BLACK-EYED PEAS

1 pound dried black-eyed peas, sorted and rinsed, 2 small smoked ham hocks, 6 cups chicken broth, 1 cup white onion, quartered, 2 bay leaves, 3 garlic cloves, minced, 1/8 teaspoon raw sugar, 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, 1 tablespoon seasoning salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

Get out a large bowl, add the peas, cover with at least 2-inches of cold water.  Set aside for at least 10 hours.  Get out a pot add the broth, ham hocks, liquid smoke, bay leaves, garlic, pepper and salt to the pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook on medium heat for an hour or until the meat starts to pull away from the bone.  Rinse the peas and add them to the pot.  Continue to cook for another hour. With the back of a wide tooth fork mash, some of the pease against the side of the pot then stir.  This step gives the peas a creamier consistency.  Taste, the peas should be soft but not mushy.

I serve this dish with candied yams, hot water cornbread, steamed white rice, a green salad, and fried center cut bone-in pork chops with a tall glass of red Kool-Aid