My New Year's holiday has been marked by the inclusion of traditional Mexican
"bunuelos" for as long as I can remember. There were always tamales -- and often enough brisket for 17 of your first cousins. But after an evening of sparklers, black snakes and pop-pop snappers in the driveway, those delicious discs of fried dough dusted with cinnamon and sugar beat any Roman candle by a long shot.
This year, however, I opted to partake in the Southern institution of black-eyed peas in the form of a lovely dip, via The Pioneer Woman. Obviously. Tip: Don't wait until 3 p.m. on New Year's Eve to secure said peas from grocery store. As expected, the shelf that's usually lined with the little buggers was barren, so I called up some purple hull peas from the bench. To those who partook in the peas: I apologize in advance if you do not fulfill your New Year's resolutions as a result of my substitution. Here's the recipe. Easy peasy.
¡Feliz Año Nuevo 2014!