My Forever Friends

At the end of this month I will be heading to North Carolina for a college reunion. It’ll be an epic occasion … something I’ve dreamed of for ages. Allow me to share the people who shaped my young adult life.

My college years formed a friendship bubble filled with young adult adventures in the Washington DC area. It was a time when the Vietnamese refugees from the war started their new life in America. The World Bank and the IMF (International Monetary Fund) were hiring immigrants from all over the world. One of those immigrants was my Tita Dolly who invited me to live with her. I consider her my US mom to whom I will be forever grateful.

It was the bell-bottomed disco era of John Travolta. Home computers were about to explode. Gerald Ford just conceded his throne to Jimmy Carter. International students clumped together with fellow strangers. Affirmative action began to fill the universities with African Americans. I partied with Filipinos, Singaporeans, Vietnamese, Egyptians, Israelites, Iranians, Mexicans, White and Black Americans. Many were children of ambassadors and politicians. Central among the rainbow of ethnicities were my closest friends who formed a troubadour band called Kalesa (which means a Filipino horse and buggy).

My Tita Dolly’s house was ground zero for all our activities. In fact, that was where Kalesa was born. Almost every weekend we’d find an excuse to hold a party at that house in Arlington VA. I had always dreamed that one day I would own that house. My heart was crushed when she sold it recently.

I had just arrived stateside and was terribly homesick and needed friends. My cousins, who also lived with me at that house, invited their friends over so I could meet them.

“You should meet Rodney, he plays the guitar like you. He even composes. And you should meet Bernie. He’s got an amazing voice like David Gates of the Bread. Manny also plays the guitar like Paul Simon.”

Saturday night, people poured in and partied. But in the basement, Rodney, Manny, Bernie and I were jamming with our nylon guitars. Something magical happened. We actually sounded good. The 4 of us would become the magnet of the group and many others latched on for the ride.

Weeks and months went by and we practiced after school and we added more songs to our repertoire. There was no formal plan to turn the group into a band, it just happened. Tito Julio had a birthday party where we had our first formal performance. It was an amazing night of affirmation to know we could really entertain a crowd. Later we sang Christmas carols to raise money for poor Catholic churches. We sang for weddings and birthday parties. We were the main event for a concert fund raiser and even an opening act for a Battle of the Bands at the George Washington University. The band never really made serious money. Money was never the intention. We just enjoyed each other’s company.

We were wholesome kids with devilish testosterones. We talked about girls a lot. I can’t say we were womanizers but we did have some fans. Sure we smoked and drank beer but we never got into drugs. Rodney was studying for law school. Manny was preparing for med school. Bernie, Bob and Santi became engineers. JB became the head of computer technology for the military. I was studying Advertising Art hoping to join an Ad firm on Madison Avenue. My claim to international fame was designing the millennial logo for the GRAMMY awards.

I vividly remember a night at the La Pattiserie (a favorite French restaurant in Georgetown). Half drunk but in serious conversation and conscious of the temporary friendship bubble we were in, we knew that bubble was about to pop because of our different career paths. We were growing up and starting our rainbow of life. Raising our beer cans, we gave a toast to be friends forever. These guys were closer than my blood brothers and I was willing to give up my life to save any of them.

Through the happy and sad pages of the calendar and despite separation by states and by countries, we remained in touch. To the credit of our spouses, they understood our golden bond and have always been supportive of our rare and brief reunions.

Today, standing at the end of that rainbow I remember Rodney, Bob, Annie and Loree who have gone ahead of us. What’s left of Kalesa will be camped at Dr. Manny’s North Carolina mansion this October. We plan to record some songs. Why? Does it matter why? We just know we need to do it while we still can.

I’m sure you have your own eternal friends. What a blessing, huh? I’m sure your stories are even more interesting than mine. I’d love to hear them. When our earthly adventures are over, I truly believe we will have eternity to exchange our experiences. How cool is that? Heaven isn’t a silly place where we flutter our wings and strum our harps. It’s so much more and wonderful beyond imagination. When you get there, be sure to look me up. We’ll have so much fun.

I praise God who has been especially kind to me to provide my eternal friends. Let me end with Rodney’s composition about friendship which he sang when he first met me:

I’M LIKE YOU
Have you ever felt like telling stories
Someone told before?
Have you ever built sandcastles
That washed out on the shore?
Have you ever felt like singing songs
People sing no more?
I’m like you. I’m like you.

Have you ever felt like trying
Someone told you not to try?
Have you ever felt like cussing
But could only blow a sigh?
Have you ever felt the answer
Was too high in the sky?
I’m like you. I’m like you.

