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| Enjoy black-eyed peas for a lucky new year |
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| News | |||
| Written by Aaron Cedeño | |||
| Wednesday, 23 December 2009 09:00 | |||
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The year 1998 is one Steve Hamilton remembers well — and not for any of the multitude of possible reasons one might expect. It’s the one year he can recall when he didn’t eat black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day, and to hear him tell it, that is not a mistake he’ll be making again any time soon. “I missed them that year for whatever reason, and that year I got audited by the IRS, and my warehouse burned to the ground,” said Hamilton, founder of Chris Cakes. “So I make it a point to make sure I get my black-eyed peas.” As tradition goes, consuming black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day is a way to ensure good luck for the next 12 months. The use of the legume to bring good fortune stretches back to the Civil War, when Union troops under the command of Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman would strip the Southern countryside of nearly every available food source. Black-eyed peas were frequently left untouched, however, because they were considered to be useful primarily as animal food. Today, they remain a popular dish, primarily in the South, typically served with some type of pork — such as bacon or ham — and hot sauce. The tradition has spread, however, and Hamilton knew he wasn’t the only one who partook of the tasty legume in such a fashion. So he and a collection of volunteers, including U.S. Sen. Pat Apple of Louisburg’s own Apple Electric, decided to put on a black-eyed pea lunch for the community last year and to donate the proceeds to Agape Food Pantry. “It’s kind of a win-win situation,” Hamilton said. “Everyone in Louisburg gets good luck, and the Agape Center gets a little bit of money.” Last year, the group served about 200 people at Fox Hall on New Year’s Day, all of whom ate free of charge. Goodwill donations were requested, and the event raised more than $1,300 to help feed local families in need. Mike Steck, one of the driving forces behind Agape Center, said the unexpected donation was a welcome addition to its budget. “I hadn’t counted on it, hadn’t budgeted for it,” he said. “It was a real pleasant surprise.” The holidays are huge for such organizations. The donations collected during this time of year can help sustain organizations like Agape throughout the rest of the year, Steck said. As a result, the center has been busy in recent weeks; area schools, churches and individuals have flooded the center with food. But monetary donations like the type provided by the black-eyed pea lunch ensure Agape is able to purchase fresh food and other items from the Harvesters Community Food Network of Kansas City. “It just seems like anymore around here, all you have to do is ask people for help, and they’re always willing to help,” Steck said. “It makes a big, big difference in making sure that we’re able to provide food for those people who really need.” This year’s black-eyed pea lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Fox Hall, Jan. 1. Admission is free of charge, but goodwill donations will be accepted. The meal will feature two types of black-eyed peas, cornbread, brownies, lemonade and coffee.
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