"Ham" news and stories

As we glide toward New Year's Day, it's time to think about traditional foods to ring in 2011. In the South, that means inviting some black-eyed peas (no, not Fergie's band) to the dinner table. A symbol of good luck, the black-eyed pea also pairs perfectly with smoked ham, as in this recipe from KitchenDaily contributor Ruth Cousineau, who suggests you serve it with cornbread and some rich stir-fried greens, such as collards. Hoppin' John is the quintessential New Year's dish, and uses salt pork instead of ham.

Recipe: Black-eyed Peas and Ham

Hoppin' John and More Black-eyed Peas recipes

If turkey seems more Thanksgiving to you, and a beef tenderloin is just not your thing, a baked ham may be just what the holiday ordered. Ham sounds simple to prepare, but a few tips can make the difference between a tender juicy meat and a dry-as-dust one. Plus, there are plenty of glazes that can take your ham from plain to outrageously delicious.

Step One: Want to know your Boston butt from your picnic ham? Your country ham from your city ham? Read "How to Buy a Ham" by KitchenDaily contributor Kemp Minifie, to make sure you're getting the right meat for you. (She also supplies mail-order sources for traditional smoked hams.)

Step Two: Have a look at editor Sarah De Heer's "How to Cook a Ham," which tells you how to buy, store, and prepare the meat, as well as offering you delicious recipes for glazes.

One of our favorites is Curtis Stone's recipe for honey-glazed ham, which he demonstrates in this video.

Recipe: Baked Country Ham

Got leftover rice? Here's an inventive way to use it.

Happy National Glazed Spiral Ham Day!

To quote poet Ogden Nash, "The pig, if I am not mistaken, gives us ham and pork and bacon. Let others think his heart is big, I think it stupid of the pig." As yet another porcine boon, spiral ham is one of the most tender, moist preparations for the hog's hind leg, whether served at formal holiday dinners or simply sliced for sandwiches. The spiral-slicing process, popular for boneless or bone-in hams served in U.S. delicatessens, allows for easy servings while keeping the ham in one piece, while a variety of sweet glazes permeate the meat for pleasant saccharine nuances.

For those of you that haven't been raised with spiral ham as a regular holiday centerpiece, find recipes and tips on how to bake, score and carve the holiday ham yourself, or simply check out our list of recommended online ham vendors.

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• Obsessed with a certain tasty hindquarter? Here's a book that knows how to ham it up.
• Miami may make you think Cuban, but Kussifay Restaurant is all about Argentina -- with a little hint of Italy.
• It's fancy, and it's cake: the classic Four Seasons recipe for Fancy Cake.
• The Miami Herald calls it like it is: Desperation Dinners.
• Maybe it's too early up north for zucchini soup, but not in Florida.