1 1 n<rir*K f n o ci ivi ?t brunswick^beacon w%
II I IVJ'L-- I Li Otll l
INSIDE THIS SECTION:
? Plant Doctor, 5
? TV Listings , 6-7
New Year's Foods, Rituals Are Said To Bring Good Fortune. Prosoeritv
BY LYNN CARLSON
Even people who don't think
twice about walking under a
ladder or opening an umbrel
la indoors know better than to trifle
with the fickle finger of fate on New
Year's Day.
If you're in the South, that means
you'd better sit down to a bowl of
black-eyed peas, a mess of collard
greens and some variety of pork on
New Year's Day to get yourself a
shot at riches and good luck for the
next 364 days.
That goes double this year ? in a
few weeks it will be Chinese New
Year and. you guessed it, 1995 is the
Year of the Pig
The peas represent coins and the
greens, folding money ? everyone
knows that. But how did pork come
to be associated with good fortune,
wealth and prosperity?
Dietician Robin Kline with the
Pork Information Bureau (yea. there
really is such a thing) says it makes
sense for the pig to symbolize good
luck because you can eat. as the old
saying goes, everything but the oink
"For many cultures." Kline said,
"having a pig guaranteed you would
eat well What could be better
luck,~
As a result, many New Year's tra
ditions involve pork and pigs
In Austria the new year begins
with a meal of roast suckling pig.
and the family decorates the table
with little edible pigs made of
marzipan, chocolate, cookie dough
or fudge
In CJerman bakeries, pig-shaped
breads are common for New Year's.
In Sweden (but not. alas, at the
home of the Swedish -descended
Carlsons) good luck comes from a
New Year's Day breakfast-in-bed of
sausage on a bun and an apple
As for the Year of the Pig, that's
been good luck since the Chinese
first domesticated swine seven thou
sand years ago Having a pig in
Chinese culture was so important
that the Chinese were often buried
with their herd, so hog? were with
them in the afterlife. The Chinese
still consider the pig to be an essen
tial part of life, and the meal at
Chinese New Year usually includes
a healthy helping of pork dumplings
which, if you've ever tasted them,
are even more taste-tempting than a
helping of col tarda spiked with pep
per vinegar
If you're a Carolinian and a tradi
tionalist. you'll probably get your
black-eyed peas in one steaming,
hearty pot of Hoppin' John, a simple
but delicious and deeply revered en
tree of black -eyed peas and rice, of
ten, but not always, combined with
sausage, hog jowl, neckbone or
some more uptown variety of pork
such as loin or tenderloin
If you're a South Carolinian, you
wouldn't dream of eating legumes
without rice; according to an ages
old joke. South Carolinians have
two things in common with the
Chinese ? eating a lot of rice and
worshiping their ancestors.
Rice having first entered the
colonies from Asia via Low Country
South Carolina it's no wonder that
rice dishes (and ancestor-worship
ing) are often associated with
Charleston.
If you're ready for a beans, rice or
pork dish that's a little more exotic
than Hoppin' John, here are some
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED
FEUOADA, Brazil's most famous regional dish, combines beans and pork, both foods traditionally
associated with luck and prosperity
recipes supplied by the aforemen
tioned pork experts. The first recipe
is for fetjoada, Brazil's most famous
regional dish.
?
FEUOADA
1 pound dried black beans
Water, enough to cover beans
6 cups water
I pound boneless ham. cut into X
inch cubes
1 pound boneless pork loin, cut into
X-inch cubes
X pound hot Italian sausage, sliced
into 1-inch pieces
X pound smoked sausage, sliced into
1 -inch pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes, stemmed
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
X tsp. orange zest
Cover the beans with water and
soak overnight OR cover them with
boiling water and let stand two
hours. Drain.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a
large Dutch oven, combine beans,
the 6 cups of water and remaining
ingredients. Bring to a boil, skim
ming if necessary. Cover and trans
fer to oven. Bake IX hours; remove
cover and bake another 30 minutes,
stirring occasionally.
Serve immediately, with corn
bread, if desired. Or allow to cool
^lightly, then cover and refrigerate
overnight. Remove any fat from sur
face. Reheat feijoada slowly. Serves
12.
?
CHINATOWN RED-COOKED
PORK TREASURES
2 pounds boneless pork loin, cut into
V* inch cubes
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
FAVER
BY BILL FAVER
Now that the winter solstice has
passed and days will gradually
lengthen in relation to darkness,
we can expect to see our usual birds in
our winter wanderings.
Long shadows caused by vivid eve
ning sunsets may reveal herons or egrets
or pelicans resting after a day of feeding
activity. Or dull gray skies can almost
camouflage the small gatherings of dull
gray birds along the surf.
Such wanderings might reveal a lone
hawk high atop a leafless tree or a utility
pole, watching carefully for some slight
movement in the grass below.
Now that leaves have fallen, we can
find bird nests gently placed along a
branch or in the forks of a tree and even
tell from the shape and the size who
might have put it there.
Overhead activity is easy to observe,
too, as we can watch a flock of geese, or
ducks, or white ibis as they move from
rookery or staging grounds to places
they Find to feed.
And there are still some terns search
ing for minnows in almost any body of
water. Gulls and grackles can dot the
sand as they wait for the tide to recede
to once again resume their feeding.
