Happy New Year! We had a lot of fun and good times with all of you over the past year, and we're looking forward to 2009. What's cooking today, on the first day of a new year? Is hoppin' John on the menu? Read on for more about this New Year's good luck tradition.
Happy New Year's From Everyone At The Kitchn
Hoppin' John is a Southern version of the classic Caribbean dish of beans and rice. It's usually made with black-eyed peas and a little pork -- sometimes bacon, sometimes salt pork. The black-eyed peas signify coins, and so on New Year's Day everyone eats hoppin' John to bring good luck and good fortune in the new year.
Collard greens are often eaten alongside, since they are the color of money (and just dang good as well).
It's been a rough year for many, and we think that a plate of beans and rice is a good luck-bringer for the new year, no matter if you believe in the superstition or not. Beans and rice are also very nutritious; look for lots of beans, rice, and good grains as we turn to eating light in January.
Here are some more recipes for beans, rice, and other favorites suitable for New Year's Day:
• How to Cook Beans
• Recipe: Basil Parmesan Pot Beans
bull; How to Cook Rice on the Stove
• Recipe: Simple Rice Pilaf
• Easy Braised Collard Greens with Bacon
• Less Meat, More Flavor: Salt Pork
Related: New Year's Day Recipes: Hoppin' John and Plenty of Pork
(Images: Flickr member chasing fun and Flickr member letouj , both licensed for use under Creative Commons)
Comments (8)
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Hooray for beans & rice! I love this blog. I just discovered it this past year, and it's been so much fun learning and trying recipes from it. Thank you all for the work you put into making The Kitchn a great resource!
My Mom & Dad are coming up today for dinner; I'm making Super Chili from Vegan Yum Yum (http://veganyumyum.com/2006/12/super-chili/). I'm the only vegetarian in the family, but they all really liked the recipe when I made it before, and I love to cook and want to eat at home more often, so I thought this might be a good way to bring in the new year. I'm going to try the baked brie & cranberry sauce recipe from this site as an appetizer.
view lizzapearl's profile
Happy new year.
I'll be making emily's pumpkin tortilla soup tonight. Nice and warm when it is blustery and rainy outside.
view brittanykate's profile
I made Texas Caviar, a black-eyed pea salad.
view Julie's profile
We make Hoppin' John in a different, veggie-friendly way in my family (typically it's cooked with a big ham hock down South....). Cook some brown (or white) rice and layer it in the bottom of a casserole dish. Cover it with a can or two of drained and rinsed blackeyed peas. Cover this with a thick layer of homemade or jarred pasta sauce (you can dress it up with red pepper flakes, a swirl of pesto, or whatever you like). Cover the pasta sauce with a layer of chopped green onion. Top it all off with a layer of Cabot White Cheddar Cheese. Bake in the oven at 350 till bubbling and the cheese is melted and enjoy! Awesome for leftovers too.
view lotusmoss's profile
Despite the fact that neither my husband nor I have Southern roots we have been having black eyed peas and greens in some form or another for the last few New Years Day dinners and this year is no different. Tonight it will be Hoppin John with wild rice and sauteed collards on the side. A healthy way to start the new year.
view rosebud's profile
I just ate a big bowl of Hoppin John myself! But I'll admit, I can't share the recipe, because I don't know it. My dad made it for me. His looks different than yours in the picture, and he always cooks pork sausage and puts it in his. It's SO good.
view UptownGirl's profile
We ended up eating out... I'm having mine today. Couldn't get collards... guess it's mustard. Same color, I suppose it'll work.
To jazz up veg black-eyed peas, add some ginger, powdered mustard, and a few dashes Liquid Smoke. Actually it perks up meaty ones too.
view whytephoenix's profile
We do hoppin john much as you do. The back eyed peas with ham hock, onion, and tomatoes for a long simmer. Then over brown rice with fresh chopped green peppers, onion, and grated cheese on top. Finish with some tobasco sauce and a side of collard greens. YUM. Has brough us luck for the past several years.
view wonderwoman's profile