wilde self-love

Oh, Oscar. How I love thee.

It's been a pretty hefty week of reflection over here. This girl is coming up on a big transition in a couple of months: shifting jobs, traipsing around Europe, and eventually moving to a new city. It's a relief now that the vagueness of the next few months is exhilarating, since my former college-student self would have melted down into a puddle of a nervous wreck under the pressure of "the-world-is-your-oyster" mentality. 

Now and again, however, I do become a little anxious that I don't know "what to do" with my life. When one is surrounded by driven, admirably career-determined people it's easy to downgrade one's future from "exciting prospects" to "aimless wandering." Lately, I've been so creatively inclined with paper design ("paperpreneurship," I read somewhere), and I love it, but it's not at all what I expected for myself. When I graduated with an English major I was set on a path toward editing and publishing and when I found out that the sedentary practice of reading rough manuscripts turned me off to reading in general, I decided the career was not for me. With my career-vision shattered, I turned to many other possibilities to try: catering, event-planning, travel designing, and decorative arts and design. All of which fit me in some capacity, but life got in the way of commitment to any singular option, and I couldn't muster enough "umph" to remove myself from my indecisive rut. 

Lettering started out as a hobby, but it's been the first thing I've stuck to in many months. I'm very happy that I love it, and that it's brightening my friends' and family's days, as well as my own. It doesn't save lives and it will certainly never earn me hundreds of thousands of dollars, but it makes me happy to know that I'm putting something into this world with my own two hands that brings people closer together. So, note to self: don't compare yourself to anyone. Simply don't, it's not worth the angst.

Along those lines, check out this post called "30 Things to Stop Doing To Yourself". It was exactly what I needed to read at exactly the right time.

After you read that, watch this to align your chakras and be totally enlightened (by tears of laughter). 

So. Lighten up, everyone! It's Wednesday! Who's got awesome weekend plans? I do! Can't wait to go home to the Lowcountry :)

Also, check out the awesome graduation party invitations I've done for my former sorority! Not gonna lie, I'm pretty proud of them....

PKE Graduation Party Invitations 2014. Created with flickr slideshow.

holly and hedgehogs

I'm going to make a pretty blasphemous confession for someone who lives in Tennessee.

I don't like country music. There it is.

Folk, bluegrass, Americana, hell yeah-- love it. Old country like Johnny Cash, Americana like Lucinda Williams, and awesome string-twangers like Mumford & Sons, are my jam. But all of this pop-pseudo-country music that's out there these days, written with a formula that includes beer-drinking, pick-up trucks, and cut-off jeans, sounds the same to me.

Which is why I was so thrilled to go to a Holly Williams concert last night at 3rd and Lindsley in Nashville. I've listened to her a few times at work, and enjoyed her music, but seeing her live was just amazing. She totally rocks her status as country music royalty (she's the daughter of Hank Williams, Jr. and granddaughter of Hank Williams, Sr.) by harking back to and older sound and very real, personal lyrics.

If you've never heard her tunes, check out this Spotify playlist. You won't regret it. Railroads, The Highway, Without You, Let You Go, all have wonderful road-trip quality sounds, whereas, Waiting on June made me cry twice today.

Oh, by the way, check out the precious hedgehog stationery I designed today. It's pretty cute, n'est-ce pas?

Created with flickr slideshow.

preach

Recently, I came across this quotation on a friend's Facebook page. It's too good and true not to share:

"Hear this or not, as you will. Learn it now, or later — the world has time. Routine, repetition, tedium, monotony, ephemeracy, inconsequence, abstraction, disorder, boredom, angst, ennui — these are the true hero’s enemies, and make no mistake, they are fearsome indeed. For they are real." 

-David Foster Wallace

Right? Best advice I've had in a long time.

Have a glorious Thursday, everyone! We're almost to the weekend!

roux paperie

New logo for my hand-lettering!

Aahh! It's been forever since I've written! Blogging was my New Years Resolution (rouxvolution) and I've totally flaked out! womp womp.

BUT, does it count if I've been slaving over a new hobby? Like calligraphy and hand-lettering? Because I have, and I love it, and I'm kind of a little bit proud of myself. You know, I've never considered my handwriting to be that good; in fact, a high school teacher once said it gave him vertigo after I submitted an in-class essay. Sorry? But, with the right tools, and a whole lot of patience (Guns N Roses patience), it looks pretty damn good. 

