Thursday, January 13, 2022

Black-Eyed Peas #recipe by Valerie Burns @Vmburns

VMBURNS: Happy New Year! My name is Valerie (V. M.) Burns and I'm excited to be here on the Mystery Lovers Kitchen with you today to share my love of mysteries and food. 

First, here's a little bit about me for those who don't know me. I'm originally from South Bend, Indiana which is in the northwestern part of the state, but I now live in Northwestern Georgia. Both of my parents were born in the south so many of my recipes will have a little bit of southern flavor. Since this is my first blog post with the Mystery Lovers Kitchen, AND the start of a new year, I thought I'd share a New Year's traditional food. Growing up, I thought Black-eyed peas were something that came from my African American heritage. However, now that I live in the south, I feel this is a southern tradition. Eating black-eyed peas on New Years Day is supposed to bring good luck. I don't know if that's true, but why not give it a try. It couldn't hurt.

BLACK-EYED PEAS 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1lb dried black-eyed peas
  • 1 ham hock or smoked turkey wings
  • ¼ cup bacon drippings
  • ½ tsp Lowry’s Season Salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • 1 jalapeno seeded and minced (Optional)


INSTRUCTIONS

1.    Pour the peas into a bowl and pick out anything that shouldn’t be there (eg small stones, twigs, etc).

2.     Rinse the peas well and let them soak for thirty minutes in cold water.

3.     Drain the peas and rinse with cold water.

4.     Combine all of the ingredients in a large stockpot. Cover with enough cold water to cover the peas by an inch. Bring to a boil over high heat.


5.    Reduce the heat to simmer. Cover and cook until the peas are tender, about 1 ½ hours. Add more water if needed and cook to the desired level of tenderness (peas should be soft but not mushy).



READERS: Are there any foods that you traditionally eat on New Year's Day for good luck? Tell me about it in the comments. If you're feeling lucky you might just win a copy of my newest release, KILLER WORDS.


V. M. Burns

My most recent release is KILLER WORDS, Mystery Bookshop Mystery #7.

Valerie Burns

Releasing on August 30, 2022, is the first book in my Baker Street Mystery series, TWO PARTS SUGAR, ONE PART MURDER. Preorder your copy today!



In a brand-new culinary cozy series with a fresh edge and a charming small-town setting, acclaimed author Valerie Burns introduces Maddy Montgomery, social media expert who’s #StartingOver in small-town Michigan after inheriting her great-aunt’s bakery…and a 200-pound English Mastiff named Baby.

When Maddy Montgomery’s groom is a no-show to their livestream wedding, it’s a disaster that no amount of filtering can fix. But a surprise inheritance offers a chance to regroup and rebrand—as long as Maddy is willing to live in her late, great Aunt Octavia’s house in New Bison, Michigan, for a year, running her bakery and caring for a 200-pound English Mastiff named Baby.
Maddy doesn’t bake, and her Louboutins aren’t made for walking giant dogs around Lake Michigan, but the locals are friendly and the scenery is beautiful. With help from her aunt’s loyal friends, aka The Baker Street Irregulars, Maddy feels ready to tackle any challenge, including Octavia’s award-winning cake recipes. That is until New Bison’s mayor is fatally stabbed, and Maddy’s fingerprints are found on the knife . . .
 
Something strange is going on in New Bison. It seems Aunt Octavia had her suspicions too. But Maddy’s going to need a whole lot more than a trending hashtag to save her reputation—and her life.

Valerie (V. M.) Burns was born and raised in the Midwestern United States. She currently resides in the warmer Southeastern region of the country with her two poodles, Kenzie and Chloe. Valerie is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Dog Writers of America, Crime Writers of Color, and Sisters in Crime. Valerie is also a mentor in the Writing Popular Fiction MFA program at Seton Hill University in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. Visit her website at vmburns.com and sign up for her newsletter to stay up to date with her and the poodles.

48 comments:

  1. We don't have a New Year's Day food tradition like we have for other holidays like Thanksgiving. Back when First Night celebrations were allowed (pre pandemic) we used to go to the mini concerts and shows with friends and enjoy the midnight fireworks. On New Year's Day we'd sleep in (of course) and get together for a neighborhood pot luck brunch. I like starting to read a series from the beginning and will look for Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder this summer. I already like Maddy, especially since she has a dog. lrj

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    1. Your New Year's Day tradition sounds like a like of fun. I hope 2023 will be better for get togethers. I hope you enjoy Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder. Thanks for the comment.

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  2. A classic, Valerie. I made black eyed peas for New Year's this year, but had to leave out the ham because my vegetarian son and daughter-in-law were coming. And yeah, it's not the same. A big welcome to our foodie-author blog group!

