In their most traditional form, black-eyed peas are cooked with a ham hock (or other pork product) and served with Southern delicacies like collard greens (representing money) and corn bread (representing gold). These hearty little peas are inexpensive, high in fiber and they hold up really well to hot sauce (well, it is the south).

Here are other traditions for New Years Luck:

• In Brazil and Italy, eating lentils are a sign of riches to come, since they expand as cooked. As well as eating pomegranates and saving 7 seeds in your wallet, only after dedicating 3 seeds to the three kings who visited Christ by throwing them over your shoulder after calling their names.

• In Spain, consume twelve grapes at midnight – one grape for each stroke of the clock and each grape symbolizing each month of the year. This dates back to 1909, when grape growers in the Alicante region of Spain initiated the practice to take care of a grape surplus. The idea stuck, spreading to Portugal as well as former Spanish and Portuguese colonies such as Venezuela, Cuba, Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru.

• In France some people eat heart or log shaped desserts, sometimes made of ice cream.

• The Danish eat Kale sprinkled with sugar.

• In Japan, the osechi-ryori, a group of symbolic dishes eaten during the first three days of the New Year, includes sweet black beans called kuro-mame.

• Roast suckling pig is served in Cuba, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, and Austria—Different pork dishes such as pig’s feet are enjoyed in Sweden while Germans feast on roast pork and sausages often with sauerkraut.

• In many Asian countries, long noodles are eaten in order to bring a long life. One catch: You can’t break the noodle before it is all in your mouth.

• Poland, Hungary, and the Netherlands eat donuts, and Holland has ollie bollen, puffy, donut-like pastries filled with apples, raisins, and currants.

SOUTHERN BLACK EYED PEAS

Ingredients
1 pound dried black-eyed peas, rinse and sorted
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt to taste

Additional crumbled bacon, optional

Directions
In a large Dutch oven, place the peas, bacon and enough water to cover; bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1 hour. Do not drain.
In a small skillet, saute onion in butter until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in thyme and salt; add to pea mixture. Return to the heat; simmer, covered, for 30 minutes or until peas are soft. Top with crumbled bacon if desired. Yield: 6-8 servings.

The world watched in mouth-watering envy, as Carrie Bradshaw bit into the perfect and enticing little cake on Sex and the City, licking the fluffy pink frosting off her upper lip. And in that moment we were all transformed. Just like being thrown into a time machine I myself was remembering the days of ole when my Mom would walk into my elementary classroom on my birthday.  In her hand she carried a plate that was covered with chocolate cupcakes hosting a luscious creamy blob of chocolate frosting on top.  There was a sweet and creamy little mound for every classmate; ahh the days where there were so few things as simply satisfying.

In later years, as birthdays marked by cupcakes in the classroom switched over to co-ed parties in junior high, then alcohol-fueled parties in young adulthood, cupcakes faded into the distant past.

That is, until the last couple of years.

Exquisitely frosted fondants appeared on streets around the world. What is it about these pretty little cakes that has taken us back to our young love and added the glamour that we need to make it feel right once again?  They are sweet, portable and require no cutlery. They are just large enough to be satisfying but small enough to be guilt-free.

And there are endless options to what you can do with cupcakes.  Whether planning a wedding, your golden anniversary, a corporate event or a sweet sixteen spectacular cupcakes are the emerging trend today instead of a traditional cake.  They offer better versatility and are celebratory and sophisticated along with their delicious nature, cute packaging and decorative toppings. They are in vogue! They might be the perfect menu for a sugar enhanced children’s party, but these lavish confections are driving a sweet-coated revolution. Where Carrie Bradshaw led, the rest are following and following in groves.

You know what they say about good things and small packages? These scrumptious cakes are no exception. The mouthwatering morsels are back, and they are dreamier than ever.

For those of us over the age of 25, when you think of Halloween candy you think of candy corn, those sugary little spikes of Halloween cheer. They’ve been around for as long as you can remember, but did you know that they were invented in the 1880’s? Wunderle Candy Company of Philadelphia was the first to go into commercial production with the sugar treat, however, the company most closely associated is the Goelitz Confectionery Company. Founder Gustav Goelitz, a German immigrant, began commercial production of the treat in 1898 in Cincinnati and is today the oldest manufacturer of the Halloween icon.

At the turn of the last century, candy was manufactured seasonally from March through November. Large kettles were used to cook the basic ingredients of candy corn: sugar, water, and corn syrup. Fondant for smooth texture and marshmallow for a soft bite would be whipped in. When the right consistency was reached the hot candy would be poured into hand-held buckets called runners. Each runner held 45 pounds of the hot mixture. Next, men called stringers would walk backward pouring the steaming candy into trays of cornstarch imprinted with kernel-shaped molds. Three passes were made, one for each white, orange, and yellow color.

