- Christmas solved! Send special-priced gifts from OMAHA STEAKS
- Enjoy Great Savings from Free Catalogs
Clothing, Wine & Brew, Invitations,
Wedding, Hobbies & Crafts
The Black-Eyed Pea Connection
Surely by now, we don't have to remind you about the connection between black-eyed peas eaten on New Years Day and good luck for the year. Our recipe is not the traditional take on black-eyed peas in Texas. But that makes it no less ideal for New Years Day fare, especially if you're hosting a gathering of friends and family. Put this dish on the buffet, and it will be enjoyed by all but a few traditionalist holdouts. If we were Monty Python, we'd be saying "And now for something completely different ..."
Enjoy this recipe and Happy New Year!
******************************
You are reading our Recipe of the Week newsletter. In 2018 our main monthly newsletter will feature brand new recipes that we add to the TexasCooking.com website. If you do not already receive our monthly newsletter, subscribe here.
Black-Eyed Peas and Rice
A delicious black-eyed pea and rice casserole that's full of great flavors. You can use canned black-eyed peas with good results. Just be sure to put them in a colander and lightly rinse them, then drain well.
- 1/2 pound salt pork, rind removed, cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 2 medium red bell peppers, seeded, cored, cut into 1-inch dice
- 6 ripe plum tomatoes, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press
- 1 cup uncooked rice (not Minute Rice)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 6 cups cooked black-eyed peas
- 1 cup pitted green olives
- 1/4 cup capers, drained
- 5 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
- 1 rounded tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup green onions, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- In a large heavy dutch oven or casserole, sauté the salt pork over low heat until the fat has been rendered. Do not allow salt pork to brown.
- Add peppers, tomatoes, onion and garlic to salt pork and cook 5 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in rice and remaining ingredients, except for green onions and parsley. Cover and cook for 20 minutes. Most of the liquid should be absorbed.
- Add the green onions and parsley, gently combine, and serve.
Even if you don't like anchovies, do not be tempted to omit them. They provide complexity and depth of flavor without being identifiable in the dish.
The serving dishes in our photograph are Fiesta dinnerware.
Lone Star List
Important Texas stuff this week.
- Mmmmm! The Fit Fork : Blueberry Brie "Cake" Appitizer, A Sweet Pea Chef: Sweet Potato Rolls, Feed This House: Apple Crumble Pie, Imperial Sugar: Old-Fashioned Saltwater Taffy, A Pleasant Little Kitchen: Chocolate Pancakes with Peppermint Whipped Cream .
- January 1 is Bloody Mary Day - here's our classic recipe for Steve's Bloody Mary's.
- Most read story on TexasMonthly in 2017: The Top 50 Barbecue Joints in Texas
- Texas Highways: The intriguing history of San Antonio’s Japanese Tea Garden. The story behind this San Antonio landmark’s entrance sign serves as a reminder of wartime mentality and an attempt to rewrite history.
- TX Historical Commission: Main Street Matters: Spotlight on Royse City, Texas
- Texas Standard: This attorney's red cowboy boots says she means business.
- Kevin Kelly has an interesting YouTube channel where he interviews BBQ pitmasters and personalities. Here is his December 24 interview with Reid Guess of Guess Family Barbecue in Waco
New Cookbooks We're Reading
- BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts
by Stella Parks - "connects the dots between your childhood treats and digs into the storied pasts of American favorites, such as cream pies, vanilla wafers, peanut brittle and even Reese's Peanut Butter Cups." - Addie Broyles / Austin American-Statesman - Vinegar Revival: Artisanal Recipes for Brightening Dishes and Drinks with Homemade Vinegars
by Harry Rosenblum
The next frontier in fermenting and home brewing is vinegar: the essential ingredient for enhancing your home cooking. - QUESO!: Regional Recipes for the World's Favorite Chile-Cheese Dip
by Lisa Fain
- January is National Soup Month --- see our full list of American Food Holidays.
- VIDEO: Rooster Teeth sinks it's beak into New York City BBQ - how does it compare to Texas'?
- Houston Chronicle: Houston's favorite holiday cookie recipes.
- Fort Worth Weekly: The Year of Dallas - Dallas Invasion 2017 of Fort Worth!
- Texas Standard: This Texas Rancher Raises Hundreds of Goats By Herself.
- KERA News: Why Hot Dogs Are Sold In Packs Of 10, But Buns Are Sold In Packs Of 8: A History Lesson
- NYT Food - Somewhere between a food truck and a food tent, you'll find a cubert.
- MySA: San Antonio's Top 25 Taco Places.
- Marfa Public Radio: Documentary - West Texas Dark Skies, Dark Energies - searching for distant galaxies at the McDonald Observatory.
- The Top Six Dishes I Ate in 2017: A year in review and Dallas Observer's food critic boasts about his 10 favorite meals of 2017.
- What to do this weekend? Visit a Farmer's Market! COMPLETE LIST OF FARMERS MARKETS IN TEXAS
Video of the Week: Tranquility at Alamito Creek in far West Texas.
Request a Free Garden Catalog
Texas Cooking's monthly newsletter showcases new articles, reviews and recipes on the site. Follow our columns about cooking, Texas trivia and other Texas news as well in this informative email.
Sign up here.
Unsubscribe from the Recipe of the Week Newsletter