New Years Day Traditions

[Jenise]

My beloved Grammy ate black eyed peas every New Years Day, carefully counting one pea for every day of the new year. She never had less, she never had more. Surprisingly though, I did not learn of this, as close as we were, until she was in her 90's, and I'm surprised she told me about it even then. Like her Christian Science religion, she practiced these little rituals of life quietly.

I have taken it up since in her honor. So as I type, 730 black eyed peas are plumping up downstairs in my new pressure cooker, seasoned with a bit of chopped ham which I sweated with some chopped onions and garlic, a bay leaf, and chicken broth. This will be our mid-morning brunch meal along with fresh bluberries and sliced Cara Cara oranges.

Are there any New Years food traditions in your family?

1. Recovering.

2. In my earlier times, sauerkraut was the usual dish.

Figure out who we can invite over to help us eat some of the mountain of sweets. (Most recent addition: a 3.5 pound chocolate ganache cake.)

(Most recent addition: a 3.5 pound chocolate ganache cake.)

Okay, what's your address?

A walk or cycle ride. We tend not to overindulge, so little risk of a hangover getting in the way.

Loads of folks walking around the lake at our local park, which is good to see.

regards

Ian

I used to make my mother's spareribs and fried potatoes every New Year's day. I goofed this year and picked up some Chinese baby back ribs at Raley's Sizzling Wok last week. They were OK, but today I did not want more ribs. So, I am making an oven fried chicken, raviolis with my home made red sauce, broccoli, and a romaine salad with lemon vinaigrette. This does give me a good idea, and that is to start my own new year tradition of some sort of meal....not sure what.

Len and I caught the tail end of a news program late last night about the various cultural New Years Traditions. In Russia, apparently the good luck food is golumpkies (pork/rice filled cabbage rolls.) I've talked about these on this forum before. Len's Mom always made them but she's Polish. He wants to make that our New Year's Tradition from now on. I think it's a great idea. We both love them.

I love them too, Carrie and when I do make them, I eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, until they are gone. That is why I don't make them but only once a year. Oh my, are they good.

I made Coney Island chili, and although not a tradition, noted that I made it last almost exactly a year ago, so LOL, maybe just started a tradition.

I love them too, Carrie and when I do make them, I eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, until they are gone. That is why I don't make them but only once a year. Oh my, are they good.

It can be your New Years' Tradition too! I usually only make them once a year, but more because they are sooo time consuming. So good though. I can't remember, do yours have tomato? Ours do not, which I think is unusual, but we love them this way.

[Jenise]

I love them too, Carrie and when I do make them, I eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, until they are gone. That is why I don't make them but only once a year. Oh my, are they good.

It can be your New Years' Tradition too! I usually only make them once a year, but more because they are sooo time consuming. So good though. I can't remember, do yours have tomato? Ours do not, which I think is unusual, but we love them this way.

My Hungarian stepmother also made these at this time of year. Hers did have tomato, but lightly so--she added a can of Campbell's tomato soup, believe it or not, to her large pot, and it just added to a more complex color and flavor underlayment to the paprika, which along with the sauerkraut and slivers of keilbasa were the flavors that really carried the dish.

-Jenise, no one has asked so far, but I have to....730 black eyed peas? You measured these out? Gads, this is impressive!! How long did it take?? cheers, Bonnie

[Jenise]

-Jenise, no one has asked so far, but I have to....730 black eyed peas? You measured these out? Gads, this is impressive!! How long did it take?? cheers, Bonnie

Bonnie, no I didn't. Should have used the qualifier "approximately", which we determined in a previous year half a pound of black eyed peas is. Divide that into two portions, and you're there. I didn't inherit Grammy's patience.

No traditions here, but we were fortunate enough to be part of our friends' tradition of making lefse on New Year's Eve. His mom is of Swedish/English heritage, so we were invited to their house to make the lefses. For anyone unfamiliar with lefses (as I was), they are made of mashed potato, flour and shortening or some other fat. Recipes vary widely, and some call for sugar in the dough. They are then rolled out into a round shape similar to a pie crust, and look like a tortilla when cooked. They are fried in a pan on the stove. While they are hot, they are buttered all over and covered on one half with brown sugar, folded in half and folded again to form a wedge shape. Eat immediately!

They also have what is called Christmas Crackers. I don't know if they always have them on NYE or sometimes at Christmas.

I love them too, Carrie and when I do make them, I eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, until they are gone. That is why I don't make them but only once a year. Oh my, are they good.

It can be your New Years' Tradition too! I usually only make them once a year, but more because they are sooo time consuming. So good though. I can't remember, do yours have tomato? Ours do not, which I think is unusual, but we love them this way.

