"Hoppin' John"

 

"HOPPIN' JOHN"

Popular in the Southeastern region of the United States, Hoppin' John is a peas and rice dish that has been popular holiday dish for generations. In fact, this dish has traditionally been served in the U.S. South on New Year's Day. Many believe serving Hoppin' John on this particular holiday will bring prosperity and luck for the year.

The peas - whether they are cowpeas, black-eyed peas, Sea Island red peas, and iron and clay peas - are symbolizes pennies or coins. Diners will sometimes add an actual coin to the pot or leave under the dinner plates. Ingredients such as chopped onion, and sliced bacon seasoned with salt are usually cooked with the dish. Some recipes use ham hock, fatback, country sausage, or smoked turkey parts instead of bacon. A few recipes also include green peppers or vinegar and spices.
Cooks usually serve Collard greens, Mustard greens, Turnip greens, chard, kale, cabbage or similar leafy green vegetables with Hoppin' John to further add to the wealth, since they are the color of American currency. Cornbread is usually served with Hoppin' John to also symbolize wealth, since it possesses the color of gold.

Hoppin' John was first mentioned in Caroline Howard Gilman's 1837 book titled "Recollections of a Southern Matron". The author referred to the dish as "bacon and rice". Sarah Rutledge's 1847 cookbook, "The Carolina Housewife" included a recipe for Hoppin' John. And "The Oxford English Dictionary"'s first reference to the dish came from Frederick Law Olmsted's 19th century travelogue, "A Journey in the Seaboard Slave States", first published in 1861.

However, it is believed the Gullah people first created Hoppin' John in the low county areas of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia; as a one-pot dish during the Colonial era. On Sapelo Island, Georgia; Geechee red peas are used instead of black-eyed peas in the community of Hog Hammock. Residents of the Sea Islands off of coastal South Carolina, use something similar - Sea Island red peas. The Gullah's West African ancestors brought rice and bean dishes to the New World, as enslaved people. Among the West African dishes that Hoppin' John may have evolved from was the the Senegalese dish, Thiebou Niebe.

Below is a recipe for Hoppin' John from the Soul Food Pot website:


"Hoppin' John"

Ingredients (Hoppin' John):
*1 pound of dried black-eyed peas
*6 cups of chicken stock (use vegetable stock for vegans & vegetarians)
*1 cup of diced red onion
*2 cloves of minced garlic
*1 bay leaf
*1 teaspoon of smoked paprika
*¼ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
*½ a teaspoon of dried thyme
*2 teaspoons of chicken bouillon (vegans & vegetarians use a Creole seasoning)
*1 ½ teaspoon of salt
*1 teaspoon of black pepper
*1 cup of collard greens, finely chopped, fresh, or pre-cooked
*¼ cup of green onion, chopped to garnish (optional)

Ingredients (Rice):
*2 cups of white rice
*2 cups of chicken broth
*1 teaspoon of salt
*¼ teaspoon of black pepper


Preparations (Hoppin' John):

1. Open the Instant Pot lid and pour the chicken stock into the stainless-steel inner pot.
2. Add the black-eyed peas, onion, garlic, bay leaf, paprika, red pepper flakes, thyme, chicken bouillon, salt, pepper, and collards.
3. Stir the ingredients to combine.
4. Make sure the beans are soaking and covered in the liquid broth.
5. Close the Instant Pot lid (make sure the valve is up – in the position for sealing) and pressure cook on high for 15 minutes.
6. When the cooking time is finished, allow a natural pressure release for at least 10 minutes.
7. To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
8. Remove the bay leaf, transfer the black-eyed peas to an air-tight container, and set them aside. Or if you’re extra (like me!) and have more than one Instant Pot, keep the black-eyed peas in the Instant Pot on the 'keep warm' setting.
9. The next step is to wash out the inner pot or use a second Instant Pot to make the rice.

