Hoppin Johns!!!! I can almost taste them! Thanks for sharing, Betsy, and I will make some myself again SOON! Missed this year; we have been munching nonstop on my cousin Pam's tamales sent from Delia's in Texas. I am hopeful THAT will be a new New Years Tradition as well. Miss you guys~
Mmm....tamales! May I borrow your cousin, Pam? 😅 Interestingly, I just learned from my research for this piece that tamales are one of the oldest known foods!
Oh, pease let me know if/when you try it, Barry. It's one of those "peasant food" recipes that I dearly love. There's a link to a real recipe in the early part of the post, but here it is in case you missed that: https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/classic-hoppin-john-recipe. 😋
This is so fun! Ed and I were snowbirds for many, many years and we stayed at the same place south of Myrtle Beach for several of those years. It was a condo with many units, but the old woman we rented from managed only about 20 of them. She was a character, true to the low country in manners and speech and traditions, but outside it in flamboyance. She glittered, she glowed, she wore purple and chartreuse and always wore a matching hat of some kind over her carrot-colored hair. Her father, she claimed, had been best friends with Strom Thurmond, though she said she didn't always agree with him--but a framed, autographed picture of Strom greeted us northerners as we entered her door. Her apartment was filled to the brim with odd treasures, including a pinball machine. She had a black maid/caretaker who lived with her and seemed to really care about her, but she refused to clean around that mess so Lila had to hire a housekeeper, who came in once a week to tidy up.
Every year we were scheduled to arrive on New Year's Day and every year she put out a spread for us snowbirds. With Mimosas, yes. It was the first I'd ever heard of Hoppin' John, but once we tasted it, we made sure we'd arrive early enough each New Year's Day to get some before it was gone.
I love this story! I can picture that property owner and the joy of intersecting with her on your visits. And, I'm betting her Hoppin' John was spectacular. What a great memory. Thanks so much for sharing. 💜💚🧡
Thank you, Roe. I truly appreciate the comment. It's hard to not be critical when I play the recordings back; we sound so different to ourselves! Happy New Year!
I haven't heard of black-eyed peas much except in American literature. They don't feature in our food at all, not even fusion food, so I'm wondering if they go under another name here in Australia.
Do they taste like cannelini beans or lima beans? They look similar.
I love the journey with the peas in your family. And the way they made a beautiful thick soup for you and your husband. I keep limas beans in tins for much the same purpose. It's a comfort thing loaded with all that is good for you (according to Blue Zone https://www.bluezones.com).
I loved the way you did that traditional walk with your friends and the way it ended up. Walking and food, it doesn't get better.
Interesting, Prue. I'm seeing listings in seed catalogs for "black eye beans" in Australia, but that doesn't mean they show up frequently anywhere. Maybe you can plant some in your garden and let me know how it goes? 😊 I would not describe them as tasting like either cannellini or lima beans (beans I love, btw) as they are much smaller, with thinner skins. To me, they have a slightly fresher taste, alongside their earthy/grassy vibe. I think the reason they may have been called peas is due partially to taste and partially to size. They lean that direction for both.
Creating opportunities to be in the comfort of food and friends is a New Year's resolution I should make! Thanks for being here, my friend.
Watermen (fishermen to those of you not from these parts) and farmers share many related characteristics, nicknames among them! Good to meet a fellow Hoppin' John lover! Feel free to share your favorite recipe if you're so inclined. Cheers!
That's awesome! There's such a diversity of legumes available. I aspire to use them more often but having not grown up with them I'm usually uncertain how best to use them. Thank you for sharing!
Google is your friend! But also, if you didn't already see it, there's a link to a Hoppin' John recipe early on in the piece. Let me know what you decide to make! :)
Hoppin Johns!!!! I can almost taste them! Thanks for sharing, Betsy, and I will make some myself again SOON! Missed this year; we have been munching nonstop on my cousin Pam's tamales sent from Delia's in Texas. I am hopeful THAT will be a new New Years Tradition as well. Miss you guys~
Mmm....tamales! May I borrow your cousin, Pam? 😅 Interestingly, I just learned from my research for this piece that tamales are one of the oldest known foods!
