Happy New Year Everybody!

No New Year would be complete without collards and black-eyed peas. Eating these dishes on New Year's Day will bring you good luck in the upcoming year. And although I generally take some liberties with when, exactly, I eat this dish, eat it, I do. It is an old Southern tradition, born of slaves who were given this day off (I believe). Certainly, black-eyed peas, or field peas, or crowder peas, or whatever variety grows in your field, were considered slave food; collards are one crop that actually taste better when grown in the cold (something about the cold and the sugar in the rather bitter leaves). So, these two dishes came to signify money: the collards are green like bills and the peas are coin. And in America, lots of money = good luck.

I first heard about this tradition back in my North Carolina days. Wayne was not only a good cook, but he lived in a house with many people and they often had House Dinners. New Year's Dinner was a big one. It often involved people outside the house (like girlfriends, former roommates, coworkers) and it was my first real experience with collards and black-eyed peas.

Wayne was vegetarian, so I also learned how to cook things without bacon or ham -- quite a feat when you're talking about collards and dried peas. I really didn't like collards the first 5 or so times I had them; but I always had at least a bite or two for good luck's sake. I loved the peas, though. As a former Crook's Corner cook, Wayne always made Hoppin' John.

But this past year, I saw a Good Eats where Altan makes collards. Now, I'll do just about anything Altan tells me to; the man makes excellent food and even better television (two of my favoritest things in the world). Altan doesn't use ham -- he uses a smoked turkey leg. So while at the store yesterday, I took a walk down the meat aisle and although I didn't find legs, I did find wings. Here then, I would see if the smoked turkey could compare to a ham hock (it would certainly beat out the veggie version).

Let me just say, yes. By all means, used smoked turkey in your collards. Make a broth first -- boil the wing for 10-15 before adding the collards. (According to Altan, most people over-cook collards and release the stinky cabbage smell, 45 minutes should be enough to cook them.) Altan adds a teaspoon of sugar (which I tried), but no onion or red pepper. I skipped the onion (the onion for the peas already made me cry), but I did add a couple shakes of red pepper flakes. In went the collards and cook. Presto: awesome collards. I admit, I was lazy and skipped the tomato and green onion on the Hoppin' John. I did add cheese, though. It was a very good dinner.

I also made cornbread, although because my oven and refrigerator are stupid, the cornbread wasn't quite ready in time, and I was too hungry to wait. It was crazy cornbread, too. I forgot about the cornbread, so I only had enough cornmeal for half a batch. But I also didn't have sour cream, plain yogurt, or buttermilk and I have discovered the both biscuits and cornbread MUST have some acid or they won't rise properly. Milk is not enough. So I added some mayo. Why not? Also, black pepper and some shredded cheese, because, I currently have too much of it. And, the piece de resistance -- greased the pan with bacon grease. Yes. Good cornbread.

Now, I just hope that all the luck I rack up will cancel out the luck I'm bound to sweep away. I have stacks of paper and mail to go through, but the Chinese say you shouldn't clean anything in the New Year -- you'll sweep out the good luck with the bad. oops.