Good luck for the New Year

As a child, growing up in the North, I don't remember any traditional New Year's foods, though I do remember my parents ate oyster stew on New Year's Eve and I hated it. Doesn't sound good to me today, though I love oysters. But now that I'm sort of a southerner, I've run into the ham and black-eyed peas tradition./
A variety of reasons are suggested for why we eat ham for good luck, ranging from it fits with the menu of cornbread and black-eyed peas to the Oriental belief that pigs are smart and therefore signify succeess in business. The most common origin of this tradition seems to be that pigs are rotund (success) and they root with their noses, so they are always moving forward. Eat pig in some variety for the New Year and  you'll move forward. Black-eyed peas signify coins, so if you want wealth in the coming year, you have to eat a whole lot of peas. Greens indicate the green of money and are also supposed to bring wealth.
When I first discovered this tradition, I hadn't yet learned to like black-eyed peas, so I made Hoppin' John, that stew of diced ham, onions, celery, black-eyed peas, and rice. We called it Hoppin Uncle John in honor of a favorite uncle. But these days I just serve peas, and since I love a good ham, I fix that. So my menu for Tuesday night is ham, black-eyed peas, cheese grits (instead of cornbread), and a spinach casserole. My daughter wants chilis in the grits but I said no because I want her son to eat them. An appetizer of cream cheese with two toppings--pesto on one small block and jalopeno jelly on the other. And for my son-in-law, who will be mightily disappointed that I'm serving spinach, I'll offer an appetizer of sliced radishes on cream cheese covered pumpernickel. He loves radishes--and surely somewhere there must be something about them bringing luck.
I'm on a new campaign to make my local grandson a less picky eater. I will tell him if he doesnt like something, please do not announce it at the table. He really doesn't like meat, and I figure he should respect that, but I figure he'll eat grits nd peas. His distaste for meat distresses his father who is strictly a meat and potatoes person. I've forbidden my daughter to hop up and get him chicken nuggets--do you know how bad those things are for him? Plus that's rude, and that sturdy child is not going to waste away. I will ask both my daughter and son-in-law to take a small serving of spinach, taste it at least once, and if they don't like it, do not mention it. I'm tired of picky eating being a conversation topic at the dinner table. My son-in-law is vegetable-challenged, and seems to think it's sort of a cute trademark. No more.
So where's my recipe for this column? Totally unrelated, here's a dip that confirmed sauerkraut haters, including said son-in-law, love:

Reuben dip

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup Thousand Island dressing
1/3 lb. sliced deli corned beef, chopped
3/4 cup sauerkraut, well drained
8 oz. Swiss cheese, copped

Mix cream cheese and dressing, then stir in other ingredients. Spead in a 9-inch pie pan and bake until heated through. Stir gently.
Serve with rye crackers or cocktail rye bread.

Happy 2013 everyone!

Gougere with Ham and Mushsrooms

A Facebook friend posted recently about having gougere for the first time--someone brought cheese-filled gougere puffs to a party She had never heard of it or tasted it but was enchanted and determined to try. Gougere is actually the French pate a choux and can be used lots of ways, not just for cheese-filled puffs (the puffs are also good just on their own--kind of like a popover).
The post reminded me that I used to fix a gougere ring filled with ham and mushrooms. It's perfect this time of year when many of us serve ham for Christmas or New Year's dinner and have leftovers to deal with.
So, Laurie Moore, here's another gougere suggestions for you.

Gougere with ham and mushrooms

Bake at 400 for 40 minutes

Six servings

 For the paté à choux:

 1 c. sifted all purpose flour
Pinch each of salt and pepper
1 cup water
½ cup butter, (one stick), cut up
4 eggs
1/8 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, diced or grated

Filling

4 Tbsp. butter
2 medium onions chopped, about 1 cup
½ lb. mushrooms sliced
1-1/2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 envelope or tsp. instant chicken broth
1 cup hot water
(This is an old recipe I’ve had for years—now days I’d substitute 1 c. good chicken broth for the water and inst. broth)
2 large tomatoes, peeled, quarter, and seeded (about 2 cups)
6 oz. cooked ham, cut into thin strips (1-1/2 cups)
2 Tbsp. sharp cheddar
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley

To make the paté à choux:

Sift the flour, salt and pepper onto a  sheet of wax paper. Heat the water and butter in a large saucepan until the butter melts. Turn up the heat and bring to boiling. Add the flour mixture all at once and stir vigorously until the mixture forms a ball in the center of the pan—this will take about a minute.
Allow the mixture to cool for at least five minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating very well after each addition. (This beating is important if you want your gougere to puff). Stir in the diced cheese.

To make the filling: Melt the butter in a large skillet; sauté onion until soft but not browned. Add the mushrooms and cook for two minutes. Sprinkle with flour, salt and pepper; mix and cook an additional two minutes.  Add the chicken broth and simmer about five minutes.

Remove from heat. Cut tomato quarters into strips and add with ham. Taste and add additional seasoning as you wish.

Butter a 10” or 11” skillet, pie pan, etc. Spoon paté à choux around outside edge, leaving center for the filling.  Sprinkle all over with cheddar. Bake until gougere is puffed and brown and filling is bubbling. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve, cut into wedges.