What are you cooking on New Year's Day?
My mom always serves pork. Somewhere along the way, she picked up this idea that if you eat chicken on the first day of January "you'll scratch and scratch all year." We're not a superstitious family, but we think it is a fun tradition to play along with.
We found the Lee Brother's recipe for Hoppin' John -- "the pre-eminent rice and pea dish of the Western world, a nutritional marvel, the culinary touchstone of the African diaspora and a hangover remedy without equal" -- in the New York Times a few years ago and added that to my New Year's Day recipe collection.
Pick up some dried black eyed peas tonight, set the peas out to soak before you head out on New Year's Eve, and you'll be all set for Hoppin' John on New Year's Day.
So we're not left scratching and scratching through 2008, we're considering a new pork recipe: the Braised-pork Hash from the January issue of Gourmet. It seems like that recipe could be adapted for the crock pot and cooked on New Year's Eve while the beans soak.
The best part of both these dishes is they are easy, straightforward one pot meals. We cooks been serving rich, time-intensive celebration foods since Thanksgiving, right? Hoppin' John and brasied pork are luxurious, warming dishes that spare the cook. Gourmet says the pork doesn't even need to be browned before it goes into the braise. That's all the more time to enjoy the champagne.
What are your plans for New Year's Day? Any idea where this anti-chicken stance comes from?
i'm not sure about the chicken, but in the south it's a penny earned in the new year for every black eyed pea you eat and a dollar for each collard green. i'd stuff myself on collards and forgo the peas. :)
view lindsey kathlene's profile
No New Years Day plans, but we'll be hosting a 3rd Annual New Years Eve Pajama party (we all got sick and tired of finding someplace everyone could agree on to go to then shell out a lot of cash for a mediocre time). Since my husband will be headed to China shortly thereafter it will be Asian themed... Teriyaki Chicken Wings, Asian Potato Salad, Shrimp and Beef (separately) skewers with dipping sauces, Wasabi an Shrimp Cheese Ball, Egg Rolls and Shu Mai are all on the menu. Does anyone have any suggestions for Asian-esque champagne cocktails (or non-champagne cocktails)???
view AmericnJewl's profile
yup, hoppin' john for luck and collards for money. unrelated: don't do laundry on new year's day or you'll wash someone out of your life.
view thinkingwoman's profile
So fascinating to hear about the superstitions related to food on New Years. There are so many Chinese New Year superstitions that my family observes....I thought it was just us.
AmericnJewl,
The only Asian-esque cocktail I've ever enjoyed is the litchi martini. If your husband likes beer, he might just want to enjoy the full-strength American stuff. In China, the beer can be as weak as 2.5%.
view Michelle of Montreal's profile
I don't know about the anti-chicken sentiment but i have heard that it's an eastern european tradition to eat pork on new year's for good luck because a pig can't look backwards! so you know moving forward with the new year, not looking back = pork and not chicken!
view ktclaire's profile
In my home on the morning of the New Year, we begin the day with a warm sake toast to the New Year and "Akematshite Omedeto Goazaimasu." Kotoshimo yoroshiku onegaishimasu." (Happy New Year. I ask you again for your support in the new year.)
After that it's a warm bowl of Ozoni (traditional Japanese soup with mochi,a round Japanese sticky rice, chrysanthemum leaves, sliced hard boiled egg fish cake). YUM.
Then the gastrinomical eat all day festivities begin. Mind you most of us have been cooking all day long the day before, preparing the traditional must have dishes tai (broiled red snapper), nishime (stewed chicken w/japanese vegetables), kinpira gobo (spicy burdock root) and much much more.
Reminds me, I better get over to Jtown and start my shopping!!! Happy New Year everyone.
view umeboshi's profile
I'm preparing a breakfast buffet: collard greens with ham hocks, black eyed peas with salt pork, cast iron skillet baked cornbread, grits, salmon hash, eggs, hot sausage, biscuits, gravy and tangerine mimosas with rose champagne. And the usual suspect, french press coffee.
view kimcumber's profile
Popping in to wish you all a very Happy New Year! Looking forward to reading your blog in 2008 :-)
-Dawn
view Wicked Good Dinner's profile
Fresh black-eyed peas cooked with fatback pork. Dirty rice and stewed okra and tomatoes....All comfort foods from my southern youth.
view hdtex's profile
We never had a traditional food, but I got a black truffle for Christmas, so we're making a turkey-truffle pot-pie with the leftovers. It's a new recipe for me, so I'm excited to see how it turns out.
view missginsu's profile
Oh kimcumber, to be a guest at your feast....!
In our tradition (Czech), eating lentils on New Year's Day is supposed to bring good luck -- the resemblance to coins. However, eating chicken or rabbit is said to be bad luck, as your luck can hop or fly away (now when was the last time you saw a chicken fly away?!).
Don't have a clue yet what we are having...
view mschatelaine's profile