Drafting the text for PKE's graduation party invitations!

Stationery designed for my niece, Carrie

So, I've been loving this hobby, but lately I've been getting a little antsy. The draft pages have literally taken over every surface of my apartment, and, while I love the process of designing text graphics and writing calligraphy, it would be so much more fun to share it with others. In a bout of shameless self-promotion, I contacted my old sorority and asked to design the graduation party invitations for the seniors as well as hand-letter the envelopes (they said yes, so I've begun working on those this week); I posted about calligraphy on Facebook and received inquiries for two wedding invitation jobs, as well as a hand-lettered, framed quotation for a birthday present. Lastly, I've designed a set of 6 stationery cards and envelopes for one of my adorable nieces for her birthday. 

A wall of projects in my kitchen.

 Soon enough, the Etsy shop for roux paperie will be up and running! It's coming along slowly but surely, since I'm in the middle of these projects, but it's a labor of love and excitement. My favorite part is the mailing list I've arranged for close friends and family so I can send test runs of card designs. Who doesn't love snail mail? I dare you to name one thing that makes you feel more singularly loved than a hand-written card addressed to you.

Do I have any readers out there? I have no idea. But I do have a question and would love to hear some answers. Under my bed and in all my drawers at home there are boxes of old cards I've received that I simply don't have the heart to throw away. Does anyone have any suggestions for card-hoarders (lovers....) like myself? Surely there has to be a way to organize these guys while still preserving their significance. Guess I'm the sentimental type....

Sincerely yours,

Rhetty-roux

Under construction, but it's getting there!!

a jewelry box day

Many apologies for my absence over the past few weeks; I have this condition that forces me to shut down in February, which is always the worst month of winter to me. Needless to say, the past month of polar vortexes has completely thrown me for a loop. Seriously, the weather for the past few weeks has been horrendous. Slushy snow canvased by gray skies and dark afternoons. But this morning, I awoke to this:

Sewanee says  "I woke up like this."

The most stunning wintry day yet this year. Walking outside my apartment was like stepping into jewelry box; the snow was shimmering, and sunshine was glinting off of icicles. And finally, a dome of the clearest, royal blue sky. Days like this make me remember why I love this part of the world, even if February is grueling sometimes.

Anyway, today made me snap out of the doldrums for a little while, so it's time to write! I have no idea if anyone actually reads this besides my mother. Actually, she probably doesn't even read it. But if you do, I'm back! Hey, what's up?

Let's see. I'm not one for Valentine's Day (though I suppose I will be "celebrating" with Rob tomorrow...cue conversation about how love should be manifested everyday and not a singular day that keeps Hallmark in business...), but I do love birthdays! And today is my best friend Esther Na's birthday! Happy birthday to this kindhearted, talented, and creative soul. I remember our first outing at Stirling's Coffeehouse and we talked all about what we wanted to be when we grow up and I'm pretty sure neither of us are heading in those directions. Ain't life grand? Thanks for being such a wonderful listener to my stories and thoughts, and for dreaming wistfully with me about all the places to go in this world at coffee shops. You truly are a blessing to me.

Happy Birthday, Esther!

To segue, I've picked up a new hobby which I practiced on Esther's birthday card. And it is...HAND LETTERING! Ta da! I suppose you could call it calligraphy, but it's not traditional, it is, in fact, modern calligraphy. I've also been practicing fun layouts and bolder block letters with designs, shadows, etc.

m-m-m-i-i-s-s-miss-e-e-es-est-esth-esther-n-n-na....thank goodness she has a short last name!

Last week I posted a similar picture of my practice page on Instagram and received a comment from a friend of mine saying "why are you doing this? Stop it." Yesterday I followed up with the above, captioning it "can't stop, won't stop." Truly though, I'm so addicted to it. As an English major, I've always enjoy writing papers and essays, and there's a certain artistry in composition like that, however, calligraphy makes me feel so much more creative! I've been practicing with every opportunity to master individuals letters and to practice pairing them in different ways. Last night I couldn't sleep so I sketched out a design of some lyrics from "Green Eyes" by Coldplay:

Pencil sketch of "Green Eyes" by Coldplay

and the finished product (with a few amateur smudges because I'm impatient and some spacial irregularity):

Finished! 