Winter wanderings are a good activity
for us as we begin the New Year and
once again try to spend some time in the
great out-of-doors. We can learn to ap
preciate those birds we find and note
their winter behavior. And we can look
forward, with them, to longer days and
the promises of another year.
2 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
1 shallot, chopped
2 tsp. five-spice powder
2 tsp. grated ginger root
2 cloves garlic, minced
In a 1 -gallon self-sealing plastic
bag, combine all ingredients and
mix well. Seal bag and marinate in
the refrigerator 8-12 hours or over
night. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Remove pork cubes from marinade,
discarding marinade. Pat pork dry
with paper towel; place cubes in a
single layer, not touching, in a shal
low baking pan and bake at 350 de
grees for 25-30 minutes, until pork
is just tender and lightly browned.
Remove to serving platter or
chaffing dish and serve hot as an ap
petizer.
Makes 16 servings with 97 calo
rics and 4 fat grams each.
?
JERK RIBS
2 pounds pork back ribs
2 Tbsp. dried minced onion
1 Tbsp. onion powder
4 tsp. ground thyme
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground allspice
A tsp. ground nutmeg
'A tsp. ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp. sugar
2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cayenne
In a small jar with tight-fitting lid,
shake together ail dry ingredients
until well-blended. Rub dry mixture
onto all surfaces or ribs.
Grill ribs over indirect heat in
covered grill, turning occasionally,
until ribs are very tender, about \'A
hours (or roast ribs on rack in shal
low pan in 350 degree oven for \'A
hours). Cut into 1- or 2-rib portions
to serve.
Makes 10 servings.
?
SPICY BEAN PATE
15 ounce can chick peas, drained
% cup water
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 cup sour cream
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tsp. chicken bouillon granules
1 tsp. chili powder
'A tsp. hot pepper sauce
A tsp. cumin
% tsp. cayenne
Fresh parsley, small red pepper for
garnish
Blend together all ingredients in a
' ? I- /
blender or food processor. Pour mix
ture into a small bowl, cover and re
frigerate 2-4 hours. Garnish with
parsley and red pepper; serve with
crackers and vegetable relish tray.
Makes 2 cups, about 16 appetizer
servings Calories per serving: 60.
Fat grams: 3 (less if you use fat-free
sour cream).
?
Just for good luck, here's a
meatless Hoppirt ' John recipe for
you newcomers to the Carolinas. It
makes a lot hut is easily halved if a
dozen or so servings exceeds your
needs.
HOPPIN' JOHN
1 pound dried black-eyed peas
1 large onion, peeled and finely
chopped
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 tsp. oregano
5 cups chicken stock
8 cups hot cooked rice
Soak peas overnight with water to
cover by 2 inches. Drain peas and
set aside. In large Dutch oven, saute
onion in oil until transparent; add
peas, seasonings and chicken stock.
Cover and cook slowly until peas
are tender, about 30-40 minutes.
Either stir in the rice and heat
through or serve the peas over rice.
Serve with hot sauce ? Durkee Red
Hot or Green Tabasco are highly
recommended ? and garnish with
finely chopped green onions.
With one-half cup peas and one
half cup rice, a serving has 182 calo
ries, 2 fat grams and no cholesterol
if chicken stock is defatted.
When In Spain, Eat
Grapes At Midnight;
In Sicily, It's Lasagna
Foods and rituals throughout the world are associated with good luck
in the new year. In Spain, for example, it is traditional to eat 12 grapes at
midnight, one at each chime, to usher in the new year. (Somebody ought
to tell those folks about kisses and champagne.)
Here are some others:
? Austria: The suckling pig is the symbol for good luck for the new
year. It's served on a table decorated with tiny edible pigs. Dessert of
ten consists of green peppermint ice cream in the shape of a four-leaf
clover.
? England: The British place their fortunes for the coming year in the
hands of their first guest. They believe the first visitor of each year
should be male and bearing gifts. Traditional gifts are coal for the fire,
a loaf for the table and a drink for the master. For good luck, the guest
should enter through the front door and leave through the back. Guests
who are empty-handed or unwanted are not allowed to enter first.
? Wales: At the first toll of midnight, the back door is opened and then
shut to release the old year and lock out all of its bad luck. Then at the
12th stroke of the clock, the front door is opened and the New Year is
welcomed with all of its luck.
? Haiti: In Haiti, New Year's Day is a sign of the year to come. Haitians
wear new clothing and exchange gifts in the hope that it will bode well
for the new year.
? Sicily: An old Sicilian tradition says good luck will come to those who
eat lasagna on New Year's Day, but woe if you dine on macaroni, for
any other noodle will bring bad luck.
? Greece: A special New Year's bread is baked with a coin buried in the
dough. The first slice is for the Christ child, the second for the father of
the household and the third slice is for the house. If the third slice
holds the coin, spring will come early that year.
? Japan: The Japanese decorate their homes in tribute to lucky gods.
One tradition, Kadomatsu, consists of a pine branch symbolizing
longevity, a bamboo stalk symbolizing prosperity, and a plum blossom
showing nobility.
? Norway: Norwegians make rice pudding at New Year's and hide one
whole almond within. Guaranteed wealth goes to the person whose
serving holds the luck almond.
PHOTO BY Mil FAVCt
LONG SHADOWS of winter can lead us to pelicans in the sunset.