For luck, try Black-Eyed Peas this New Year’s Day

Happy New Year, and new decade, too. Not sure how twenty years have passed since Y2K, but apparently it’s true. Back then, New Years consisted of going to Oklahoma City to meet up with my big group of Lebanese friends and partying into the wee hours of the night. These days it looks more like a couple of friends over for the last dinner party of the decade. While the four Christmas celebrations wore us out, the celebrating had to continue one more time.

A fresh year and decade seems so monumental. As if this year’s resolutions should be extra meaningful and significant. I once heard of a friend making a new resolution each month, which I thought was quite wise. Who really knows how an entire year is going to go anyway? Last January, Whole30 was the commitment for the month. In the cold, dark days of January this year, keeping active will be the goal. The other goal for the month is to gather the recipes and finish writing my cookbook, which should be out this spring. A lot of 2019 was spent shooting the 150 recipes for this cookbook, so it was a busy year.

This week’s recipe is Black Eyed Peas — you know for good luck in this new year. The first time I had them was in Oklahoma City with mentioned friends above. My friend Megan’s mom, Gloria served me the first serving of black eyed peas ever on a New Year’s Day probably twenty or more years ago. This was never a tradition in our family growing up, and now, we sometimes make them, and other years we skip it.

A New Year’s Day childhood tradition we loved was going to the Taylor’s house for a big brunch. The Taylors still live two houses down from where my mom lives, but they must have a new tradition, too. Those were the days. Lots of neighbors and friends packed into their house. The kids ran wild. I would bet they served Black Eyed Peas, but I imagine I ate cinnamon rolls or whatever else they served. Wishing you a new year and decade starting with some luck, Black Eyed Peas and the hope of new adventures.

New Year’s Day Black Eyed Peas

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

4 ounces slab bacon, cut into ½ inch pieces

1 medium onion, finely chopped

5 sprigs thyme, plus leaves for serving

4 garlic cloves, smashed

2 cups black eyed peas, soaked overnight, drained

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan over medium. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until some of the fat begins to collect in the pan and bacon starts to look shiny, about 5 minutes. Add thyme sprigs, garlic, black eyed peas and 8 cups cold water and bring to a simmer over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently, skimming any foam from surface, until beans are tender, 35 – 45 minutes. Discard thyme; season with salt.

To serve, drizzle beans with oil and top with thyme leaves and black pepper.