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Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2009 12:18:59 GMT
While on my scallop hunt yesterday,I saw all the ingredients for the traditional New Orleans New Year's meal out in prominent display.
The traditional New Year's meal here consists of black eyed peas,simmered for hours with a mirepoix and some other type sausage or ham.Served aside rice which is then referred to as "hoppin' John".
This in turn is served with some type of green,also cooked with seasoned ham,onion.Greens usually served up are mustard,turnip or the ever popular collard.Sometimes a combination of the three.cabbage is also used.
Corn bread always accompanying this meal.
The black eyed peas are representative of luck,the greens,money.
What's most interesting to me is how very seriously people take having this meal,to the point of superstition and people go out of their way to have this meal available to those who may not be able to cook,so,plates of are brought to elderly folks and others.There are many open houses on this day as well. We always have or go to two or three.
This meal is traditionally served in all New Orleans homes and knows no economic,racial or social boundaries.
Has always fascinated me.
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Post by lagatta on Dec 28, 2009 14:19:22 GMT
casimira, great minds?
Look at what I wrote in recipes!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 28, 2009 15:12:42 GMT
casimira, great minds? Look at what I wrote in recipes! Ah yes!! I see.!! Saw on Wikipedia long list of various countries,cultures, traditions on. Adore lentils.Grazie! |
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 29, 2009 7:08:54 GMT
(Did you ever say how you finally obtained the scallops?)
I grew up with this tradition and enjoy it out of sentiment, and also because these are foods I love. It always had a coin or coins in the food, too. I remember one year when my brothers & sisters were still little and we were celebrating New Year's at my grandparents' house. My grandmother was so overly concerned that no child be left out, the cabbage was positively dangerous with dimes.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2009 10:43:04 GMT
We did that for a while as well until there was"an incident" and someone broke their tooth...  |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2009 10:59:11 GMT
After searching the net for traditions in France, I found only the exchange of a New Year's pretzel in Alsace.
Otherwise the tradition is to eat and drink as many luxury products as possible to bring on the traditional "liver attack."
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Post by bazfaz on Dec 29, 2009 15:57:13 GMT
Is there a tradition of "first footing" in France? In Britain it is, I think, meant to be a black haired person bearing coal who first crosses the threshhold after midnight.
A few years back as midnight approached I went out to the shed to fetch a lump of charcoal. I knew the bag was just inside the entrance and it was a moonlit night so I didn't take a torch. Imagine my palpitating heart as something withe white blotches lunged out of the depths of the shed. It turned out to be a lost hunting dog.
Snails don't count as a luxury food but we'll be having them. Maybe veal escalopes to follow.
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Post by lagatta on Dec 29, 2009 16:48:23 GMT
I thought it was Scottish and had to be a black (or very dark) haired man. Thought it dated back to the Viking invasions.
One wanted proof that the person wasn't a blond man who could well be a Viking. A woman (in a patriarchal society) would mean the men of fighting age had been killed or captured. Idem a greybeard.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2009 17:47:50 GMT
I absolutely have no knowledge of any general New Year's tradition in France, even after searching the web. The French don't even have a tradition of resolutions.
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Post by bazfaz on Dec 31, 2009 11:20:20 GMT
No rich liver-bloating food for us tonight. Mrs Faz is making a prawn and courgette curry, with a curried aubergine and moong dal pancakes.
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Post by imec on Dec 31, 2009 18:16:48 GMT
Tonight we'll have the last of my NB Oysters to start followed by Steak and Lobster Tail.
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Post by lagatta on Dec 31, 2009 23:07:13 GMT
I'm making my (domestic Du Puy type) lentils with very finely minced onion, celery, carrot and mushrooms, lardons, beef broth, bay leaves, sage etc. But the actual réveillon will only be on the 2nd - I'll probably taste a bit of it tonight.
I may not do anything. Perhaps another friend might drag me out, but I'd just as soon stay in and go to bed earlyish. I have a split of Prosecco to drink if I feel like it (there is a much better bottle, for the friends).
