If you are over age fifty, the name "Fergie" may initially conjure up and
image of the topless Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, having her toes sucked
by her boyfriend while her husband, Prince Andrew, was on naval duty. But if
you are younger, most likely there is only one "Fergie" worth knowing -Stacy
Ann Ferguson - the female vocalist for The Black Eyed Peas and part
owner of the Miami Dolphins.
The real Fergie started out as the front person for the girl musical group
Wild Orchid which was a good description of her life at the time of
drugs, sex, and rock and roll. According to Fergie, "I started doing
Ecstasy. Then I got addicted to crystal methamphetamine. My weight dropped
to 90 lb. I lied to my friends and said I was bulimic. Finally I started
going crazy. In that moment I talked to God and He said, "I've given you all
these gifts, so what are you doing?" I decided to get clean. I told
everybody what was wrong."
Fergie's meth addiction
resulted in her decision to leave Wild Orchid in 2001. But her
addiction continued for several more years and
in a 1996 interview with Time magazine, she admitted that "It was the
hardest boyfriend I ever had to break up with." She finally conquered her
addiction with hypnotherapy. In 2003, Fergie joined The Black Eyed
Peas after a guest stint on their Elephant album
and knocking out the other three members with her talent and charisma. Then
she was named People magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People in the World
in May 2004.
While helping propel The Black Eyed Peas to a major success, she also
released a hit-laden solo album, The Duchess in 2006 with one song
from the album "Big Girls Don't Cry" earning her a Grammy
nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance." The same year, Fergie
won the Pop or Rock "Favorite Female Artist" at the American Music Awards.
Fergie's musical success also led to several
film roles including the remake of Poseidon (2006), Quentin
Tarantino's Grindhouse (2007), and Nine (2009). She
married actor Josh Duhamel in January
2009 and apparently tickled Josh's olfactory senses so much that she
launched her debut fragrance called "Outspoken" in 2010.
There is no question on what you should serve Fergie and Josh when you
invite them over to celebrate Fergie's birthday. It the classic Hoppin'
John, a traditional African-American dish made with black-eyed peas
and often served on New Year's day in the South for good luck - which can
also symbolize all of the good luck that Fergie has brought to The Black
Eyed Peas. The source of the name for this dish is obscure. Karen Hess
in The Carolina Rice Kitchen: The African Connection, offers a
twenty-plus page discussion on Hoppin' John including the history of the
dish. The most credible claim is that Hoppin' John is based on the Creole
mispronunciation of pois pigeon (pigeon peas in French), which were
used in early recipes for this dish.
The first "good luck" traditions of eating
black-eyed peas at Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, are recorded in the
Babylonian Talmud The
black-eyed pea is thought to have originated in West Africa, but is
widely grown in many countries It was introduced into the Southern
United States as early as the 17th century in Virginia. Enjoy
Hoppin' John with
Fergie's memorable performance in Nine as the prostitute Saraghina.
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Hoppin' John
2 cups dried
black-eyed peas
Cold water
2 lbs meaty ham hocks
1 large
onion,
chopped |
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups uncooked
long-grain
white rice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste |
Instructions
- Before preparing dried black-eyed peas, sort
through them thoroughly for tiny pebbles or other debris. Soak, rinse, and
drain dried peas.
- Place black-eyed peas in a large soup pot
over medium-high heat and cover with cold water; bring to a boil. Remove
from heat; cover and let stand about 2 hours. Drain and rinse peas.
- Using the same large soup pot, over
medium-high heat, add soaked black-eyed peas, ham hocks, onion, and red
pepper. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and
cook for 1&1/2 to 2 hours or until the peas are tender (do not boil as the
beans will burst).
- Remove ham hocks and cut meat into
bite-size pieces. Return meat to pot. Stir in rice, cover, and cook 20 to 25
minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and
season to taste with salt and pepper.
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