Happy New Year! Did you know that in the south the traditional New Years meal consists of Black-Eyed Peas (for luck) Collard Greens (for Money Money) Pork and cornbread for something I can’t remember.

Many years ago, when my mom made the great Re-Migration to her childhood home in Georgia, I was a vegan, so I hosted New Years at my San Fran Chestnut apartment. I made black-eyed peas collards and cornbread all without any animal products or even pots or pans touched by animal flesh. Back then I thought being a vegan was the same as keeping kosher so even hand scrubbed pots and utensils needed to have NEVER touched the hindquarters, wings, hoof or beak of anything that once had a face. (Fun fact: I ultimately turned to raw foods but that ended after I destroyed my friend’s bathroom in Van Nuys. )

This year as an omnivore (everything is on the menu) married to a vegetarian (who eats chicken sometimes) I decided to be open-minded and make the spiciest collards using my meat-curious pots and pans and left-over braised tofu. So very hot! Paired with black eyed peas simmered in ox-tail stock and a smoked neckbone thrown in for flavor? What is a neck bone? I mean what animal does it come from? Pork?

I like to think this meal exemplifies how I plan to spend this year, combining who I was with who I am now.