TN: New Year Day party (Rueda, GV, Nebbiolo, Rieslng)

Originally I had planned to go to a early afternoon open house, go to airport to pick up Davis and his girlfriend, then go to the evening open house. But day before hostess of open house #1 canceled due to husband's illness. This was the party where I counted on someone bringing hopping john or just blackeyed peas- several Southerners. Faced with the prospect of a New Year's without peas (second party was a buncha Yankees and Europeans), I decided I'd make some for my lunch, and ran to supermarket. I just picked up some frozen BEPeas and cooked with doublesmoked bacon. All fine and good. But the southern New Year's meal also traditionally includes greens. Not my cooking speciality (and take a while), I resorted to a can (gasp!) of Sylvia's Seasoned Mustard Greens (Sylvia's is a famous, and imo overrated, Harlem soul food restaurant).

The peas were actually quite pleasing, but the greens were odd and sweet. First bite I wasn't sure I wanted to eat, but found them ok if sweet on further experimentation. But a bit odd. So I fished out the can to check ingredient list. Mustard greens, water, sugar, brown sugar (ok now I understand the sweet), and .......imitation smoked turkey flavor (which itself is apparently corn & wheat gluten, soy protein, and smoke flavor). The side of the can talks of how at the restaurant they switched from ham hocks to smoked turkey, but didn't mention imitating the turkey.

While I should never be surprised at what goes into processed foods, I'm curious as to why. These are premium-priced canned goods. I can't imagine that using real turkey (you'd use dark meat, which is dirt cheap) would be expensive- a little would go a looooong way. It occurred to me they maybe did it to make the greens vegetarian, but then why discuss using turkey instead of ham hocks in bigger print?

That's one of the few good reasons to suspend conversations ;)