Here in the South in America, we have a "lucky New Year's meal. It consists of greens stewed with a ham hock or seasoning bacon, blackeyed peas cooked with a ham hock and onion, a roast or ham, and a sweet treat for afters. The greens with meat in is for enough money in the year. Blackeyed peas with onion, usually made from dried peas, are for abundance and to savor the future — but you must eat a few bites of the hock as part of the luck, and spice like crushed red pepper or chili-garlic sauce to represent zest for life. Then, end with a sweet for bringing sweetness into our coming year.

Because I'm using a few shortcuts, the salt-cured and smoked ham hocks have currently been stewing in a pot since mid-morning; they're seasoned with Chinese chili-garlic sauce, black pepper, and a pinch of sugar to help cut the salinity of the cured hocks. I'm making frozen spinach with fresh parsley and green onion, seasoned with the broth and a bit of ham hock — you could use any greens or combination. The blackeyed peas are actually canned this year (I'm too old and there's only two of us now to be messing with a big batch from dried peas); it will be seasoned with onion and another small ham hock plus the broth. I'm also making slow roasted beef for Hamid and I, We'll have a couple of pieces of dark chocolate for afters.