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    1. Edith,
      Thank you. I'm sure the luck will happen with or without the meat. :-) I'm excited to be here.

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  3. We always have black eyed peas on New Year’s Day for our good luck food.
    Kitten143 (at) Verizon (dot) net

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    1. Christine, I hope you have plenty of luck in 2022! :-) Thanks for the comment.

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  4. I've never eaten any particular food for New Year's. Most years I'd have to work so it was whatever was on the menu there (if I had time to eat.) I may have to try this- could always use a little luck!
    kozo8989(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. Alicia,
      I hope that you'll have good luck this year, anyway. When I was younger, they weren't my favorite, but as I've aged I've learned to appreciate them. Seasoned properly they can be very tasty. Good luck!

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  5. Welcome to the kitchen Valerie! We're so glad to have you join us

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  6. Welcome to MLK, Valerie!
    I have heard of the black-eyed peas dish eaten at New Year's but have never tried it.
    Growing up in a Japanese family in Toronto, we celebrated New Year's Eve and Day with several symbolic foods.
    We ate soba noodles the evening of New Year's Eve. The long length of the noodles represents longevity.
    On New Year's Day, we had a whole day feast. Some mandatory dishes are: mochi (rice dumplings) for good fortune and kuri kinton (chestnut gold mash). The latter dish represented wealth and success since the mixture was yellowish gold in colour.

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    1. Grace,
      That's interesting. Maybe I can add some new dishes for next New Year's Day! Thanks for sharing. Good Luck!

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  7. Growing up and having parents from the south, the new year meant three things - pork (either as a meat dish or cooked in the peas), black eyed peas and fried cabbage. The pork was to move forward into the new year (like the pig eating pushing it's food forward). The peas were for good luck. The cabbage was to be financially profitable.

    As an adult, even though I love tradition, I wasn't one to feel I "had" to eat those foods exactly on New Year's Day, but rather have them through out the year for luck, money and the process of moving forward.

    Thank you for the recipe. I hadn't thought about putting a jalapeno in the peas. Just might give that a try. I know several that sprinkle pepper sauce over the peas so I'm sure it would be put a smile on their faces.

    Thank you for the wonderful chance to win a copy of KILLER WORDS. Most definitely on my TBR list and can't wait for the opportunity to dive in reading it. Shared and hoping to be one of the fortunate ones selected.
    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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    1. Kay, I wasn't familiar with the pork and cabbage (or collard greens) until I moved to the South. Since I like all of those, I have added them to my routine. Actually, it makes it easy to figure out "what's for dinner" one day of the year. Good luck in the drawing.

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  8. Welcome to Mystery Lovers' Kitchen, Valerie! The traditional New Years' luck-bringing dish when I was growing up was pickled herring, popular in Northern European countries where herring was important to the diet and the economy. My mother-in-law came from Southern Virginia, and she always made black-eyed peas. I wasn't fond of the dish when she made it, but your recipe makes me want to try them again. ~Maya

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    1. So glad to be here with you all. I have heard of pickled herring, but haven't tried it. However, given the way the last couple of years have gone, I'm open to everything! :-)

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  9. Welcome!! So neat to hear what others eat on New Year's for luck. Growing up we would eat black eyed peas on New Year's for good luck. Now I do that for my family.

    Thank you for the recipe, looks good! Thank you for the chance!

    jarjm1980(at)hotmail(dot)com

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    1. Thank you for the warm welcome. I'm glad to be here and love hearing about other traditions. Good luck in the drawing!

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  10. We don't have any traditions like that but I may start next year. Maybe pepperoni pizza or M&M's. Yum! I'm sure looking forward to the new series and would love to win Killer Words. ckmbeg (at) gmail (dot) com

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    1. Riley, I like the way you think! pizza and M&Ms sound like a winning combination. :-) Good luck!

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  11. We don't have any traditional New Year's food in my family. I'm from Minnesota so I eat a lot of soup in the winter.
    I'm so glad you have joined Mystery Lover's Kitchen. I enjoy your books so much.

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    1. Kathy, Thank you for the welcome. I'm happy to be here. I love soup (and anything I can throw in my crockpot). I'll have to dust off some of the recipes. So, glad to hear you enjoy my books. Good luck!

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  12. Welcome to the kitchen, Valerie! It's so nice to have you here.

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  13. So happy you've joined us, Valerie! Welcome to the Kitchen and may your new year be filled with good books, good food, and fine fellowship!

    ~ Cleo

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    1. Cleo,
      Thank you so much for the warm welcome. Good books, good food, and fine fellowship sounds like an amazing year!