Preparations (Rice):
1. Add the rice, chicken broth, salt, and pepper to the Instant Pot stainless steel inner pot.
2. Stir to mix the ingredients and make sure the rice is covered in the liquid.
3. Close the Instant Pot lid (make sure the valve is in the sealing position – up) and pressure cook on high for 4 minutes.
4. When the cooking time is finished, allow a natural pressure release for at least 2 minutes.
5. To open the Instant Pot lid, move the valve to ‘venting’ and manually release any remaining pressure, if applicable.
6. Fluff the rice with a fork.


Preparations (Finish):
1. Use a large serving spoon to combine the set aside black-eyed peas with the cooked rice.
2. Mix well and then serve Black folks soul food Hoppin John right away.
3. Optionally, garnish with chopped green onion, serve, and enjoy!

Favorite Pre-Gilded Age American History Books

 

Below is a list of my favorite books that covered the history of the United States from the late British Colonial period to the end of the U.S. Civil War:



FAVORITE PRE-GILDED AGE AMERICAN HISTORY BOOKS



1. "The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism" (2014) by Edward E. Baptist - This book centers on how slavery and the cotton industry helped develop the rise of U.S. capitalism.





2. "1861: The Civil War Awakening" (2011) by Adam Goodheart - This book depicts the last months of the United States' Antebellum period and the first months of the U.S. Civil War.





3. "1858: Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant and the War They Failed to See" (2008) by Bruce Chadwick - The book focuses on the historical events in the United States during the year, 1858.





4. "Thomas Jefferson & Sally Hemings: An American Controversy" (1997) by Annette Gordon-Reed - This book won the Pulitzer Prize for its in-depth exploration of President Thomas Jefferson and one of slaves, Sally Hemings.





5. "The Town That Started the Civil War" (1990) by Nat Brandt - This book is an in-depth study of Oberlin, Ohio during the 19th century and its role in one of the most famous slave rescues in U.S. history.





6. "Slavery and the Making of America" (2004) by James Oliver Horton and Lois E. Horton - This book is a detailed account of the history of slavery in the U.S. from the Colonial period to the end of the Civil War.





7. "The World Rushed In: The California Gold Rush Experience" (1981) by J.S. Holliday - This book is an in-depth study of the California Gold Rush between 1848 and 1855.





8. "The War Before the War: Fugitive Slaves and the Struggle for America's Soul from the Revolution to the Civil War" (2018) by Andrew Delbanco - This book focuses on slavery and especially the abolition movement from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War.





9. "John Adams" (2001) by David McCullough - This book is a biography of President John Adams and won a Pulitzer Prize.





10. "Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad" (2015) by Eric Foner - This book is a detailed account on the history of the Underground Railroad and the abolition movement in New York City.





11. "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" (2005) by Doris Kearns Goodwin - This biography is about the life of President Abraham Lincoln and the more prominent members of his Cabinet before and during the Civil War. It won both the Lincoln Prize and the inaugural Book Prize for American History of the New-York Historical Society.





12. "A Southern Odyssey: Travelers in the Antebellum North" (1976) by John Hope Franklin - This book is an account of the experiences of Southern travelers in the Northern states during the years before the Civil War.

"JOHNNY TREMAIN" (1957) Review

 

"JOHNNY TREMAIN" (1957) Review

Nearly Fifty-six years ago, the Walt Disney Studios produced a television movie set during a three-year period that focused on the years in Boston, Massachusetts Colony prior to the outbreak of the American Revolution. The name of that movie was 1957's "JOHNNY TREMAIN".

Directed by Robert Stevenson, "JOHNNY TREMAIN" was an adaptation of Esther Forbes' 1944 Newbery Medal-winning children's novel. It told the story of an arrogant adolescent named Johnny Tremain, who happened to be an apprentice for a silversmith living in Boston. Johnny has dreams of owning his shop one day and becoming wealthy and respected in the process.

