Lucy Mercer
Indian spiced black-eyed peas
Probably not your mother's Southern food, but they'll bring good luck all the same
Visit my mom’s house on New Year’s Day and you will be treated to simple, humble fare — a black-as-midnight cast iron skillet sizzling with buttermilk cornbread, a pot of black-eyed peas and a bowl of greens, usually collards. The peas and greens are usually cooked with pork, such as the leftover bone from a holiday ham. Eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s is supposed to bring luck in the coming year; greens are supposed to bring green (money) to your pockets.
It’s kind of endemic to the Southern experience that the Way Mom (or Grandma) Cooks is the best and only way to cook. My mother is an excellent cook, and I’ve learned much in her kitchen. At my mother’s apron strings, I learned dishes such as country fried steak and chicken and dumplings. I learned to make layer cakes, pound cakes and cookies. Mom taught me how to put together a meal, cooking the meat and vegetables in order so that everything is ready at the same time. She taught me her way, but she also taught me something else: to try new things. This is the most valuable lesson of all. Even in my suburban Georgia neighborhood, I have an incredible amount of ingredients and technology available to me, plus a world of information at my fingertips. I can choose to cook from my own little world or I can bring the world into my kitchen.
Which is why on New Year’s Day 2011, you will find the traditional black-eyed peas flavored with garam masala, turmeric and cumin at my table. This flavorful and fragrant dish is adapted from Gene Lee, who writes for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and blogs at Eat, Drink, Man: a Food Journal. Instead of cooking the peas entirely on the stovetop, I start them off in a Dutch oven and place it in the oven on convection for an hour or more, for the peas to slowly soak up the spicy goodness.
Oven-Braised Black-Eyed Peas with Indian Spices
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dried black-eyed peas
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
- 2 chilies, chopped, heat level of your choice
- 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped into ¼-inch dice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 2 cups water
Directions
- Pour peas onto a rimmed half sheet baking pan and pick out stones, debris and off-looking peas. Pour peas into a bowl and cover with water. Swish the peas, then pour off most of the water. Refill with water to cover peas by one inch and leave to soak for a few hours or overnight. Add water, if needed.
- When ready to cook, put a Dutch oven on the cooktop over medium heat and pour in oil. Add cumin seeds, garlic and ginger and stir for a minute. Add dry seasonings – salt, cayenne, turmeric and garam masala. Cook over medium heat for five minutes. If mixture is too dry, add a spoonful of water. Turn up the heat and add onions and chilies.
- Add peas and water and bring to a boil. Heat oven to 300°. Place Dutch oven in real oven at 300° for at least one hour. Check liquid level occasionally. Peas should be done after an hour, but can continue to cook at low heat for several hours — be sure to check the liquid level and replenish with water as needed.
Indian spiced black-eyed peas recipe
Oven-Braised Black-Eyed Peas with Indian Spices
Ingredients
- 8 ounces dried black-eyed peas
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons whole cumin seeds
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- 2 cups water
- 2 chilies, chopped, heat level of your choice
- 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped into ¼-inch dice
Ranch snack mix
Crispy, crunchy, chunky and ranch-flavored. Can you actually resist anything ranch-flavored?
I ran into a friend this week, another mommy getting ready for Christmas, and I asked her how her week was going. “Oh, it’s going great. I guess I’m all ready for Christmas!” she replied.
Knowing that Friday was the last day of school before the holidays, I asked about teacher gifts, not to make her panic, but because I’m always looking for ideas. She panicked. Her pretty blue eyes opened wide and she said, “Oh my goodness, I can’t believe I forgot! I’ve got to get teacher gifts!” We talked through a few options, from candles and hand lotion to gift cards and baked goods. I’ve done them all, to recognize the hard work of my daughters’ teachers.
Continue Reading CloseRanch snack mix
Ingredients
- 1 (10-ounce) package oyster crackers
- 1 (9-ounce) package Snyder’s of Hanover Butter Snaps Pretzels
- 1 (12-ounce) package cheese crackers or sticks
- 1 (12-ounce) can mixed nuts
- 1 (1-ounce) envelope Hidden Valley Ranch Original Ranch Salad Dressing mix
- ½ cup vegetable oil
Directions
- Heat oven to 300 degrees. In a large, shallow pan, mix together all snack ingredients. Stir together the salad dressing and oil and pour over the snacks. Evenly distribute the seasoning throughout the mixture. Bake in oven, stirring frequently, for about a half-hour. This is absolutely irrestisible warm from the oven. You can store it at room temp in sealed containers, but it won’t last long. Actually, the untouched mix could probably last for a week or more, but my point is, it won’t be around your house for very long if the munch monsters know where to find it.
Fruitcake-inspired Scotch shortbread
Fruitcake is often the butt of jokes during the holidays. These candied fruit-studded shortbread cookies won't be
“Oh Buddy, I think it’s fruitcake weather,” goes the opening line to one of the best short stories ever written (and certainly a sentimental Southern favorite), “A Christmas Memory” by Truman Capote. Capote based the story on his own memories with his elderly cousin Sook, his eccentric best friend, who baked fruitcakes each Christmas and sent them to acquaintances and people they admired, including Mr. and Mrs. Roosevelt at the White House.
These days, the idea of fruitcake is as stale a joke as some of the cakes that remain on the bottom shelf of the Frigidaire from last Christmas. The main appeal of fruitcake for me is the candied cherries, the red and green chewy bits of sugary former fruit. Although a candied cherry is as similar to a real cherry as plastic-encased American cheese is to aged Manchego, they still hold a visual and sentimental appeal.
Continue Reading CloseFruitcake-inspired Scotch shortbread recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened
- ½ cup powdered sugar (10X)
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- candied cherries or pecan halves for garnish, if desired
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325°. In a mixer, cream butter and sugar, then gradually add flour. Add salt and vanilla.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper. Using a rolling pin, gently roll out the dough to ¼-inch thick, in a rough rectangle. Using a sharp knife, cut into 1-inch-square pieces. Press cherry or pecan halves onto each square.
- Bake at 325° for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool. The cuts will have melded back together, but quick work with a sharp knife will take care of that. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Page 1 of 8 in Lucy Mercer
