Tag Archives: Roots Southern Table

Be Lucky in 2022, Eat Your Peas -or- How to Appease Your Peas

black eyed peasby Steven Doyle

Black-eyed peas have long been a traditional New Years dish with the thought that they bring the eater good luck. The tradition dates back to the Civil War, when Union troops, especially in areas targeted by General William Tecumseh Sherman, typically stripped the countryside of all stored food, crops, and livestock, and destroyed whatever they could not carry away. At that time, Northerners considered “field peas” and field corn suitable only for animal fodder and did not steal or destroy these humble foods.

It’s a southern thing.

There are a few great places to enjoy your personal pot of good luck in the Dallas area. Certainly look to the obvious spots such as Celebration where they have been serving up southern hospitality since 1971. In addition to your black-eyed peas, you can also find a great chicken fried steak, catfish and other hearty dishes to start your year off right.    Continue reading

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Chef Tiffany Warms Us Up To Her Southern Roots

Chef Tiffany Derry, a woman who is truly America’s sweetheart. It was her insistence to stand out from the Top Chef crowd of chefs on season seven where smarminess is generally a theme and backstabbing is de rigueur. That’s not how Tiffany plays it, her genuine personality coupled with the extraordinary ability to cook led this chef to the top of that season’s heap, which begat an amazing television career which includes another season of Top Chef (All Stars), a gig on Bar Rescue and numerous judging appearances for both Top Chef and Top Chef Jr.. If that is not enough, and is it ever really, she has her own PBS series being filmed as this is written.

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