For Sue Ellen Pector
Another twelve months came and went quickly. Bone-numbing restaurant freezer chill penetrates the house walls. Time to switch on the pivoting electric Lasko© heater. January 1st is here. Fireworks and handguns’ explosive sounds combine, bang and boom outside my door. How the rest celebrate, but enough about that. Time to simmer brown rice in vegetable broth, fry slices of Tofurky© Andouille sausage, minced garlic and black-eyed peas in olive oil. In separate pots. Rice, peas, garlic, mock sausage then combined into one pot. Collard greens, oregano, pinch of cayenne pepper, dash of paprika stirred into a spicy winner of a winter-time dinner. Wine glass of sparkling apple cider, candied yams and the steaming dish enjoyed by Black appetites throughout Georgia, Tennessee, Florida and the Carolinas—where it originated—from slavery times to this New Year’s Night. Hoppin’ John puts the heat back into me on a cold, festive evening. Onions are kept out of this dish. Pork sausage definitely stays out.
On this or any
Year, no dead swine shall touch these
Vegan lips of mine.