The sense of productivity you feel after completing a project like this is wonderful. Even if it turns out to be smudgy and uneven, the feeling of having created something can't be beat. After three hours of sketching and drawing words and designs I feel like I've done more than some days at work. I love working with my hands in this way. It didn't take me long after graduating from college to realize that sitting at a desk all day with a computer is not for me. The sedentary work environment simply breeds sloth in me, and my hands have just been itching for something to do. That's one of the reasons why I love cooking so much; because the best tools in the kitchen are hands and they are so capable of so many things. So I've finally found another (more portable) occupation for these hands. Can't wait to continue practicing! 

"8 Days A Week" -The Beatles

avocadelicious

Happy Polar Vortex #2, everyone! Or is it 3? I've lost count. Anyway, this Deep Freeze has really settled in here at Sewanee, and this school never has "snow days," so everyone is begrudgingly walking around to class (or work), while everyone else in the South sits at home watching Netflix. I'm wrapped up in just about every layer of Patagonia I own, wishing I was in my bed in my pj's with a book and a mug of hot chocolate.

Instead, I'm using the cold as a reason to "never get comfortable," and be super productive at work and go to the gym. Yeehaw! Polar vortex!

This week for lunch, I've fallen back in love with avocado toasts. Maybe because my face is so dry from the cold, and there's only so much Olay you can stand to put on in the morning. Seriously, while I was making the toast, I just wanted to mash the avocado into guacamole and put it on my face. Is that weird? Avocados are magic for your skin. And they remind me of warmer climates. Like a beach. With the sound of the ocean. And a margarita or two. Or four. But who's counting. ME, because I just got lost in a daydream to distract myself from the Snowpocalypse. Anyway, tell me this doesn't look delicious:

Get in my belly.

For these toasts I used multigrain bread from Niedlov's, an artisanal bakery in Chattanooga, skim ricotta cheese, one ripe avocado, salt and pepper, and a few dashes of red pepper flakes to give the toast some heat.

It's such an easy base recipe to add whatever other things you want. Blueberries would be delicious when they're in season, or sliced cherry tomatoes to brighten the color. The toast is your oyster!

Anyway, so next time you want something refreshing, simple, and healthy for lunch, whip up a couple of these guys. They're avocadelicious...(so punny).

Anyway, so next time you want something refreshing, simple, and healthy for lunch, whip up a couple of these guys. They're avocadelicious...(so punny).

Avocado & Ricotta Toast

Ingredients:

• a couple of slices of bread
• Ricotta cheese (skim)
• 1 ripe avocado
• salt and pepper, to taste
• red pepper flakes to taste

Instructions:

1. Toast your toast
2. Peel and slice your avocado
3. Spread your toast with ricotta cheese
4. Layer the avocado on top of the cheese
5. Sprinkle with salt and pepper
6. Add red pepper flakes for zing!

soup sunday: beef stew!

I love Sundays because they're slow and you can fully enjoy small moments. Like fixing a mug of coffee instead of a to-go cup, and you can enjoy it in your kitchen instead of slurping it back on the way to the office. Maybe you even pick up a book while you drink coffee  (go crazy!). A pile of laundry has steadily grown over the past couple of weeks and I tackled it today. The kitchen countertops are clean, as is the bathroom, as is my bedroom, and the living room. The point is, sometimes I feel like I can do more in a Sunday than I can all week. But my favorite part about wintertime Sundays is soup. I make one soup every Sunday for dinner, and I freeze the leftovers so I'll have easy weeknight dinners till the cold days are over. 

Since there's yet another polar vortex heading toward Tennessee and the weather will "feel like 0*," I decided to whip something up today that never fails to warm me up from the inside out.

Ideally, I would fix Julia Child's boeuf bourguignon, however, this amiga does not own a Dutch oven, or any cookware of such magical oven-capability. So, I settled for the triumph of domesticity: the crockpot. The stew definitely wasn't Julia Child's, but it was hearty, yet lighter, and pretty darn good.

What you'll need:

ugh, forgot the carrots.

Roll call: stew beef, beef stock, yellow onions, garlic, bay leaves, mustard, thyme, dark beer, red wine vinegar, flour, parsley...carrots? where are you? crap, forgot the carrots. brb, gonna go to the store real fast.

