March  27

Stacy Ann Ferguson 's Birthday
 

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.
 

Hoppin' John

1. Before preparing dried black-eyed peas, sort through them thoroughly for tiny pebbles or other debris. Soak, rinse, and drain dried peas.
2. 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.
3. 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).
4. 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.