Texas Caviar (1943)

[Wilson Gray]

I've never heard of pickled black-eyed peas, but the rest is so familiar as
to bring a tear of nostalgia. I have my own recipe for ham hocks with BEP.
Unfortunately, my PA-born wife doesn't care for this food, even when I do
all the cooking myself. Sigh!

-Wilson

On 8/2/06, Bapopik at aol.com <Bapopik at aol.com> wrote:
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Bapopik at AOL.COM
> Subject:      Texas Caviar (1943)
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I just added "Texas Caviar." Any forthcoming DARE or OED entry?
> ...
> Any luck with America's Historical Newspapers or the historical Dallas =20
> Morning News?
> ...
> ...
> ...
>
> _http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/texas_caviar_black_=
> ey
> ed_peas/_=20
> (
> http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new_york_city/entry/texas_caviar_black_=
> eyed_peas/)=20
> ...
> =20
> "Texas caviar=E2=80=9D is the name for pickled black-eyed peas. Helen
> Corbit=
> t helped =20
> to popularize the dish ,but she didn=E2=80=99t invent the name.=20
>
>
>
> _http://www.kstrom.net/cgi-bin/afp4/amazon_products_feed.cgi?Operation=3DIte=
> mLoo
> kup&ItemId=3D1574410768&templates=3Disk_=20
> (
> http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php?URL=3Dhttp://www.kstrom.net/cgi-bin/afp=
> 4/amazon_products_feed.cgi?Operation=3DItemLook
> up&ItemId=3D1574410768&templates=3Disk)  =20
> The Best from Helen Corbitt=E2=80=99s Kitchens (Evelyn Oppenheimer Series,
> =20=
> No. 1)=20
> by: Helen Corbitt=20
>
> Rating:  *****- the grande dame of  texas cuisine=20
> This cookbook reintroduces Helen Corbitt, though if you have  lived in
> Texas=
> =20
> for years you are no doubt familiar with her. She became famous  as the
> head=
> =20
> of the restaurants of Neiman-Marcus department stores, and many  Texans
> know=
> =20
> her through her texas =E2=80=9Ccaviar=E2=80=9D, hot fudge pecan balls,
> retro=
> molded  salads,=20
> fabulous =E2=80=9Cpotluck=E2=80=9D recipes, poppy seed dressing, and other
> T=
> exas  favorites. If=20
> you cannot find the original editions, this is certainly one to  own.
> You=20
> will find yourself using it over and over again. =20
>
>
> _http://www.thefoodwhore.com/recipes/2005/02/texas_caviar.htm_=20
> (
> http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php?URL=3Dhttp://www.thefoodwhore.com/recip=
> es/2005/02/texas_ca
> viar.htm)  =20
> I always wondered where the =E2=80=9CBlack Eyed Peas and
> Triscuits=E2=80=9D=20=
> reference came =20
> from. Might have to try this one sometime!=20
> Posted by: HomefrontSix at  February 10, 2005 05:54 PM =20
> Helen Corbitt, who was head caterer at Neiman-Marcus back in the day
> (40-50=20=
> =20
> years ago) and published several cookbooks, has a similar recipe. Hers
> calls=
> =20
> for  much more oil though, and no tomato or cumin. Yours sounds mighty
> good.=
> =20
> Posted by: Dr Alice at February 12, 2005 07:59 PM=20
>
>
> 1 January  1943, Mexia (TX) Weekly Herald, pg. 1:=20
> Soldiers to Eat =20
> Peas for Luck=20
>
> =E2=80=9CTexas Caviar=E2=80=9D=20
> Goes on Menu =20
>
> DALLS, Tex, Dec. 31.=E2=80=94(UP)=E2=80=94It=E2=80=99s an old southern
> custo=
> m, and the army will =20
> feed soldiers at Love Field black-eyed peas=E2=80=94for good
> luck=E2=80=94on=
> New Year=E2=80=99s Day. =20
>
> The boys from the south say that this dish=E2=80=94=E2=80=9CTexas
> caviar=E2=
> =80=9D=E2=80=94is a tradition =20
> which dates back to the days when masters visited their colored slaves on
> Ne=
> w =20
> Year=E2=80=99s Day and saw the peas the colored mammies had cooking in the
> p=
> ot. =20
>
> And there were many ideas as to how they should be served. Some wanted =20
> theirs with onions, some with rice=E2=80=94and some with sow belly with
> the=20=
> buttons on. =20
> Lieut. Arnold Heller, mess officer ,was trying out different recipes today
> t=
> o =20
> see what type of black-eyed peas the boys would curl a lip around
> tomorrow.=20=
> =20
>
> But when the boys from the north were shown the little bean-shaped
> peas  wit=
> h=20
> winking black eyes they said, =E2=80=9CWhy, that=E2=80=99s what we feed
> our=20=
> cows.=E2=80=9D =20
>
>
> 13 April 1958, Los Angeles Times, How America Eats:
> =E2=80=9CWhat=E2=80=99s=20=
> Cooking in=20
> Texas?=E2=80=9D by Clementine Paddleford, pg. K30:=20
> You haven=E2=80=99t had Texas  Caviar, or flowerpot ice cream? Or Cheddar
> ch=
> eese=20
> soup? You haven=E2=80=99t seen Helen  Corbitt=E2=80=99s cookbook?=20
> (...) (Pg. 32=E2=80=94ed.)=20
> It=E2=80=99s the pickled black-eyed peas  made in the restaurant kitchen
> tha=
> t Dalls=20
> folks call =E2=80=9CTexas Caviar,=E2=80=9D a Helen  invention.=20
>
> =E2=80=9CThe black-eyed pea, a traditional good luck food in the  South to
> b=
> e eaten=20
> on New Year=E2=80=99s Day, was all news to me,=E2=80=9D Helen said.
> =E2=80=
> =9CNever had  heard of such=20
> shenanigans, and I didn=E2=80=99t like those peas cooked in the
> =E2=80=98Hop=
> pin=E2=80=99  John=E2=80=99=20
> manner, so I turned them out pickled.=E2=80=9D Ever since, she has served
> th=
> is  =E2=80=9CTexas=20
> Caviar=E2=80=9D at her cocktail parties. Other women do too, the men
> goobble=
> them  up. =20
> (...) (Pg. 33=E2=80=94ed.)=20
> Pickled Black-Eyed Peas=20
> 2 cans  dried black-eyed peas=20
> 1 cup salad oil=20
> 1/4 cup salad oil=20
> 1/4 cup wine  vinegar=20
> 1 clove garlic=20
> 1/4 cup thinly sliced onion=20
> 1/2 teaspoon salt =20
> Freshly ground black pepper=20
>
> Drain liquid from peas. Place peas in  bowl; add remaining ingredients
> and=20
> mix thoroughly. Store in a jar in  refrigerator and remove garlic bud
> after=20=
> one=20
> day. Store at least two days more.  Yield: 1 quart peas.=20
>
>
> 13 June 1985, Los Angeles Times,  =E2=80=9CCulinary SOS=E2=80=9D by Rose
> Dos=
> ti, pg. H37:=20
> Texas Caviar: An Appetizing  Salad=20
>
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>



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