CHORUS
I need a place to plant my feet,
A place to stand, a place to be!
I have to go, to see, to know!
I have to be set free!

Have you ever seen the mountain
And wished that you were there?
Have you ever tried to reach someone
Who simply wasn’t there?
Have you ever feared
That if you loved,
The one you loved won’t care?
I’m like you. I’m like you.

Have you ever felt that sorrow
Was a way to make you strong
To come back here tomorrow
Just to sing a sadder song?
Have you ever felt you were all alone?
Well, now you know you’re wrong,
For I’m like you. I’m like you.

TGIF people!

“In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.” — Kahil Gibran

“There are no strangers here; Only friends you haven’t yet met.” — William Butler Yeats

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” — Hebrews 10: 24-25

“Then Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord shall be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever.’” — 1 Samuel 20:42

JOKE OF THE WEEK

Thanks to Ed of Studio City, CA

Parting Shots

Thanks to Tom of Pasadena, CA

Thanks to Berong of Mandaluyong, Philippines

Thanks to Brian of Philadelphia

Thanks to Art of Sierra Madre, CA

Thanks to Drew of Anaheim, CA

Thanks to Benny of Detroit

I found these:

My good friend (and jokester) Terry and I came up with this.

SUBSCRIBE

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Who are the Gullah?

Slave traders brought Africans from Sierra Leone to the chain of Sea Islands in the U.S. Carolinas for their expertise in planting, harvesting and processing rice. During the 1700s, American colonists in the Southeastern U.S. realized that rice would grow well in the moist, semitropical country bordering their coastline. But the American white plantation slave owners had no experience in the cultivation of rice, so they purchased slaves with a preference for Africans from the “Rice Coast” or “Windward Coast” – the traditional rice-growing region of West Africa. The enslaved people became known as the Gullah (Gul-luh), perhaps derived from Gola, a tribe found near the border of Liberia and Sierra Leone.

I read that when the U.S. Civil War commenced, white owners hurriedly abandoned their plantations and fled to the mainland, while some Gullah were actually unaware of the war and their eventual freedom from slavery. Due to this isolation, the Gullah were able to preserve more of their African cultural heritage than any other group of Black Americans. They spoke a unique Creole language and maintained a life similar to that of Sierra Leone.

The Birth of Hoppin’ John

Hoppin’ John, also known as Carolina Peas and Rice, is made with cowpeas, mainly black-eyed peas and Sea Island red peas and clay peas, along with rice, chopped onion, sliced bacon and seasoned with salt. Hoppin’ John’s mysterious name is the subject of countless theories. One claims a husband named John came “a-hoppin'” when his wife served the dish. Sadly, there are racist overtones. One story is that a disabled black man nicknamed Hoppin’ John peddled the dish on Charleston streets. A more commonly accepted account suggests Hoppin’ John evolved from the French “poisà pigeon,” or “pigeon peas.” Culinary historian Karen Hess suggests that the name comes from a combination of “kchang,” the Malay word for peas, and “bhat,” a Hindi word meaning “cooked rice.”

Hess calls Hoppin’ John “the signature dish of South Carolina, black and white.” Not just black and white, but rich and poor, free and enslaved, ate Hoppin’ John. As is typical of most early southern cookbooks, initial printed accounts of Hoppin’ John make no mention of its African origin or the debt to which the Carolina rice kitchen owes enslaved Africans. Cookbooks were reserved for the elite and middle classes- in most slave holding states it was illegal to educate enslaved black people in literacy. The designation of “Carolina” dish clouds the history of African innovation and colonial domination that bred Hoppin’ John. Its fate thus diverges from that of Brazil’s Feijoada, freely attributed to enslaved Africans. While the Portuguese glossed over the brutality of slavery in Brazil, Anglo-Americans effectively erased African culinary achievements from the historical record. Each strategy represents a different method of cultural appropriation; the former misrepresents the history of Africans in the Americas, while the latter denies it. These approaches reflect how each nation has, at times, attempted to interpret African presence in its country – Brazil via distortion, and the United States through silence.

Classic Hoppin’ John

By Paige Grandjean, courtesy of Southern Living Test Kitchen

Active Time: 25 mins
Total Time: 1 hr. 30 mins
Servings: 6

A hearty bowl of Hoppin’ John has been the way that many Southern households ring in the New Year. Served alongside a side of collard greens and cornbread, this meal signifies a year filled with good fortune and security.