Wow a perfect culinary history lesson to an eager chef waiting to try something new.. Thank you..
Oh, pease let me know if/when you try it, Barry. It's one of those "peasant food" recipes that I dearly love. There's a link to a real recipe in the early part of the post, but here it is in case you missed that: https://www.southernliving.com/recipes/classic-hoppin-john-recipe. 😋
This is so fun! Ed and I were snowbirds for many, many years and we stayed at the same place south of Myrtle Beach for several of those years. It was a condo with many units, but the old woman we rented from managed only about 20 of them. She was a character, true to the low country in manners and speech and traditions, but outside it in flamboyance. She glittered, she glowed, she wore purple and chartreuse and always wore a matching hat of some kind over her carrot-colored hair. Her father, she claimed, had been best friends with Strom Thurmond, though she said she didn't always agree with him--but a framed, autographed picture of Strom greeted us northerners as we entered her door. Her apartment was filled to the brim with odd treasures, including a pinball machine. She had a black maid/caretaker who lived with her and seemed to really care about her, but she refused to clean around that mess so Lila had to hire a housekeeper, who came in once a week to tidy up.
Every year we were scheduled to arrive on New Year's Day and every year she put out a spread for us snowbirds. With Mimosas, yes. It was the first I'd ever heard of Hoppin' John, but once we tasted it, we made sure we'd arrive early enough each New Year's Day to get some before it was gone.
This really brings back those memories! ❤️
I love this story! I can picture that property owner and the joy of intersecting with her on your visits. And, I'm betting her Hoppin' John was spectacular. What a great memory. Thanks so much for sharing. 💜💚🧡
It is such a soothing delight to listen to you reading your beautiful words. Thank you.
Thank you, Roe. I truly appreciate the comment. It's hard to not be critical when I play the recordings back; we sound so different to ourselves! Happy New Year!
I haven't heard of black-eyed peas much except in American literature. They don't feature in our food at all, not even fusion food, so I'm wondering if they go under another name here in Australia.
Do they taste like cannelini beans or lima beans? They look similar.
I love the journey with the peas in your family. And the way they made a beautiful thick soup for you and your husband. I keep limas beans in tins for much the same purpose. It's a comfort thing loaded with all that is good for you (according to Blue Zone https://www.bluezones.com).
I loved the way you did that traditional walk with your friends and the way it ended up. Walking and food, it doesn't get better.
Interesting, Prue. I'm seeing listings in seed catalogs for "black eye beans" in Australia, but that doesn't mean they show up frequently anywhere. Maybe you can plant some in your garden and let me know how it goes? 😊 I would not describe them as tasting like either cannellini or lima beans (beans I love, btw) as they are much smaller, with thinner skins. To me, they have a slightly fresher taste, alongside their earthy/grassy vibe. I think the reason they may have been called peas is due partially to taste and partially to size. They lean that direction for both.
Creating opportunities to be in the comfort of food and friends is a New Year's resolution I should make! Thanks for being here, my friend.
Yes to Hoppin' John on New Year's and for me always served with corn bread drenched in butter and honey!
Your recounting of the many names of beans made me chuckle and reminded me of the nicknames of the older water men of The Eastern Shore!
Here's to more walks, more food, and a loving and supportive tribe!
Watermen (fishermen to those of you not from these parts) and farmers share many related characteristics, nicknames among them! Good to meet a fellow Hoppin' John lover! Feel free to share your favorite recipe if you're so inclined. Cheers!
That's awesome! There's such a diversity of legumes available. I aspire to use them more often but having not grown up with them I'm usually uncertain how best to use them. Thank you for sharing!
Google is your friend! But also, if you didn't already see it, there's a link to a Hoppin' John recipe early on in the piece. Let me know what you decide to make! :)