When a wealthy merchant named Jonathan Lyte commissions his master to repair a family's christening cup, Johnny takes it upon himself to do the actual repairs and win the arrogant Lyte's patronage. Unfortunately, Johnny picked the Sabbath to repair Lyte's cup. And in his haste to repair it before being discovered for breaking the Sabbath, Johnny damages his hand. While repairing Lyte's cup, Johnny discovers that he is the merchant's long-lost nephew on his mother's side. But Lyte refuses to acknowledge Johnny as his kinsman and has the boy locked up. Johnny's difficulties with Lyte and in acquiring a job eventually leads him to join the Sons of Liberty, an organization dedicated to American independence from the British Empire. Along the way Johnny befriends several historical giants including Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, and Joseph Warren. The story reaches its climax with the Battle of Lexington and Concord and the beginning of the American Revolution.

It had been a long time since I first saw this movie. A very long time. And considering that it had been originally produced as a Disney television movie, I was ready to harbor a low opinion of it. Considering the Disney Studios' reputation for churning out a superficial take on American History, one would be inclined to dismiss the film. And if I must be honest, "JOHNNY TREMAIN" has a superficial take on the later years of the Colonial Era and the beginning of the American Revolution. Although there is some depth in the movie's characters, there seemed to be lacking any ambiguity whatsoever. Well . . . I take that back. Aside from Johnny Tremain's brief foray into arrogance in the movie's first fifteen minutes, there were no ambiguity in the other American characters. Thankfully, screenwriters Esther Forbes and Tom Blackburn allowed some ambiguity in the British characters and prevented them from being portrayed as cold-blooded and one-dimensional villains. Even Sebastian Cabot's Jonathan Lyte (Johnny's British uncle) was saved from a fate of one-note villainy in his final reaction to Johnny's decision not to accept his patronage.

Disney film or not, "JOHNNY TREMAIN" is an entertaining historical drama infused with energy, good solid performances and a somewhat in-depth look into American history in Boston, between 1772 and 1775. Despite a running time of 80 minutes, the movie explored some of the events during that period - events that included an introduction of some of the important members of the Sons of Liberty, the Boston Tea Party of December 1773, the British closure of Boston's port, Paul Revere's famous ride and the Battle of Lexington and Concord. It is also the first costume drama that revealed the establishment of slavery in a Northern state - or in this case, colony. In the midst of all this history, Forbes and Blackburn delved into Johnny's personal drama - including his conflicts with his uncle, dealing with his physical disability and his relationship with Priscilla Lapham, his former master's daughter - with solid detail.

With the use of matte paintings, colorful photography by Charles P. Boyle and Peter Ellenshaw's production designs, director Robert Stevenson did a good job in transforming television viewers back to Boston of the 1770s. But the one production aspect of "JOHNNY TREMAIN" that really impressed me was the original song, "Liberty Tree", written by Blackburn and George Bruns. The song struck me as very catchy and remained stuck in my mind sometime after watching the movie. The performances are pretty solid, but not particularly memorable. Again, allow me to correct myself. There was one outstanding performance . . . and it came from the late Sebastian Cabot, who portrayed Johnny's arrogant uncle, Jonathan Lyte. Everyone else - including leads Hal Stalmaster, Luana Patten and Richard Beymer, who would enjoy brief stardom in the early 1960s - did not exactly dazzle me.

My gut instinct tells me that the average adult might lacked the patience to watch a movie like "JOHNNY TREMAIN". Although historical drama remains very popular with moviegoers and television viewers, I suspect that Disney's early superficial style of portraying history might be slightly off-putting. However, "JOHNNY TREMAIN" might serve as a first-rate introduction to American History for children. And if one is in the mood for Disney nostalgia, I see no reason not to watch it again. Even after fifty years or so, it is still an entertaining little movie.