Making use of thick-cut bacon to impart the perfect amount of smokiness to this soul food staple, our Hoppin’ John recipe is sure to serve up a generous helping of both comfort and tradition for you and your family this New Year’s Day.

What Is Hoppin’ John?

Served on New Year’s Day with a side of collard greens and cornbread, Hoppin’ John is a hearty African-American dish made by slowly simmering black-eyed peas with pork and vegetables. Traditionally served over a bed of freshly cooked rice, this simple yet incredibly flavorful dish of rice, pork, and beans is believed to bring luck and prosperity for the upcoming year.

The signature black-eyed peas used in the recipe are meant to symbolize coins, which is why you’ll find many Southerners eating black-eyed peas as a way of ringing in the New Year.

Classic Hoppin’ John Ingredients

There are three things you do want to keep traditional about your Hoppin’ John recipe: the pork, the peas, and the rice.

• Bacon: While you’ll often find most Hoppin’ John recipes calling for a ham hock, we find that, at times, it can overpower the dish. Instead, we recommend using thick-cut slices of bacon-you’ll end up with crispy pieces of salty goodness without compromising on taste. Not a fan of pork? You can also use smoked turkey for a similar flavor.
• Beans: Dried black-eyed peas are traditionally used in Hoppin’ John, but if you’re pressed for time, you can use either frozen or canned beans.
• Rice: Carolina gold rice is a nuttier, earthier strain of long-grain rice that’s been a staple of the Low country for centuries. If you can’t find Carolina gold rice where you live, feel free to swap it out for any other long-grain white rice.
• Vegetables: The Cajun culinary holy trinity of onions, celery, and bell pepper are key to making this quintessential soul food classic.
• Herbs and seasonings: Fresh thyme, chopped garlic, black pepper, and cayenne are what you’ll need.
• Chicken broth: Using a low-sodium chicken broth helps keep your sodium levels in check. Got some time? Make some homemade chicken stock instead.

The Best Beans for Classic Hoppin’ John

While black-eyed peas are now commonly used in most Hoppin’ John recipes, that has not always been the case. Earlier recipes dating back to the 1800s called for cowpeas, red peas, or field peas.

Also known as red peas or field peas-they belong to the same species, Vigna unguiculata – these beans were commonly grown in the South and known for their chewy, firm texture that did exceptionally well in long, slow-cooked recipes like the Hoppin’ John.

Southern Living Community Tips

Readers have loved this recipe (or their own version) for many years, and they’ve shared some great tips and tricks for making the best pot of Hoppin’ John.

• “I had to use long-grain white rice due to availability but oh my, the trinity shines in this one,” says reviewer Nancy Kunkel.
• “I used canned peas and reduced the broth. Serve with collard greens and cornbread,” says reviewer Kacie Mitchell.
• “Outstanding recipe! I served it over rice instead of cooking the rice in the broth and felt like it balanced the dish very well. Used frozen peas and added some left over ham for additional protein. Will definitely make again!” wrote reviewed Lauren Owens.

Editorial contributions by Christabel Lobo.

Ingredients

• 6 thick-cut bacon slices, chopped
• 4 celery stalks, sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped (about 1 Tbsp.)
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
• 8 cups lower-sodium chicken broth
• 4 cups fresh or frozen black-eyed peas
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked Carolina Gold rice
• Fresh scallions, sliced

Directions

1. Cook bacon:
   Cook bacon in a Dutch oven over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until starting to crisp, about 10 minutes.
2. Add vegetables and seasonings:
   Add celery, onion, bell pepper, garlic, thyme, black pepper, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, about 8 minutes.
3. Add broth and peas:
   Add broth and black-eyed peas, and bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until peas are tender, about 40 minutes.
4. Drain pea mixture:
   Drain pea mixture, reserving cooking liquid. Return pea mixture and 1 cup of the cooking liquid to Dutch oven. Cover to keep warm; set aside.
5. Cook rice:
   Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high. Add rice and cook, stirring often, until fragrant and lightly toasted, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in 3 cups of the reserved cooking liquid and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to medium-low; cover
6. Combine rice and pea mixture:
   Gently stir into pea mixture in Dutch oven. Stir in remaining cooking liquid, 1/4 cup at a time, until desired consistency is reached. Sprinkle servings with sliced fresh scallions.

With special thanks to Paige Grandjean and Southern Living Test Kitchen for taking us down the culinary highway, allowing us to explore Hoppin’ John, one of the most iconic dishes in the Americas.

The post Hoppin’ John: From West Africa to the Americas appeared first on Traveling Archive.