Salt N Pepa's HERE! No? No....

Sprinkle your stew beef with freshly ground Salt N Pepa (I just can't help myself...).

Chop up your onions into large slices and your garlic into thin slices....

I totally didn't cry this time. Not.

Then chop up your carrots, which you certainly didn't forget to buy at the grocery store...

Aren't they just the prettiest?

Then brown the beef on all sides in a sauté pan with some olive oil. You may need to do this in batches. It took me 3 batches to finish it all.

Don't worry if it's a little pink; the beef will continue cooking once it's in the crockpot.

Let the beef drain on a paper towel. Then add a little more olive oil and sauté the onions and garlic for about four minutes. 

Lord, I love that smell.

Then add your stout beer and some beef stock to the onions and garlic and continue cooking for a couple more minutes.

Beer and beef stock. So manly.

Wahoo! Drunk onions!!

Then transfer the onions and garlic, with the liquid, to the slow cooker. You can have it set on low to cook for about 7 hours, or high to cook for around 4 hours. I chose high, but either would work!

Add the beef, carrots, bay leaves, and thyme to the crockpot. I also chopped up 4 new potatoes and threw those in there for added substance. If you like your stew more soupy, feel free to add more beef stock and beer.

Let the stew sit in the crockpot for 4-7 hours, depending on the temperature setting. Then mix a little bit of flour with some beef stock, whisking with a fork till blended completely. Add this mixture to the crockpot to thicken the stew. Add salt, pepper, or other spices to your liking.

Serve the stew with plenty of chopped fresh parsley as a garnish!

Beef stew: warms the belly and the soul.

Cheers, everyone, and stay warm!

Easy Slow-Cooker Beef Stew

Ingredients:

• EVOO
• 1 lb of stew beef or chuck roast cut into cubes
• 3-4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced.
• 2 yellow onions, peeled and chopped
• 5 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 4 new potatoes, optional
• 2 cups of beef stock (you may not use all of it!)
• 8-10 oz of dark beer, I used Snowman Stout from Jackalope Brewery in Nashville, TN. It's a mocha stout...yum :) (again, you may not use all of it, it depends on how soupy you like your stew)
• 1/2 tsp of thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp of mustard
• 1tbsp of red wine vinegar
• 1-2 tbsp of flour (to be mixed with beef stock later...depends on how thick you like your stew)
• a handful of parsley, chopped

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the stew beef and brown on all sides. Don't cook it through, the beef will continue to cook in the crockpot later. Work in batches if you need to. Remove beef to a paper towel to drain.
2. In the same skillet heat a little bit more olive oil and add the onions and garlic. Sauté for about 4 minutes.
3. Add 6 oz of beer and 3/4 cup of beef stock to the onions, reserving the rest to add to the crockpot if you want to. Cook the onions for another 2 minutes, then pour them into the crockpot with their tipsy liquid.
4. Add the beef, carrots, potatoes, thyme, and bay leaves to the crock pot. Add more beer and stock if you like a soupier stew (I do, so I added plenty more at this point...just save some stock to mix with flour later). Let the stew sit in the crockpot for 7 hours, if on low, 4 hours if on high.
5. 4-7 hours later, add the mustard and red wine vinegar to the stew and stir. 
6. Mix a tablespoon of flour with some beef stock, blending well so it doesn't clump. Add to the crockpot and stir to thicken the stew. Repeat till you have your desired consistency.
7. Add more spices to the stew to taste.
8. Ladle the stew into bowls and garnish with freshly chopped parsley; serve hot!

a few of my favorite things: lowcountry boil/frogmore stew

Among my favorite things in the whole world is a Lowcountry Boil/Frogmore Stew/Beaufort Stew. Whichever you like to call it. It's up there with oyster roasts, clam bakes if I happen to be farther north, and barbecues. Why? There's something about a casual, messy, communal meal that lifts the spirits higher than high. Besides, what's not to love about seafood and beer? They are also lots of fun to put together and so easy.