All this strenuous labor wasn’t lost on the tiny candy. It’s tricolor design was considered revolutionary for its time and people flocked to buy them. So popular was candy corn that companies tried other vegetable shapes including turnips, and the Goelitz Candy Company even had to turn orders down for lack of production capacity.

During WWI, Herman Goelitz, son of Gustav, moved to Fairfield, California to start his own company, the Herman Goelitz Candy Company. Their product? Candy Corn! The fortune of the Halloween treat would rise and fall many times as recession and boom, war and peace, affected the humble confection. Throughout the hard times it was the sale of candy corn that kept the companies afloat. In the sugar crisis of the mid 1970’s, when the price of raw sugar skyrocketed, the company had to borrow heavily to buy sugar to keep production up. After the crisis the market plummeted, and many companies went out of business. It was demand for the candy corn that kept Goelitz from bankruptcy.

Today you won’t have to look very hard to find candy corn. Computer and machine aided production have made them a plentiful staple no matter what time of year. Halloween accounts for 75% of the annual candy corn production, but it isn’t just for Halloween there is also: Reindeer Corn for Christmas (red, green, and white), Cupid Corn for Valentine’s Day (red, pink, and white), and Bunny Corn for Easter (pastel-colored). Very impressive for a product that has remained virtually unchanged for well over 100 years.

Although sales of conventional hot dogs have been declining over the past four years, the sales of the organic hot dogs, a relative newcomer, have been skyrocketing. Organic hot dogs have seen an increase in sales of more than 50% in the last four years, which is doubly surprising when you consider that organic hot dogs often cost significantly more than those produced conventionally.

The history of the hot dog explains the terms “frankfurter” and “wiener.” The hot dog traces back to the 15th-century Viennese sausage, or “wienerwurst” in German. Johann Georghehner, a butcher from Coburg, Bavaria, is credited with inventing the “little dog” sausage in the 17th century, and brought it to Frankfurt. Yet, it was still a sausage eaten with a knife and fork, no bun.

The hot dog, a slender sausage in a bun, was undeniably an American invention. A German immigrant named Charles Feltman began selling sausages in rolls at a stand in Coney Island in 1871. The 1893 World Exposition in Chicago marked the debut of the hot dog vendor, and according to National Hot Dog and Sausage Council, around this time the hot dog made its first appearance at a ballpark. The first published mention of the term “hot dog” as a food first appeared in print in the September 1893 issue of The Knoxville Journal. However, it was well established prior to then.

BEST EVER HOTDOG SAUCE

1 lb ground beef,cooked

1 medium onion, small diced
1 tbl chili seasoning

1 tbl mustard
1/4 cup cider vinegar

1/4 cup white sugar
1 large bottle, Heinz ketchup

Brown hamburger in a medium saucepan; while meat is browning, dice up onion and add to meat. Cook meat and onion until no longer pink. (If meat is fatty, drain but leave some grease for flavor.) Add the chili seasoning and mustard to meat mixture, while keeping a low flame under saucepan, stir. Add vinegar and sugar. Stir this mixture slightly. While stirring, add ketchup a little at a time to desired consistency. Cook for 45 – 50 minutes on low heat, stirring often.

Note:  If you cook the sauce uncovered, it will become somewhat thicker, if you have added too much ketchup.

CONEY ISLAND CHILI DOG SAUCE

1 lb ground chuck

1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced

1 six ounce can tomato paste
1 cup water

1 tbl sugar
1 tbl prepared yellow mustard

1 tbl dried, minced onion
2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp ground cumin (heaping)

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Brown ground beef in a skillet, adding onions half way through. Add minced garlic when meat is nearly done. Add remaining ingredients; stir well to combine.  Simmer over low heat 15 minutes.  Serve over hot dogs, Coney Island style!

As you can see, asparagus is a great way to eat healthily, and you’ll find that with a little bit of experimentation,
you’ll have plenty of options open to you when it comes to this highly versatile vegetable.

The little tree like stalks has been used from very early times as both vegetable and medicine, owing to its delicate flavor and its diuretic properties.  There is in fact a recipe for cooking asparagus in the oldest surviving book of recipes.  While that particular recipe may not be the perfect starter for your menu, try one or both of these this month and jump start your health and flavor trends.

