New Year's resolutions

I hate New Year's resolutions. No, actually, I hate failing at my New Year's resolutions. Every year: exercise more, eat less, read more, write more, think more, talk less, do more for others... You get the idea. But as Nick and I sat down to dinner tonight, I decided to try to blog about one of my passions-- food. I'm a terribly inconsistent journaler; always have been. Maybe I'll do better at this one; maybe not. Anyway, my hope is that blogging will encourage me to cook more and eat out less, and that my blog will inspire and help you to do the same. So, what is my New Year's resolution this year? To eat better, in every sense of the word. For me, that means eating fresh, local products as much as possible, eating more fruit, and savoring every bite.

I love food traditions. In fact, I would consider New Year's a waste of a holiday except that there are special New Year's foods! As a good Southern girl, I believe in eating black-eyed peas for luck, greens for fortune, and pork, though I'm not really sure what it's supposed to symbolize. So, what did I fix for supper? Purple hull peas that I'd shelled and put up this summer, and Paula Deen's steak and greens (made with the last of the venison from my freezer, and a mixture of mustard and turnip greens from the grocery store-- I miss our CSA), and polenta. (I normally serve cornbread with greens and peas, but we were out of eggs.) Not exactly the meal my Mamaw Octavia cooked today, but a delicious nod to tradition just the same.

Notes and recipes:
You can search for and print out the steak and greens recipe on Food Network's website or find it in The Lady and Sons Savannah Country Cookbook.

For one quart of peas, I chop and saute 1/2 a yellow onion and 3 slices of bacon. (I know... not vegetarian.) When the bacon is crisp and onion browns I add the (frozen) peas. Add enough water to cover. Season with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders, and 2 Trappey's hot peppers. (Find them on the vinegar, olive, etc. aisle.) You can add more peppers-- tonight I added 4-- but start with 2. They don't look like much, but they are spicy!

I love grits. My husband does not. He does, however, like polenta. Polenta is, basically, Italian grits. I always thought the cornmeal was specially ground for polenta, so I've been buying it in the special little Italian section of the grocery store. According to Moosewood Restaurant New Classics cookbook, though, you can use regular (not self-rising) cornmeal to make polenta. So, I tried it. Bring 1 1/2 c water to boil in small saucepan. Reduce heat to low. Stirring constantly, gradually add cornmeal. (A spiral sauce whisk works great and helps prevent lumps.) Add more water if needed. When cornmeal looks thick and smooth, add salt, pepper, and butter.