My lovely friend Lizzie and I hosted a bridal shower/bachelorette weekend for our friend Kabler last weekend on Wadmalaw Island outside of Charleston, SC. Saturday night we had a large time out on King St. in Charleston, celebrating the bride-to-be, so we were pretty much vegetables the following day. On Sunday we spent the afternoon prepping ingredients for the boil, and layering newspaper over the dinner table for the feast. It was really the perfect end to the weekend with nine of our best friends. . A Frogmore Stew is the easiest thing in the world to make: it's fast, simple, and always makes for a good time. It's foolproof!

You may be wondering about the origin of the name "Frogmore Stew." I like the brief explanation from the cookbook Full Moon, High Tide, written by the Beaufort Academy Parents Association (pub'd 2001 by Wimmer Cookbooks). I've copied it here:

There is an old settlement on St. Helena Island [outside of Beaufort, SC] called Frogmore. Originally, it was a strategic crossroads connecting many of the Sea Island Plantations to Beaufort. It was named after an ancestral English country estate. In the early 1900s, Frogmore was noted for its diamondback terrapin and caviar business. Today Frogmore is a quaint place to stop and enjoy the food, crafts, and history of the Gullah culture. The official name has been changed to St. Helena, but to the locals, it will always be Frogmore.

The ingredients and process of making a Lowcountry Boil is mostly intuitive and often varies among cooks. Some people like to add potatoes to theirs; we did last weekend to make it a little bit more of a filling meal. Ordinarily, I pass on the potatoes because they make the boil a little greasier. Other cooks like to add a full can of beer to their stew! I don't recall my mother having done that, but we experimented with it last weekend and it was great. The real staple ingredients of a good boil are: onion, sausage, corn, shrimp, and an obscene amount of Old Bay seasoning. Full Moon, High Tide has an excellent basic recipe to start off with, which I'll include at the end of the post.

Here is our cast of characters:

• We had three large onions on hand, which I sliced into eighths, 
• a mixture of hot and mild Italian sausage (usually I use kielbasa which adds a bit more of a smokey flavor), 
• Old Bay, 
• fingerling potatoes and corn, both halved. 
• Above I mentioned that potatoes make the boil a little greasy, I'm happy to say that fingerling potatoes did not. Not sure why, but they added more substance to the boil, while keeping it delicate. 

But I can't forget the star of the show:

SHRIMP!

Ready? Here we go!

Fill a big boiling pot about halfway, or enough to cover the ingredients, and then liberally shake in the Old Bay. Don't be shy, folks, you really can't have enough Old Bay here.

Add the onions here, but let that eau d'Old Bay come to a rolling boil before you add the other ingredients. So while that big ol' pot is heating up give your awesome hungover friends a task: CORN SHUCKING!

Joyce and Alice mastering the art of corn-shucking

The magic number is 5. Keep on reading...

We've added our onions....

When the pot is at a rolling boil add the sausage and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the corn....

Joyce and Alice broke those suckers in half with their bare hands...rarrrr.

Cook the corn for 5 minutes and then add the shrimp!

It's like they're swimming! Bad joke? Probably. Sorry shrimp.

Cook until the shrimp are pink and they begin to float. Their shells should separate slightly from the back of the shrimp.

While you're prepping the stew your friends might be really lazy watching the Patriots/Broncos game. 

Don't be fooled. We were really watching "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" all weekend.

That's cool, have them set the table! The best part about the Lowcountry Boil is it's messy, so you want to have a really easy cleanup. Most cooks like to layer the table with newspaper and stick a big roll of paper towels in the middle. You don't even need plates! Just some forks to cut potatoes with and such. 

See? Easy. And totally cute in that Pinterest-y kind of way.

Now that your boil is done boiling, grab your favorite co-hostess (Lizzie) and together drain the ingredients from the stew water. This can be very tricky and very hot so be very careful. And give yourself a delicious shrimp and Old Bay facial while you're at it.

oh yeah, baby.

Give yourself a high-five cause you just did the hardest part. Then dump all of that deliciousness onto the newspaper-lined table and take a picture with your friend and co-hostess:

time to stop taking pictures....

And then gather the friends 'round and dig in!!

Poor vegetarian Courtney had to miss out. But at least she had her meatless meatballs?

A Frogmore Stew makes a lot of food, so you'll probably have leftovers. Just put 'em in a tupperware and snack for the rest of the day!

There really isn't anything better than sharing good food with good people. It's the most heart-warming and soulful bond. After the boil we sat on the dock in the cold enjoying the beautiful day outside. I miss these girls.

