I pray that you slept well and woke up refreshed, ready to start 2021.   Happy New Year.  I pray health, wealth, peace, and love to all my friends and family this year.

According to Black southern folklore, black-eyed peas are served on New Year’s day to garner good luck for the year. Along with good luck, black-eyed peas are loaded with potassium, calcium, magnesium, folate, and iron.

BLACK-EYED PEAS

Soak 1 pound of peas for at least 2 hours.  Pour peas into a colander, pick out anything and everything that does not look right, that could be rocks or dark peas.  If you think it doesn’t belong, pick it out.  Get out a heavy pot, add the ham hoc, 1 small white onion, chopped, 1 jalapeno pepper, cover the meat plus 3-inches. Turn turn the flame to high. Turn the flame to medium and cook until the meat starts to fall off the bone.

Get out a skillet and add 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings add 1/2 cup chopped white onions, saute until the onions are translucent and slightly browned.  Add 2 garlic cloves, chopped.  Add the peas to the pot cover with water, add 1 1/2 teaspoons pork bouillon, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, 1 dried bay leaf, 1\2 teaspoon liquid smoke. Turn pot to medium-high, cover pot, and cook for about 2 hours.  Check pot occasionally to ensure the water does not cook out.  The peas are done when they are fork-tender and you can squeeze one with your thumb and finger. Taste, add salt and pepper as needed.