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  14. I've never had black eyed peas (that I can remember) but I do occasionally cook lentils for New Years. In the Philippines, it's traditional to have round fruits and sticky rice cakes, both of which I've stocked up on because I could use all the luck and prosperity I can get! Welcome to the team, Valerie!

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    1. Mia, Thank you for the warm welcome. I am excited to be here. round fruits and sticky rice cakes sounds yummy. Here's to much luck and prosperity in 2022!

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  15. Delighted to have you here, Valerie! We're pretty free-form about holiday food traditions, though we always have "fun foods" -- appetizers and antipasto -- on New Year's Eve and champagne on New Year's morning.

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    1. Leslie, I'm delighted to be here. Thanks for being so welcoming and for the fun food suggestions. I like fun. I like food. :-)

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  16. Both my mother and father were from Georgia, so black eyed peas for the new year are familiar. We didn't have them every year as far as I can remember, but they were talked about. At least while my maternal grandmother was still living.
    At our house we have gotten into a tradition of lobster for new years day. it's usually in a creamy sauce, over pasta. This helps us start the year with a smile and happy taste buds!
    libbydodd at comcast dot net

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    1. Lobster on New Years sounds pretty amazing to me. I've never cooked a lobster before, so if I'm feeling adventurous, I might just give it a try for 2023 (or I'll order it and have it delivered). Good luck!

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    2. My newest trick is to order it already shelled from Butcher Box. They mail order meats that arrive solidly frozen and added some seafood recently. It isn't cheap, but not having to deal with cooking a live lobster is worth it to me! And no wrestling with the shell!!!

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  17. I adore black eyed peas! Though they're not a new years tradition for this Californian--I tend more towards whatever's left over in the fridge from the celebration the night before (flat Champagne and cheese puffs, anyone?)

    I'm so happy and excited to welcome you to the kitchen, Valerie--and also about your new series, which looks terrific! Huzzah!

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    1. Leslie,
      I think the cheese puffs and flat champagne would be earlier while I'm waiting for the black-eyed peas to finish cooking. :-) I'm so glad to be here with you all.

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  18. Hi Valerie~ welcome to the kitchen! As a Southern gal, originally from Louisiana and married to a very Southern Texas, we've almost always had black eyed peas on New Years Day, in some form. Sometimes cooked similar to your recipe (with a bottle of hot sauce on the table) or I make Hoppin'John or Texas Caviar with them. Usually served with coleslaw or turnip greens and often pork chops or another porky thing! Congrats on the new series! lola777_22 at hotmail dot com

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    1. Lynn, I generally have pork chops and collard greens with the black-eyed peas (gotta cover all of the bases). Thank you so much for the warm welcome and good luck!

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  19. We don't really have a "good luck" food to eat for New Year's. I learned about the black eyed tradition from the girls at work and we now have black eyed peas on New Year's Eve. Looking forward to reading "Killer Words" and your new series.
    diannekc8(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. Dianne, I hope the black eyed peas bring you much luck in 2022. I'm happy to be here on the Mystery Lovers Kitchen! Good luck!

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  20. Hi Valerie! So happy you are part of our family! I like back eyed peas. I haven't made them, but your recipe looks like one I can make and I'm adding it to my cooking list.

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    1. Tina, I'm so excited to be here. Thank you so much for the warm welcome and I hope you like the recipe. Let me know how they turn out.

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  21. Pork and sauerkraut is the New Year's dish in PA. I like all of your other series so looking forward to trying the new one.

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    1. Sally, I had heard about pork and sauerkraut. I hope it was delicious and brings you much luck. I'm so glad you like my other series. Fingers crossed you'll like this one, too. Good luck!

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  22. Hi Valerie,

    I eat collards, black-eyed peas and some form of pork for my New Years meal.

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  23. Dru Ann,
    Your New Year's Day menu sounds exactly like mine. I had collards, black-eyed peas, and pork chops. Yum!

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  24. Mom always made blackeye peas & turnip greens for us to have on New Year's Day & I have always done that too but sometimes I do beet greens or collard greens. When we lived in Beaufort, SC I added Hoppin' John to the menu by adding rice with the blackeye peas. Hoppin' John's a tradition in the Lowcountry (Beaufort). Hot water cornbread is perfect to go with the meal and, of course, sweet tea. lnchudej@yahoo.com

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  25. I don’t have any New Years traditions. But maybe I’ll have to try black eye peas.

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  26. No new years food traditions for me. My dad used to like black eyed peas for NY so mom made them for him. Blech! LOL
    barbiefan(@)comcast(.)net

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