James Villas
Hoppin' John
Editor's note: The recipe and introductory text below are from The Glory of Southern Cooking by James Villas. As Villas explains, hoppin' John is eaten on New Year's Day because black-eyed peas look like coins and are considered lucky.
Wanna know why this age-old dish of black-eyed peas and rice is eaten all over the South on New Year's Day to bring good luck? Because the peas look like little coins that swell when cooked, that's why. (Some say for ultimate success and prosperity, you should eat exactly 365 peas.) Stories abound about the obscure origins of the name hoppin' John, one being that, in antebellum days, a certain lame black cook named John hopped about a plantation kitchen on one leg while preparing the dish. Of course, the debate rages from region to region over the correct approaches to hoppin' John. Must the peas be served with rice? Should they actually be cooked with rice? Are tomatoes a key ingredient, and if so, should they be stewed and spooned over the peas and rice or simply chopped raw over the top? Should the peas be cooked till they're almost mushy or just al dente? Herbs added? Everything cooked in a saucepan or cast–iron skillet? Here's the way I do hoppin' John, which is wonderful with baked spareribs or braised country ham or chitlins — or anything else you can think of.
Jean's Sticky Biscuits
My long-time friend, colleague, and fellow Southerner, Jean Anderson, relates in her wonderful American Century Cookbook how her mother came up with this delightful variation on old-fashioned sticky buns as a way to avoid having to fool with yeast dough. Contrary to what the long list of ingredients might imply, the biscuits are quick and easy and perfect for a stylish brunch.
Carolina Chopped Pork Barbecue Sandwiches with Spicy Vinegar Sauce
While our directions call for lighting the grill with a charcoal chimney, feel free to use whatever method you prefer.
Crusted Chicken and Black Beans
I came up with this recipe one day when I was boiling a big old hen for chicken soup and had plenty of meat left over, but if you don't care to fool with that, the casserole can easily be made with a nicely roasted chicken picked up in a deli or supermarket.
California Vegetable and Chickpea Chili
Only native Californians like two wine-making friends of mine in Salinas can regularly throw together a vegetable chili such as this utilizing their almost year-round abundance of fresh vegetables and herbs. For those of us with seasonal gardens, various substitutions often have to be made (canned tomatoes, dried herbs, and the like), but such is the availability almost everywhere today of certain fresh produce even in the coldest months that no imaginative cook should have much trouble concocting a very tasty vegetable and bean chili according to this basic recipe. One advantage, by the way, of using a 28-ounce can of tomatoes with their juices instead of the fresh is that most likely you won't have to add any water to keep the chili slightly soupy.
Spicy Clam Spread
Southerners expect and almost demand a savory spread at any even involving cocktails (which mans virtually all social get-togethers), so Mother certainly would never disappoint her guests at a formal cocktail supper, even when one or two other appetizers are served. (We won't even get into how Rebels also relish sweet appetizers with their drinks.) She uses this basic formula also to make crabmeat spinach, and ham spreads, so feel free to experiment.
Fresh Country Pork Sausage with Pepper and Sage
Great for breakfast with eggs and grits.