Celebration of Food
Ever wondered why black-eyed peas and greens are a must-have in Black households celebrating the new year? TheGrio breaks it down for you.
Black Eyed Peas
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. of canola oil
- 1 cup each of chopped onion, celery, and bell pepper (not green because it will make the dish bitter)
- Pork or smoked protein of your choice
- 3 cloves of minced garlic
- 4 cups of low-sodium chicken stock or water
- 1 bay leaf
- 6 oz. of dried black-eyed peas (will yield about 2 1/2 cups of cooked peas)
- 1 tbsp. of salt
- 1 tbsp. of butter
- 4 cups of water
- 2 cups of rice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Recipe
- Add two tablespoons of canola oil to a Dutch oven or heavy pot. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and pork or protein of your choice to the pot over medium heat. Stir occasionally to make sure the vegetables don’t burn, and cook until they start to soften; about five minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add 1/4 cup of the chicken stock to deglaze the pan, then add the remaining stock. Bring the liquid to a low simmer, then add the bay leaf and the dried peas. Cover, occasionally checking to make sure the liquid covers the peas. Add water if you need it. The peas should soften in about 90 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the rice: Add one tablespoon of salt and one tablespoon of butter to four cups of water and bring to a boil. Add two cups of rice, reduce to a simmer, and cover for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, remove from the heat and let sit for another 15 minutes.
- Once the peas soften, add salt and pepper to taste. If the mixture is too soupy, pour out some of the water. I like to make a roux and thicken the mixture, so I have a little gravy, which isn’t part of a traditional Hoppin’ John, but I like it.
- Ladle the Hoppin’ John over the rice. Makes four large servings.
Sensory Exploration with Ingredients: Provide safe, child-friendly ingredients from the recipe for children to touch, smell, and explore sensory aspects of food preparation.
Kitchen Play: Set up a pretend kitchen area with toy cooking utensils, pots, and pans. Encourage imaginative play and mimic cooking activities with play food.
Role-playing as Chefs: Provide dress-up clothes or aprons for children to pretend to be chefs. Encourage them to “cook” and serve imaginary meals to stuffed animals or dolls.
Storytime with Food Books: Read children’s books about Black food culture and traditions. Choose colorful books that depict food-related stories and family gatherings.
Cooking Together: Involve children in simple cooking tasks such as stirring, pouring, or mixing ingredients under close supervision. Emphasize safety and basic kitchen skills.
Tasting Session: Arrange a tasting session with small portions of different ingredients used in the recipe. Encourage children to taste and describe flavors.
Food Sorting Game: Use plastic food or real foods. Ask children to sort them into categories based on colors, shapes, or types of food. You might even want to have them reorganize the foods in the pantry by type.
Dough Play: Make homemade playdough together and add food coloring or scents like vanilla or cinnamon. Let children mold and shape the dough into food items.
Farmers Market Visit: Take a virtual or real trip to a farmers’ market to explore fresh produce. Talk about where food comes from and how it grows.
Food-themed Collage: Provide magazines, catalogs, food container labels (boxes, cans, ext.) with pictures of food. Help children cut out and glue images to create a food-themed collage.
Family Recipe Book: Encourage families to share their favorite recipes and food stories. Create a recipe book or collage featuring these contributions.
These activities are designed to promote sensory exploration, creativity, cultural appreciation, and basic culinary skills in young children while celebrating the significance of food within Black culture and family traditions. Adapt activities based on individual children’s interests and developmental levels, ensuring safety and supervision during cooking-related tasks.