peas at a party

I indulged last weekend at Border’s, scene of many indulgences, I confess.  I bought Sylvia Lovegren’s Fashionable Food:  Seven Decades of Food Fads.  It is such fun and one of those books that has you saying, “Of course,” as she looks at influences that brought about certain food fashions or fads.  For example, the rise of the use of ground beef during World War II was most certainly influenced by the fact that ground beef was only seven ration points, as opposed to 12 points for steak.

One of my favorites is her section on soul food as it was named in the late ’60’s.  She reports on the First Annual Soul Food Recipe Contest.  Mrs. Johnnie Haynes won an honorable mention for her recipe, Roast Possum with Sweet Potatoes.  The first line of instructions reads, “First catch possum.”

 Note to self:  Never try a recipe that starts with catching something.

I’m sticking with black-eyed peas and cornbread.