> <<I just cook down the black eye peas with pork fat back, chiles, green > peppers and red ones...>> > <<this sounds like "Hopping John ". is it really a New Years traditional dish in the southern states ? > and is it OK to kinda par-mash the end result? like mushy peas?...peter > g>> > Yes! I originally read about the tradition ten years ago in a magazine called "Southern Living". That par-mash sounds good, too. Maybe it could be baked as a casserole. That might work with chile scrambled eggs for breakfast even. A couple years ago I made a chile using black-eyed peas for New Year. Fresh, crispy peas. Happy Holidays Karen