It’s an odd thing for breakfast, but alas I am but a bachelour and thus unaccustomed to the normal conventions. In any case, I had some collard greens and some blackeyed peas. And there’s a Lotto drawing tonight. I must remember to purchase a ticket or two. That would be “prosperity for the coming year”! 
Well, in the Gobear household, we have red beans and rice for luck in the New Year
False_God, reading you post made me SO hungry!
I’m eating my BEPs and ham right now…mmmm. I made a batch “plain”, and also a batch with jalapenos (peppers and the juice) - it adds a nice amount of heat, and the flavors blend beautifully. Add buttermilk cornbread, and it’s a nummy meal.
Oh, it gets better, my friend. We’re having company for dinner tonight, so I decided to make another batch to wash down the first, which turned out smaller than I suspected.
This time, the BEPs joined bacon, onion and celery (out of salt pork, and I upped the vegetables to about a half-cup each), more turkey stock and bacon grease. I kept this batch soupy, and adjusted the seasonings upward, to make it more spicy. When the peas were done, Instead of reducing, I tossed a half-cup of jasmine rice into it, to make true Hoppin’ John. When all that was done. I tossed about a half-cup of chopped green onion and parsley in.
When I went to the store to replenish my collards, they were slap out of ‘em. So I got a smoked jowl, boiled it, reserved the liquid, then rendered the ham until crispy. Half an onion, the turnip greens with turnips that they did have, salt, pepper and vinegar went in. So now I have a five-pound eye of round roast in the oven, Hoppin’ John, turnip greens with ham, and roasted garlic mashed potatoes for supper.
And the hors de ouvere is chicken liver mousse with green peppercorns that I made last week. Oh, and vanill apoundcake and raspberry sauce for dessert.
Johnny LA :Ya might want to think more about relocating to Chapel Hill, North Carolina. It’s about as open and good as Seattle, but you already got the good grits down, from what I see. Do give it a consider!
Tonight’s menu:
Black Eyed Peas (frozen, from Albertson’s) with pork (no time to defrost the ham hocks)
Pork chops
Pickles (no good-looking greens available)
And, of course, Co’Cola.
My puzzled non-Southern but culturally open partner not only ate, but in fact prepared this lucky and delicious repast.
elelle: Ah, but I like the Pacific Northwest. 