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2010 11:26:47 GMT
We will be entertaining a few folks for the traditional black eyed peas and greens,corn bread and the last of my Meyer lemon/mint sorbet. Then off to a fairly large open house in the neighborhood. I hope to get some pictures of.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2010 20:41:23 GMT
Round one over, I am so stuffed...I guess I'll make it to round two later although,I really feel like just taking a nap. I was a little irritated at the fact that some local politicians running for City Council in February made their way into the neighborhood to glad hand and campaign today.  |
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 1, 2010 23:35:57 GMT
I talked to my mother earlier today, who was shocked and I think a little worried that I hadn't had black eyed peas and cabbage. "You can't get a can?" she asked in a hushed, horrified voice, thinking there was still time to save myself from certain disaster in the coming year. Then she fretted because we didn't eat any cornbread while I was visiting. As it was, I was afraid the airline would make me buy an extra seat as I waddled on after nine days at Mama's house.
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Post by lagatta on Jan 3, 2010 1:00:50 GMT
Isn't that true? They never stop slagging us for "not watching our figure" while they ply us with ultra-caloric foods.
Black-eyed peas and cabbage together in a can? Rather frightening. The best tinned legumes I've found are the Eden organics - they are put up without salt so you don't have to rinse away all the nice glop.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2010 1:16:24 GMT
Oh No! Not cabbage and black eyed peas together in a can. Just the black eyed peas.I have never seen or heard of them combined. My mother is probably the rare exception to that particular annoying care/concern about my weight and has never been of the "I must feed you,here have more"syndrome. As a matter of fact it annoys me that I have inherited/acquired her trait of eating like a bird.  My husband on the other hand is forever trying to get me to eat more. |
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Post by cristina on Jan 3, 2010 1:19:36 GMT
Isn't that true? They never stop slagging us for "not watching our figure" while they ply us with ultra-caloric foods. Black-eyed peas and cabbage together in a can? Rather frightening. The best tinned legumes I've found are the Eden organics - they are put up without salt so you don't have to rinse away all the nice glop. I'm betting she was referring to the the black-eyed peas not being available in a can. I can't imagine them canned with the cabbage. |
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Post by cristina on Jan 3, 2010 1:20:30 GMT
oops...cross post...  |
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2010 1:22:21 GMT
oops...cross post... but a VERY important one! |
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 3, 2010 4:24:53 GMT
Black-eyed peas and cabbage together in a can? hee hee ~~ I had already copied LaGatta's remark above when I saw Casimira's and Cristina's answers. So, yeah -- what they said! |
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Post by hwinpp on Jan 4, 2010 5:08:07 GMT
It's traditional to eat boiled carp on New Year's Eve in Germany.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 4, 2010 5:16:17 GMT
HW ~~ have you been to Germany and back? You've been gone such a long time. Happy new year!
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Post by cristina on Jan 4, 2010 5:17:51 GMT
It's traditional to eat boiled carp on New Year's Eve in Germany. Carp, specifically? I know seafood is a common New Year's ingredient around the world, but why carp? Is there a meaning behind it? And I've never had carp before, btw... |
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 4, 2010 5:26:02 GMT
 I should hope not! |
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Post by hwinpp on Jan 4, 2010 5:47:01 GMT
Ha, ha, I had visitors from Germany and I was out of town until NYE.
Yes, they actually eat carp, they're pretty big and some people buy them a couple of days before and keep them in their bathtubs to get rid of the muddy taste.
I don't like carp, whether it's been swimming around in a bathtub or not.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jan 4, 2010 6:05:22 GMT
Sounds like you had a great time, HW. I know that people eat carp, but I also know that darling little goldfish are carp. |
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Post by existentialcrisis on Jan 5, 2010 13:19:04 GMT
On NYE a lot of people back home seem to get Chinese food... no one knows why...
I love the idea of Hoppin' John! I've always wanted to try it! I must take a trip to the South...
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