·   While the asparagus is cooking, prepare a large bowl of ice water.

·   Remove the asparagus from the heat, drain, and plunge them into the ice water to stop the cooking.  Drain and set aside.

·   In a 10-inch, ovenproof nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the diced onion, crushed red pepper, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder and a large pinch of salt and cook over moderately low heat, stirring a few times, until the onion is browned, about 10 minutes.  Remove the skillet from the heat and stir the chopped thyme, oregano and lemon zest into the onion mixture.   

·   Preheat the broiler. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs well. Whisk in the whole milk and 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Stir in the blanched asparagus. Return the skillet to moderately low heat and stir in the shredded Manchego cheese. Pour in the beaten eggs and asparagus and stir lightly to mix the vegetables and eggs. Season with black pepper, cover the skillet and cook until the eggs pull away from the side of the skillet, about 8 minutes.

Uncover the frittata and place under the broiler until just set and lightly browned, about 2 minutes.

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Hoppin' Jean (zhahn)    Yield: 4-6 servings

Although Hoppin' John is associated with the Carolinas, this dish is eaten throughout the South.  It is one of the New Year's Day staples for many a Southerner, as it is believed that eating lots of black-eyed peas will bring good luck in the coming year.

After returning to New Orleans from a semester abroad in France, Hoppin' John was the first meal I ate.  It was the perfect dish to ground me back in "The Big Easy."  Here, I reinterpret this dish giving a nod to the "Afro-Euro-Creole flavors that curry favor" in Louisiana Creole cuisine.*  With all the post-Katrina politricks taking place in New Orleans, the city needs all the good luck it can get.

3/4 cup black-eyed peas, sorted, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed

½  cup long-grain brown rice, rinsed, and soaked overnight

Olive Oil

Coarse sea salt

½  cup finely diced Spanish onion

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

¼  teaspoon garlic powder

¼  teaspoon paprika

¼  teaspoon chili powder

¼  teaspoon red chile flakes

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon dried oregano

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 cups vegetable stock

One 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

·   Combine the black-eyed peas with 4 cups water and ½ teaspoon of the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil.  Skim off any foam, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, partially covered, for 20 minutes.  Remove from heat and drain.

·   Drain the rice.  Warm a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the rice and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the water has evaporated and the rice starts smelling nutty.  Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and continue cooking until the rice starts browning, about 2 minutes.

·   Add the onion, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, chili powder, red chile flakes, cayenne pepper, thyme, oregano, and 1 teaspoon of olive oil.  Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft, about 3 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes.  Transfer this mixture to a bowl and set aside.

·  Over medium heat in the saucepan used to cook the rice, combine the vegetable stock, the tomatoes, and 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil.  Add the rice mixture and the black-eyed peas to the broth, and stir well.

.  Bring back to a boil, then cover, reduce heat to low, and cook for 50 minutes, until most of the water has evaporated.

·  Remove from heat and steam with cover on for at least 10 minutes.

·  Serve hot.

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Potato and Sweet Potato Pancakes

Yield:  about 8 to 12 pancakes

3 tablespoons rice milk (or whole milk)

¼  banana, chopped