"JOHNNY TREMAIN" (1957) Screencaps Gallery

 

Below are screencap images from "JOHNNY TREMAIN", the 1956 Disney adaptation of Esther Forbes' 1944 children's novel. Directed by Robert Stevenson, the movie starred Hal Stalmaster, Luana Patten, and Richard Beymer:



"JOHNNY TREMAIN" (1957) Screencaps Gallery

Chicken and Waffles

 

Below is an article about the dish known as Chicken and Waffles:



CHICKEN AND WAFFLES

Considered an American dish, Chicken and Waffles is a fusion of two food times - chicken and waffles. The dish is part of a variety of culinary traditions that include soul food and Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine. It is served in certain specialty restaurants in the United States. The combination that is regarded as part of African-American or Southern tradition is usually served with condiments such as butter and syrup and has become a local custom in Baltimore, Maryland. However, the Pennsylvania Dutch version of the dish is usually served with pulled or stewed chicken and gravy on top. This version has become a custom in Northeastern United States.

Several theories about the origin of Chicken and Waffles do exist. But they are theories and is not exactly regarded as fact. Waffles entered American cuisine in the 1600s with the arrival of European colonists. A chef to the prince-bishop of Liège originated the waffles used in this particular dish in the 18th century. The popularity of waffles saw a boost following Thomas Jefferson's purchase of four waffle irons in Amsterdam after 1789.

Hotels and resorts outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania began serving waffles with fried catfish in the early 1800s. Such establishments also served other dishes like fried chicken, which gradually became the meat of choice due to catfish's limited availability. By the 1840s, broiled chicken and waffles became the specialty at Warriner's Tavern in Springfield, Massachusetts. The establishment was owned by Jeremy and Phoebe Warriner, two well-known African-American abolitionists. The Warriners hired African-American women as cooks for the tavern. They were usually freed or runaway slaves who had learned their trade in Southern plantation kitchens. Chicken and Waffles had been extravagant breakfast staples in plantation houses through much of the South. Earlier, I had pointed out that the chicken served with waffles by the Pennsylvania Dutch was usually stewed and topped with gravy. This version had became an established common Sunday dish among the Pennsylvania Dutch by the 1860s.

The combination of chicken and waffles did not appear in early Southern cookbooks such as "Mrs. Porter’s Southern Cookery Book", published in 1871; or in the first African-American cookbook, "What Mrs. Fisher Knows About Old Southern Cooking", published in 1881 by former slave Abby Fisher. The lack of a recipe for the combination of chicken and waffles in Southern cookbooks during the post-Civil War era may suggest a later origin for the dish. Popular culture had associated Chicken and Waffles with the South by 1917 with the publication of Edna Ferber's novel, "Fanny Herself".

Fried Chicken and Waffles had arrived in Los Angeles, California by 1931. The dish was served at The Maryland, a local restaurant that marketed the dish as a Southern specialty. The protagonist in James M. Cain's 1941 novel "Mildred Pierce" was a woman who finds success serving "chicken-and-waffle dinner" at her Glendale restaurant. Chicken and Waffles had become a staple in New York City's African-American community in Harlem as early as the 1930s in such locations as Tillie's Chicken Shack, Dickie Wells' jazz nightclub, and particularly the Wells Supper Club. The dish eventually regained popularity in Los Angeles in the 1970s, due to the fame of former Harlem resident Herb Hudson's restaurant Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles. The latter has become known as a favorite of some Hollywood celebrities and been referenced in several movies.

Below is a recipe for Chicken and Waffles from the Delish website:


Chicken and Waffles

Ingredients

Fried Chicken
1 quart buttermilk
2 tbsp. kosher salt
Mix of bone-in chicken thighs, breasts, and drumsticks (about 2 lbs.)
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 cups All Purpose Flour
1 tbsp. paprika

Waffles
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup sour cream
1 cup milk
6 tbsp. butter, melted, plus more for waffle iron
3 Large eggs, separated
1 tsp. cayenne
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 Large eggs


Preparation

1. Brine chicken - In a large bowl, mix together buttermilk and 2 tablespoons salt. Add chicken and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours and up to overnight.

