips and letting go, are worth the wait.

Baklava

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes | Servings: 24 pieces

Ingredients

• 1 lb phyllo dough, thawed
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 3 cups walnuts, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish generously and set aside.
2. Mix the filling. In a bowl, combine the chopped walnuts, cinnamon, and ground cloves. Stir well and set aside.
3. Layer the phyllo. Unroll the phyllo dough and trim to fit the pan if needed. Keep the stack covered with a damp towel as you work to prevent drying. Lay 2 sheets of phyllo in the buttered dish and brush thoroughly with melted butter. Repeat, layering 2 sheets and brushing with butter, until you have used half the phyllo (about 8–10 sheets total).
4. Add the filling. Spread the walnut mixture evenly over the layered phyllo in the pan.
5. Top with remaining phyllo. Continue layering the remaining phyllo sheets, 2 at a time, brushing each layer generously with melted butter. Finish with a final brush of butter on top.
6. Score the baklava. Using a sharp knife, cut the baklava into diamond or square shapes all the way through the layers — do this before baking so the syrup can soak in properly.
7. Bake. Bake at 350°F for 40–45 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown and crisp.
8. Make the syrup. While the baklava bakes, combine water, sugar, honey, and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Allow to cool slightly.
9. Soak. As soon as the baklava comes out of the oven, pour the warm syrup slowly and evenly over the hot baklava. Let it stand uncovered at room temperature for at least 4 hours, or overnight, before serving so the layers absorb the syrup fully.
10. Serve. Cut through the scored lines again if needed and serve at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 220 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 25g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 75mg