Asparagus Wraps

4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 egg

1 (1 pound) loaf white bread, crusts trimmed
1 (10 ounce) package frozen cut asparagus

1/2 cup butter, melted

1. In a medium bowl, mix the blue cheese, cream cheese and egg. Flatten each bread slice, and spread with blue cheese mixture. Place one piece of asparagus on each bread slice. Roll the slices. Place rolled slices in freezer bags, and freeze at least 4 hours, or until frozen.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
3. Remove rolls from freezer. Brush with butter.
4. Place rolls on a large baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven 10 minutes, or until bread is lightly browned and cheese is melted. Cut into bite-sized pieces to serve.  Serves 10

Roasted Asparagus with Thyme

3 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed

3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

1. Place asparagus in a roasting pan or baking pan lined with heavy-duty foil. Drizzle with oil and toss to coat. Sprinkle with the thyme, salt and pepper. Bake, uncovered, at 425 degrees F for 10-15 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Serves 12

I have been puzzled most of my adult life.  When cooking with what I typically label “hamburger meat,” I have never known what type to buy for different recipes AND I noted that most recipes simply call for “ground beef.”  As we all know, there are many more varied choices than just “ground beef.”

So I set out to unlock the mystery of what it is; and when do I cook with what type?  I found a taste test on this very subject had already taken place by Cook’s Country, so I tested their test.

Ground Chuck
It is cut from the shoulder and usually ranges from 15 to 20 percent fat.  Taste testers favor this meat for its “rich” flavor and “moist and tender” texture.  It is recommended as the best choice for burgers.

Ground Sirloin
Taste testers have praised ground sirloin as “tender and tasty.”  It is the best option for meatloaves and meat sauce (spaghetti) type dishes.  It is probably a bit too dry for burgers, even though it has good beef flavor.  It is cut from the mid-section of the animal near the hip and ranges in fat content from 7 to 10 percent.

Ground Round
Lean and tough, ground round comes from the upper leg and rump area of the cow.  Tasters rejected this selection as “gristly” and “typically lacking beef flavor.”  The fat content ranges from 10 to 20 percent.

Ground Beef
Any cut or combination of cuts can be labeled “ground beef,” so consistency is a problem.  Because ground beef can have as much as 30 percent fat, greasiness can be an issue.  Tasters noted it to be “mushy” with an overall “old boiled beef taste.”

There are a couple of other factors that need to be considered.  Cost, what you are willing to pay, and add-ins. For many recipes, what you are adding to the meat can make a BIG difference.  But generally, the basics of the taste test have been terrific in guiding when to buy what cuts and what to use them for.

I now have a basic guide and at least somewhat understand what these meats are…. Mission Accomplished.

Dr. Jane Torrie, BS, DC

Sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners are all used to sweeten food and beverages.  Let me share my quest in what to use.

First, let’s look at the basics about table sugar and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).  One teaspoon of table sugar weighs 4 grams and has 16 calories.   According to the US Department of Agriculture, the average added sugar consumption per person per day is ½ pound, much of that in processed foods and sugared drinks in the form of high fructose corn syrup!  (Added sugar means sugar beyond what occurs naturally in food such as milk or fruit sugar.)  Because consuming too much sugar means too many calories and too many calories mean being overweight with the possibility of such chronic conditions as cancer, heart disease and diabetes, the American Heart Association (AHA) established guidelines on the amount of added sugar including HFCS we should eat.  For women, the AHA recommends no more than 6 teaspoons (24 grams or 100 calories) of added sugar per day.  Men are allowed 9 teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) per day.

Well, you may be thinking the answer to this problem is using artificial sweeteners to replace that excess sugar in our diets.  Think again!  Artificial sweeteners offer a sweet taste, no nutritional value and zero to very few calories.  That sounds fine so far but research at Purdue University links weight gain and decreased metabolism to the use of artificial sweeteners.  It seems that the sweet taste makes the body expect high calories and when that doesn’t happen, the metabolic system slows down and fat is stored.  Several common artificial sweeteners are also linked with side effects including headaches, allergic reactions and premature births in some studies.  Although there are persistent concerns among consumers about cancer, the FDA monitors artificial sweeteners and finds no evidence that they cause cancer in humans.

OK, what about stevia, it is a natural sweetener that is 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar.  Since it doesn’t provide calories, only sweetness, stevia likely has the same metabolic effect as artificial sweeteners, leading to increased weight.  However, researchers have not found evidence of side effects with stevia, as they have with artificial sweeteners.  It seems it may be safer but still have the effect of increasing weight gain.

