Black-eyed pea dip for a new year
It’s that time of year when we our thoughts are simultaneously in the past via reflection and the future via resolution. It’s also that time of year when we must eat black-eyed peas.
I’ve written plenty about black-eyed peas and why we Texans (and other Southerners) eat them on New Year’s Day. I’ve also given you some recipes.
This year, I had the honor of picking black-eyed peas at my grandma’s farm. And let me tell you, if you ever have the opportunity to eat fresh black-eye peas straight right out of ground, you’re in for a treat.
When preparing the still-green black-eyed peas, she kept it simple by only seasoning them with a bit of salt, pepper and ham. And for the duration of my visit, it was all I wanted to eat. (Well, almost, as she had also made a chocolate pie.)
I can’t get fresh ones here in the city. I can’t even find dried ones. So my recipes always have a canned option. You can hardly go wrong with classics such as Texas caviar or a delicious soup I made last year called good fortune soup. But those are for the converted, those who already love black-eyed peas. What about something for those who don’t love black-eyed peas?
I recently made a black-eyed pea dip. I seasoned it with garlic, bacon, cilantro and jalapenos, I made it creamy with a bit of cheese and I served it warm with tortilla chips. If you don’t like black-eyed peas, this might be the one for you—it already converted one nonbeliever and I’d be thrilled if it could convert more.
But before I eat my black-eyed peas, I need to decide how I want their good fortune to guide me in the new year. 2008 was a roller coaster of a year—and like all of you, I’m looking forward to an awesome 2009. Here are some of my resolutions that I hope will make 2009 a more wonderful year:
1. Cure a ham in my refrigerator, hopefully in time for Easter. All the recipes I saw called for saltpeter, which is impossible to find because it’s also used to make explosives (and I did not know this so that might explain all the strange looks I got from shopkeepers when I asked if they stocked it). But thanks to Michael Ruhlman, I now know I can use curing salt instead.
2. Learn more about Asian and Caribbean cooking. Fortunately for me, two books by blogging friends are arriving this year to guide me in my education: Jaden’s Asian home cooking cookbook and Cynthia’s Caribbean cookbook.
3. Speaking of books, perhaps I’ll write one. People keep asking me when I’m going to write a book. Well, it’s been a long, strange journey and no, I’m nowhere near the end yet. But, I hope to at least fashion a book proposal this year that someone besides my mom will want to read.
4. I want to make fresh masa. Steve Sando became my hero this year by demonstrating how to make masa at home. I’ve long wanted to do this and have even seen the manual grinders at area cookware stores. But Steve got an electric masa grinder in Mexico, which makes the process such a snap, you could have fresh masa tortillas every day!
5. Finally, I just finished seeing “Slumdog Millionaire” and I think India should be my next big trip. I have a friend that lives in Dehli, so what am I waiting for?
What are some of your resolutions for 2009? Happy New Year!
Bacon black-eyed pea dip
Ingredients
- 4 pieces bacon
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1 (15-ounce ) can black-eyed peas, drained
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/8 teaspoon or to taste cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
- 1/4 cup shredded Monterrey Jack
- Tortilla chips, for serving
Instructions
- In a skillet on medium low, cook the bacon. When done, remove from the skillet crumble and place in a blender.
- Pour 2 tablespoons of the grease into the blender, then add the garlic to the skillet and cook on medium for 30 seconds. Add to the blender along with the blender black-eyed peas, chili powder, cayenne, lime juice, and jalapeño. Pulse until ingredients are well mixed together.
- Place the dip into skillet, turn on low heat and slowly fold in shredded cheese. Cook until melted, about a minute. Place in a bowl and serve immediately with tortilla chips.
I was in Publix today (in Orlando) and standing in the ethnic foods/canned vegetables aisle when I heard a woman on her cell phone talking about not being able to find Rotel and not knowing what it was.
“Rotel?” I asked her, and she turned around and hung up quickly. “It’s right over there.”
I showed her where it was and pointed out the one I used for my queso dip the last time I made it (with cilantro and lime juice). She frowned and said:
“I don’t know if I want all that in my queso.”
I was about to leave but I turned around and said “You know, if you don’t want to use that much, there’s a recipe for a natural queso dip on homesicktexan.com.”
“I think that’s where I got this recipe from,” she said.
SMALL INTERNET, Y’ALL.
If you write a book, I’ll do one better, I’ll BUY it! Good luck and Happy New Year.
Radish–I can’t wait to hear about your croissant adventures! And if you need a second opinion on if they taste good or not, I’d be happy to help!
Rosa–Thank you! And a Happy New Year to you, too!
Brenda–That’s good to know! May your New Year be happy and prosperous as well!
Debbie–As someone who is ALWAYS late with cards and gifts, I think that’s a wonderful resolution and I’m adding it to my list.
Laurelin-Kit–Get out of town! That is too funny! It’s a small internet indeed!
Madeline–I’ll let her know you said that–she always complains that her hands look old.
Mommy’s Kitchen–You’re very welcome. Enjoy!
Brin–Those cheddar jalapeno scones sound awesome! I bet they’d go great with the dip but I’d probably just eat mine with a big pat of butter. Happy new year!
Kevin–Happy new year!
Greg–That’s a good idea–next time I’m in Harlem I’ll have to look and see if they sell them. And have fun cooking from your Asian cookbooks!
TiffanyBee–Thank you so much! And a happy new year!
Karina–You have an open invitation to stop by my kitchen any time!
Meg–Yep, people think it’s just a weirdly colored bean dip–the garlic and the bacon pretty much dominates the earthiness of the black-eyed-peas.
Masdevaillia–I’m with you–I’ll try anything to make 2009 a better year. And I’ve always wanted to learn to sew as well–have fun with that!
Sandi–Aren’t they beautiful? Happy new year!
Rachel–A hambone and a pot of black-eyed peas is a marriage made in heaven!
Jana–Why thank you! Happy new year!
Thanks for sharing! I love to read your blog, I am a native Texan as well (born and raised North of Dallas) and would wonder what I would do if I was transplanted out of here. Your blog helps celebrate all of the wonderful things in the Lone Star State! I love fresh black-eyed peas too, just made a pot last night and blogged about them this morning! Anyways, Happy New Year, and if you do get to that book, let me know! I’d love to read!
How interesting, I never heard of eating black-eyed peas for the New Year. We do the same in Brazil with lentils. In fact, I better start my lentil dish!
Happy 2009!