HAPPY NEW YEAR!

(Brown crowders, black-eyed peas, purple-hull peas)

Ya'll won't have good luck this year if ya'll don't eat field peas TODAY. This dish was brought to the American South from Africa. Traditionally served with a side of collards or other greens.

HOPPIN' JANE

1 cup field peas, traditionally black-eyed but could also use crowders or purple hulls if you want to live a little dangerously
5-6 cups water OR -- canned/frozen peas instead of making your own
Bacon, sausage or ham hock
1 Vidalia onion, chopped
1 cup brown rice
Lots of freshly-ground black pepper or other versions of heat (tabasco, peppers, etc.)

If you're making the peas from scratch: Wash and sort them. Put them in a saucepan with the water and remove any peas that flat. Bring to a boil, turn down to gentle boil, add the pork and onion and cook uncovered until tender but not mushy, about 1.5 hours. You sholuld have 2 cups of liquid remaining. Add the rice, cover and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes, never lifting the lid.

If you're using canned peas: Put in a saucepan, add the pork, onion and pepper. Add enough water to make about 2 cups of liquid (probably need to add 1.5 cups). Add the rice, cover and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes, never lifting the lid.

Remove from the heat without removing the lid and allow to sit, steaming, for another 10 minutes. Pour into a bowl, fluff the rice, and serve immediately.


While ya'll are eating, here's some good news to chew over as well:

David Letterman's production company, World Wide Pants, has made a deal with the Writers Guild of America giving them EVERYTHING the guild was requesting. A fair deal for all future writers. This is going to put enormous pressure on other producers, and means the Letterman show can go right back on the air.

To read a wonderfully uplifting account of it all, check out the post at Group News Blog by Jesse Wendel, complete with moving Speechless videos.

And if you want to start off the year with a mitzvah, take five minutes to write a letter to these folks thanking them for doing such a good thing. World Wide Pants can be reached at:
1697 Boradway, Suite 805, NY, NY 10019; phone 212-975-5300, fax 212-975-4780.
I couldn't find an e-mail address for WWP, but you can write CBS (which airs the Letterman show) with the same message at CBSmailbag@aol.com.

Celebrate your victories twice as hard as you mourn your losses.

Gelukkig Nieuw Jaar
Nouvelle Année Heureuse
Glückliches Neues Jahr
Καλή χρονιά
Nuovo Anno Felice
Ano Novo Feliz
С Новым годом
Feliz Año Nuevo
Akemashiteomedetougozaimasu
Zuri Pya Mwaka
Glad Nytt År
Щастлив Нов Година
Iloinen Veres Ikä
Heldig Nytår
Boldog {j Évet
Hamingjusamur Nýár
Maligaya bagong taon
Szczęśliwego nowego roku
Fericit Nou An
Srećan Nova godina
Srečno novo leto
Glad Nyåren
'n ddedwydd 'n Grai Blwyddyn
Mutlu yeni yıl
Gauisus Novus Annus