So, what do we make of all of this information?  Moderation is the key.  We have to learn to savor the natural sweetness of foods.  When we can appreciate their natural sweetness, we are more likely to be able to follow these simple action steps:

1.    If you don’t already, read labels.
2.    Avoid foods which have high fructose corn syrup listed as an ingredient.
3.    Avoid the use of non-nutrient sweeteners, artificial or natural.
4.    Use sugar sparingly.  Follow the AHA guidelines for added sugar.
5.    Use stevia in moderation if a non-caloric sweetener is needed.

Just imagine, if we all stopped drinking calories in sugary drinks, the obesity epidemic in America would see a major reversal and we would all have better health.

Toasted and salted, pumpkin seeds have a nutty flavor. They’re even better flavored with sweet and savory spices.

Ingredients

1 cup raw pumpkin seeds,
rinsed and dried
6 tablespoons white sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 250o. Spread seeds on a foil-lined baking sheet, sprayed with cooking spray, for easy clean up and non-stick. Toast for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until dry and toasted. Larger seeds may take longer.

2. In a large bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of white sugar, salt, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and sprinkle the remaining sugar over them. Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar melts, about 45 seconds. Pour seeds into the bowl with the spiced sugar and stir until coated. Sprinkle cinnamon on top and mix the seeds again for coating. Allow to cool before serving. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Have more seeds than you know what to do with? Substitute pumpkin seeds for peanuts in your favorite peanut brittle recipe.

Sugar and salt, if one isn’t making the news, the other one is. Consuming too much sugar will make you gain weight, considering its calorie count, that’s understandable.  Salt is a more complicated subject. It raises your blood pressure, but how it does this dastardly deed is a mystery to most of us. Salt plays a key role in your electrolyte balance. Too much salt can keep the volume of blood circulating in the body higher than it should be.

When that happens, the high blood volume puts pressure on blood vessel walls. To protect themselves, the blood vessels thicken and narrow. That means the heart has to work harder to push the blood through a smaller space and the harder the push the higher the blood pressure. There may be other factors working at the same time to raise the pressure, but doctors at Johns Hopkins and the Institute of Medicine’s Committee on Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake believe salty diets are the main culprit.

Salt peaks the flavor of many foods, but Americans are going overboard on using it. They consume up to twice as much as they should, which could be the reason why nearly one-third of adult Americans have high blood pressure.

Avoiding the salt shaker can help reduce consumption. But processed foods contain 75 percent to 80 percent of the salt in your diet. You never see it and can’t identify it when you eat it. You should only have 150 to 200 mg of salt at a meal, so read packaged and canned food labels to see how much they contain. Choose fresh foods when possible. Processing always includes a lot of salt. A serving of potatoes au gratin from dry mix, for example may contain 50 times as much salt as one baked potato. Rinsing canned vegetables before cooking can help.

Dining out can be a problem. Some meals at chain restaurants contain two to five days worth of the daily recommended salt limit, so eating in is better than eating out.

Whether a simple cake reception or a full service catered event, so many new and fun ideas for receptions are out there and the possibilites are limitless!  What to cater should be determined by several things:  budget, size of your wedding, time of day, and most importantly, what you want.  Remember, a good caterer works within your budget to provide you exactly (or as close as possible) what you want without sacrificing quality.

A nice option for afternoon receptions that is budget friendly is simple but beautiful fruits, vegetables and cheese displays. The addition of melons carved into swans or your names carved into watermelons can be used to highlight the presentation. The addition of mini-croissant sandwiches or a nice spinach dip with bruschetta can round the display nicely.

A noon wedding usually requires heavy hors d’oeuvres or a light lunch.  The afore mentioned reception menu plus stuffed mushrooms, chicken and beef flank steak skewers with dipping sauces, or delightfully filled filo cups.  These may be plated or served buffet-style.  If it is lunch you are serving, let your caterer know what you would like or ask for creative ideas and suggestions.

An evening wedding will warrant a dinner or very heavy appetizers for hungry guests and also serve as a balance if alcohol is served.  Dinners may be plated or buffet depending on where they are held and what facilities are available. Prime rib and steamship round beef carving stations are great additions here.

Let’s not forget about the brunch; a wonderful way for a morning wedding to be followed.  Usually served around ten or eleven in the morning, everything from scrumptious pastries, tasty pasta salads, to ham and turkey carving stations are found in brunches.  Coffee bars with plenty of flavors and condiments to accompany along with mimosas and wine.

Many other creative options are out there as well from mashed potato bars, dessert receptions, themes from around the world and whatever your imagination thinks up. Remember this is your wedding – your food!