Friends. Plain and simple.

Want the recipe for the Boil? Here it is!

Frogmore Stew [adapted from Full Moon, High Tide]

Ingredients:

• Old Bay Seasoning to taste
• 1 small onion per person, peeled and chopped into quarters or eighths
• 1/4 lb. kielbasa per person, sliced 1 inch thick
• 1 ear of corn per person, shucked and halved
• 1/2 lb. shrimp per person (31-35 count per lb.)
• A can of beer, optional

Instructions:

1. Fill a large pot with enough water to cover ingredients. Add Old Bay seasoning and onions (and beer, if using).
2. Bring water to a rapid boil and add sausage. Boil 5 minutes and add corn. Boil 5 minutes and add shrimp.
3. Cook until shrimp begin to float and shells start to separate slightly from the back of shrimp.
4. Drain and serve.

Enjoy! I promise you'll love it; it's a real crowd-pleaser. 

a few of my favorite things: friends

I'm truly at a loss of words to begin this post. All because I simply have the most wonderful friends ever.

Excuse me for a minute while I get "mushy."

What can I say? They're my soul-mates. Last weekend we were all reunited together (except for Becca, sadly) for the first time since graduation almost 2 years ago. Because one of us is getting married in August! *aaahhhh* *cue the girly screams and squeals*

Yesteryear:

The happy day Kabler became engaged!! April 2013

This year:

Celebrating our bachelorette! January 2014

We stayed on Wadmalaw Island outside of Charleston, where Lizzie was our gracious hostess. True to form, the coast was beautiful and the weather temperate. it was simply perfect for our reunion on Tacky Point Rd.

It was so wonderful to see each other and to catch up. We talked about jobs, grad schools, relationships, weddings; we drank a lot and played Cards Against Humanity and Head's Up. There was lots of laughter, and tears-- not a single emotion was missing. It was all so familiar. And that's why I love my friends from college, because even in the most transitional time of our lives, we're all still the same wonderful people, and that alone is lovable. Even when we all have our quirks.

So congratulations to our Kabler, for making the next big step in her relationship in her life. We never had any doubt that she and her Sewanee sweetheart, Mark, would end up together, so it's so fulfilling to watch them on their way to tie the knot!

We gave her homework ;)

Kabler, I wish I could be there for your big day; but I'll be thinking about you and Mark from across the pond! Cheers to the amazing life you will have together!

Now, excuse me, I'm going to go cry a little bit because I miss my sister-friends. And then I'll write a scrumptious post about a shrimp boil.

feeling lucky?

First of all, follow my blog with Bloglovin!

Now, let's talk black-eyed peas. They're not just for New Years anymore!

Every year for New Years day my mother makes "Hoppin' John," a traditional southern dish of rice, black-eyed peas (or cow peas), and ham. It's good, though very heavy and, well, "pork-y" tasting. This year I wanted to fix something a little more healthy, while maintaining the hearty spirit of the meal. 

For Christmas I received a wonderful cookbook, The Essentials of Southern Cooking, by Damon Lee Fowler. Mr. Fowler is an avid cook, food-writer, and goes to my home church. When my mother bought the cookbook from him he inscribed on the title page: "For Rhett-- A little taste of home no matter where life may take you! Eat well and live your dreams!" The perfect little message in a cookbook that feels like a direct flight home to Savannah. After flipping through plenty of mouth-watering seafood recipes (much to my chagrin, living landlocked in Tennessee), I came upon a recipe for "Black-Eyed Pea Ragout." I dog-eared it, took it to the grocery store, and came back home to fix it for my mom. 

That night, the only change I made from Damon's recipe was to cook the vegetables in bacon drippings and to chop the cooked bacon and add it later on, which to me added the perfect smokey touch. This time, however, I'm still trying to detox a little bit, so I kept it healthy with olive oil. I'll include directions for the bacon as well though!

A complete recipe in text follows all the pictures! 

Here we go!

If you are not using bacon skip ahead. Cook 6 strips of bacon in a skillet over medium high heat. When it is done, move strips to drain on a paper towel. Reserve the bacon to be chopped.

First, make sure your onions and peppers are chopped! That's 1 onion, 1 green bell pepper, and 1 yellow bell pepper. 

This onion made me cry. What a bully.