The ones I was taught to make by a family with the name of Gaertner, had filling made with hamburger, rice, onion, maybe garlic, in the rolled cabbage, then the rolls were in layers with sauerkraut, and tomato sauce in between each layer. The top was covered with cabbage leaves. This all went into a large roasting pan. I always put the juice from the sauerkraut into the filling.

In my tradition, we eat low on the hog (chitterlings - to honor our slave ancestors)

Chitterlings.jpg

and high on the cow (prime rib of beef - to acknowledge our progress), plus all the trimmings, black eyed peas ( for luck), collard greens ( for money), corn bread, boudain, 3-4 desserts (to acknowledge the sweetness of life), and a glass of champagne for everyone who walks through the door.

Joanne, that's a great New Year's tradition.

BTW thanks for the pic of chitterlings. I have never seen these cooked, and have struggled to imagine what the dish might look like.

I love them too, Carrie and when I do make them, I eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner, until they are gone. That is why I don't make them but only once a year. Oh my, are they good.

It can be your New Years' Tradition too! I usually only make them once a year, but more because they are sooo time consuming. So good though. I can't remember, do yours have tomato? Ours do not, which I think is unusual, but we love them this way.

The ones I was taught to make by a family with the name of Gaertner, had filling made with hamburger, rice, onion, maybe garlic, in the rolled cabbage, then the rolls were in layers with sauerkraut, and tomato sauce in between each layer. The top was covered with cabbage leaves. This all went into a large roasting pan. I always put the juice from the sauerkraut into the filling.

Our's are ground pork and diced onion sauteed in salt pork drippings. Then add equal parts of cooked white rice. Season well with salt and pepper. That's it. Roll into cabbage leaves, squeeze them all into a casserole dish, with some slices of salt pork in between layers, cover tightly and bake for a few hours. Everything sort of melds together, and it's always even better the second day. It's always amazed me how so few flavors can create such a satisfying (and addictive) dish. I like mine with apple sauce, but Len's Mom never served that with them, so he won't admit it's a good combination.

I don't want to be anywhere near chittlins being cooked. <note to Robin - we need a retch emote.>

Same here.

Jo Ann, Hi.....

My own passion for chitlins is satisfied only when I make visits to one or two of the restaurants I know in Washington, D.C. but that is no problem for me as I am one of those people who adores andouillettes. I adore andouillettes so much in fact that I am a member of the French AAAAA (Association amicale des amateurs d'andouillette authentique) - in fact the only formal association I adore enough to have joined as a member.

A chitlin by any other name, and all that, but it might be fascinating one day to do a cook-off on the varying styles of chiltins versus those of andouilettes. Think of it.....we could put the Terralingua chile cookoff to shame!!!!

As to the best andouillettes - truck stops on the highway between Bordeaux and Paris!!!!

Best
Rogov

We do not have any New Years traditions, but I remember when I was a kid and the people that lived down the street insisted upon eating pickled and creamed herring. I seem to recall that they were from Nova Scotia and honestly believed that bad luck would fall upon anyone that did not eat pickled and creamed herring going into the New Year. I took my chances and went with the bad luck option.

Ye gods, Dave....

Pickled and creamed herring are among the gifts of the god. Taken together with fine rye bread and either marc, grappa or vishniak, enough to make one think one is one of the gods.

Best
Rogov

Jo Ann, Hi.....

My own passion for chitlins is satisfied only when I make visits to one or two of the restaurants I know in Washington, D.C. but that is no problem for me as I am one of those people who adores andouillettes. I adore andouillettes so much in fact that I am a member of the French AAAAA (Association amicale des amateurs d'andouillette authentique) - in fact the only formal association I adore enough to have joined as a member.

A chitlin by any other name, and all that, but it might be fascinating one day to do a cook-off on the varying styles of chiltins versus those of andouilettes. Think of it.....we could put the Terralingua chile cookoff to shame!!!!

As to the best andouillettes - truck stops on the highway between Bordeaux and Paris!!!!

Best
Rogov

HI, Daniel

If you are ever in my neck of the woods, I will hook you up! I have made believers out of many people who feel as Robert does. The market from which I purchase mine deal in the freshest and cleanest (as you can see they are almost white) I have seen -- so there is little more than an earthy smell. Although, thourgh force of habit I spend considerable time picking through them and cutting away as much fat from the lining as possible. Mine are cooked full of herbs and garlic and simmered until they are almost silky in texture, but with appropriate chewiness (almost akin to the texture of a clam). And, I'm up for that challenge. Just let me know where the cookoff will be and I will show up with herb basket, pail of chitterlings and pots in hand!!