It's New Year's Day

"Went down Camino Espinoza

Gonna get me a divorce
I'm gonna split with all my money
See that girl who loves a horse

It's New Year's Day here on the border
And it's always been this way
I never do the things I oughta
Think I'll stay, it's New year's Day"

— Charlie Robison ('New Year's Day' from his CD "Good Times")

When I was a kid in Pennsylvania, New Year's Day meant sauerkraut and pork with my grandmother's fabulous potato & bread dumplings. Oh man, I can still taste those dumplings, which we kids called "lead balls." I made them once and quickly learned why we only had them once or twice a year. Ricing potatoes is or was a messy, exhausting chore. I'm sure there's some fancy-schmancy electric gizmo now that does it, but I don't have one.

Here in Texas, one ensures good luck for the coming year by eating black-eyed peas. Black-eyes are an acquired taste, to be sure, as they have an earthiness about them, not unlike that of mushrooms or truffles. Traditionally, they are cooked with ham and served with cornbread, but we are departing a bit from tradition today and cooking them with onion and grilled Italian sausage, serving them with whole wheat tortillas. Although available dry, canned or frozen, since they are grown locally, I prefer to buy them fresh.

I'm taking no chances and am having myself a BIG ole' bowl. Maybe two. Y'all help yourselves to better luck in 2009. Yum.