What constitutes a peck of peppers? 

Isn't this a pretty sight?

Then, heat 1 tbsp of bacon drippings or olive oil in a large pot.

I love EVOO!

Add the onion and the yellow and green bell pepper to the pot with the fat. Sauté, stirring consistently, until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and toss till it smells amazing, about another 30 seconds.

Peel that garlic and mince it!

Unless you have a fancy garlic press to do the job for you...muahaha.

Add the black-eyed peas and tomatoes and stir till they are hot hot hot. 

Fiesta colors!

Now add the broth...

What's cookin' good lookin'?

...and the thyme and bay leaves...

So much flavor!

...and the whole hot pepper pod....

So much heat!

Go ahead and season this goodness liberally with some salt and pepper. If you are using bacon, it's now cool enough to chop and toss and stir into the pot. Bring the ragout to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer. Stir occasionally until the peas are tender, about 20-30 minutes. If you're using frozen peas, pay attention, they tend to take less time than fresh peas.

Bubble, bubble...

Taste your ragout and fix the seasonings to your liking. I like to add a few dashes of Cholula here. Simmer for a minute longer before you turn off the heat. Remove the bay leaves, fresh thyme (if you used it), and the hot pepper pod-- you can discard these now.

The peas can be made up until this point up to 2 days in advance.  Reheat them gently over medium heat. Add half the green onions just before serving, then transfer the peas to a warm serving bowl and sprinkle the remainder of the green onions on top! 

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have; and if you ever stumble upon Damon's cookbook, don't hesitate to get it. It's truly wonderful and I can't wait to continue learning recipes from it! You can also find a bio and many recipes at his website and blog, here.

Black-eyed Pea Ragout with 4-seed bread from Niedlov's Bakery in Chattanooga, TN.

Black-Eyed Pea Ragout (from Damon Lee Fowler's Essentials of Southern Cooking) 

Serves 6

Notes: 

• If fresh black-eyed peas are unavailable, use frozen. Damon notes that dried black-eyed peas make this recipe a little too starchy. Black-eyed peas handle freezing well, and they keep this ragout light.
• The ingredients call for 1 cup of canned diced tomatoes; I use a whole 14.5 oz can, slightly drained. I enjoy a little more liquid in this recipe so it's like a hearty stew.
• Damon suggests that if you prefer a spicy-hot ragout, chop the hot pepper and add it to the ragout with the other peppers at the start of the recipe.

Ingredients: 

• 1 tbsp of olive oil or bacon drippings (use 6 strips of bacon if you plan to add it into the ragout later)
• 1 medium yellow onion, trimmed, peeled, and chopped
• 1 medium green bell pepper, seeds and membranes removed, chopped
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeds and membranes removed, chopped
• 2 large or 3 medium cloves of garlic, minced
• 22 oz of fresh or thawed frozen black-eyed peas
• 5 medium fresh tomatoes, peeled with a vegetable peeler, seeded and diced, or 1 cup drained, seeded, and diced canned tomatoes 
• 2 cups of meat or chicken broth
• 2 large sprigs of thyme, or a couple dashes of dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 whole hot pepper pod such as cayenne, serrano, or jalapeño
• salt and whole black pepper in a mill
• 4 small or 2 medium green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced

Instructions:

1. If you're using bacon, cook 6 strips in a skillet till done; rest them on paper towels to cool and drain.
2. Warm the 1 tbsp of fat, onion, and bell peppers in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté, stirring consistently, until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the minced garlic and toss till it smells amazing, about another 30 seconds. Add the peas and tomatoes and stir till they are hot.
3. Add the broth, thyme, bay leaves, and whole hot pepper pod; season well with salt and pepper. If you're planning to add the reserved bacon, chop it up and stir it into the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the peas are tender, about 20-30 minutes (frozen peas take less time than fresh ones!). 
4. Taste the ragout and fix the seasonings to your liking. I like to add a little Cholula (or the hot sauce of your choice) here. Let it simmer another minute before cutting off the heat. Remove the bay leaves, sprigs of thyme (if you used them), and the hot pepper pod-- these can be discarded. 
5. The peas can be prepared up to 2 days in advance. Just before serving stir in half the green onions; once in their serving bowl, sprinkle the remainder of the green onions on top.

Enjoy!