When good luck goes bad

Carnival season began a week ago tomorrow. In New Orleans this is traditionally the time when people begin taking down their Holiday decorations and putting their Christmas trees out on the curb as a placebo to placate their collective anxiety over Louisiana's unrelenting coastal loss. This week is also a time for dealing with one more Holiday remnant.

This morning I cleaned out my refrigerator. I had a big grocery run scheduled for the afternoon which meant I needed space in the fridge. Which, in turn, meant it was time, finally, to deal with the large plastic containers that had been sitting on the middle shelf since January 1. They contained what was left of the massive vats of black eyed peas and cabbage I had made in order to keep with the long observed tradition of eating those dishes on New Year's Day, supposedly to bring good luck in the new year.

I don't know why I always cook at least three times as much of any food as we could possibly eat. But I can tell you that if you were to eat what was in those tupperware containers today instead of two weeks ago, you'd probably experience something very different from "good luck".

But back on January 1, it was good stuff. Here. I took pictures.

Black Eyed Peas

Notice how terribly uncomplicated and basic all of the recipes that appear on the Yellow Blog are. The simplest things are often the best. These peas go together exactly the same way a pot of red beans does. You throw 'em in a pot with one or more pork products and let 'em simmer 'til dinner time. Still, I know how much you guys like step-by-step instructions so here goes.

Before you run out for your New Year's Eve festivities, go into your giant walk-in dry goods pantry and retrieve a one pound package of Camellia brand black eyes.


Empty the package into the big blue pot you inherited from your grandmother, cover the peas with water, and leave them to soak overnight.



Go downtown and get drunk as hell on cheap champagne watching fireworks and freezing your butt off on the Moonwalk as yet another strange-ass year moves on out to make way for the next strange-ass year. Wake up early the next morning all bright-eyed and clear-headed and ready to take on the New Year and .... Yikes!



Okay then wake up sometime around noon on New Year's Day, make a big pot of coffee, shower and try to shake off the hangover. Now get back in the kitchen, drain the peas and set them aside while you chop your vegetables. Here's what you'll need.


That's onion, celery, bell pepper and parsley. No surprises there, I'm sure.

Oh shit, I almost forgot the garlic!


By the way, check out my brand new Wustof chef's knife in that picture. Pretty sweet, right? It was a good Christmas.

Anyway now you'll want to go back to that big blue pot on the stove. Heat up a little olive oil and then throw in the obligatory pork. It's up to you what form of pork you like here. In the past I've used smoked sausage, pickled meat, and hamhocks. All of these are excellent choices. This year I went with a package of chopped ham seasoning I picked up at Rouse's.



Brown the meat then remove it from the pot and set it aside. The process should have rendered plenty of delicious pork fat drippings. It's a nice start... but, of course, you'll still need about a stick of butter.



Mmmm butter. Okay now throw it in the pot and melt it down.



Mmmm pork remnant & butter soup. I know you want to start dipping your french bread in there but try to remember all that work you did chopping those vegetables. Yeah, now throw all that stuff in there and let it start cooking.



Once the vegetables cook down a bit, this is really just a matter of assembling things. Return your drained peas and browned pork to the pot, give the whole thing a healthy dose of the seasonings pictured below.



From left to right, that would be salt, thyme, bay leaf, basil, marjoram, cayenne pepper, and black pepper. Add enough water to cover the peas, put the lid on the pot and leave to simmer. This could take between one and a half to two hours depending on how high you set the fire to go. In the meantime, well it's New Year's Day there's bound to be a game on TV.

Of course you'll need to make some cabbage too. I used to hate cooked cabbage growing up. But somehow my mother found a way to get me eat it every year... that's why I lead the lucky and charmed life I live today. But I still didn't look forward to cabbage on New Year's Day until I came across this recipe in the Times-Pic about five or six years ago.

• Chop and brown one pound of andouille sausage in a large pot.
  
  



• Remove sausage and sautee one regular onion in olive oil.



• Add one jar of Italian olive salad,
  
  
  
  One can of chopped tomatoes, and Crystal or Tobasco hot sauce to taste. Stir.
  
  



• Return the sausage to the pot and start adding your cabbage a little bit at a time until it all cooks down. You can cover this pot and let it simmer until the peas are done.

You'll know the peas are done when the water in the pot reaches a milky consistency and the pork seasoning meat starts to fall off of the bone.



Eat up and repeat at least once a year every January 1st for... you know... good luck.



And while you're at it you may as well share some with the neighbors. This way you'll all have better luck this year... and maybe there won't be any leftovers to clean two weeks later.