2. Meanwhile, make waffles - Preheat oven to 200°. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and a pinch of kosher salt.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together sour cream, milk, butter and egg yolks. Gently fold wet mixture into dry mixture.

4. In a large bowl, using a hand mixer (or in the bowl of a stand mixer), beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped egg whites into batter, being careful not to over mix. (A few fluffy streaks of whites are fine!)

5. Heat waffle iron according to manufacturer’s instruction. When the iron is hot, brush grates with melted butter. Spoon about ⅓ cup of batter into waffle maker and cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter. Place cooked waffles in a clean kitchen towel on a baking sheet. Place in oven to keep warm while preparing chicken.

6. When ready to fry - Fill a Dutch oven fitted with a candy thermometer with vegetable oil until 2" to 3" deep, then preheat until oil reaches 350º. Prepare one sheet pan lined with paper towels and a wire rack.

7. Transfer chicken from brine to another sheet pan and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper.

8. In a large, deep bowl, whisk together flour, paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper. In a large bowl, beat eggs with 2 tablespoons water. Using tongs, place chicken in egg mixture, roll in flour mixture, and shake off excess. Fry chicken in 2 batches until golden brown and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes (internal temperature should read 165º). Bring oil back to 350º before adding last batch.

9. Place chicken on wire rack and season with salt immediately. Plate waffles with a pat of butter and top with 2 to 3 pieces of fried chicken. Serve with maple syrup on the side for drizzling.

Favorite Pre-Gilded Age American History Books

Below is a list of my favorite books that covered the history of the United States from the late British Colonial period to the end of the U.S. Civil War:


FAVORITE PRE-GILDED AGE AMERICAN HISTORY BOOKS



1. "The Half Has Never Been Told: Slavery and the Making of American Capitalism" (2014) by Edward E. Baptist - This book centers on how slavery and the cotton industry helped develop the rise of U.S. capitalism.





2. "1861: The Civil War Awakening" (2011) by Adam Goodheart - This book depicts the last months of the United States' Antebellum period and the first months of the U.S. Civil War.





3. "1858: Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Ulysses S. Grant and the War They Failed to See" (2008) by Bruce Chadwick - The book focuses on the historical events in the United States during the year, 1858.





4. "Thomas Jefferson & Sally Hemings: An American Controversy" (1997) by Annette Gordon-Reed - This book won the Pulitzer Prize for its in-depth exploration of President Thomas Jefferson and one of slaves, Sally Hemings.





5. "The Town That Started the Civil War" (1990) by Nat Brandt - This book is an in-depth study of Oberlin, Ohio during the 19th century and its role in one of the most famous slave rescues in U.S. history.





6. "Slavery and the Making of America" (2004) by James Oliver Horton and Lois E. Horton - This book is a detailed account of the history of slavery in the U.S. from the Colonial period to the end of the Civil War.





7. "The World Rushed In: The California Gold Rush Experience" (1981) by J.S. Holliday - This book is an in-depth study of the California Gold Rush between 1848 and 1855.





8. "The War Before the War: Fugitive Slaves and the Struggle for America's Soul from the Revolution to the Civil War" (2018) by Andrew Delbanco - This book focuses on slavery and especially the abolition movement from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War.





9. "John Adams" (2001) by David McCullough - This book is a biography of President John Adams and won a Pulitzer Prize.





10. "Gateway to Freedom: The Hidden History of the Underground Railroad" (2015) by Eric Foner - This book is a detailed account on the history of the Underground Railroad and the abolition movement in New York City.





11. "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" (2005) by Doris Kearns Goodwin - This biography is about the life of President Abraham Lincoln and the more prominent members of his Cabinet before and during the Civil War. It won both the Lincoln Prize and the inaugural Book Prize for American History of the New-York Historical Society.





12. "A Southern Odyssey: Travelers in the Antebellum North" (1976) by John Hope Franklin - This book is an account of the experiences of Southern travelers in the Northern states during the years before the Civil War.