For Your Thanksgiving Feast: Texas Caviar

This spicy dish will really rev up your Thanksgiving table! This is a bean dish and has no caviar in it to speak of, yet it is no less luxurious to a Texan. It was made popular by Helen Corbitt, a famed 1950s food consultant and cookbook author, who directed food service at Neiman Marcus in Dallas. If you ever see a Helen Corbitt Cookbook at a garage sale or thrift store, get it. It's good as gold.

Ingredients:

2 (15.8 ounce) cans black-eyed peas, drained
1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, drained
2 fresh medium jalapenos, stemmed, seeded and minced
1 small red onion, cut into small dice (I use 1/2 onion)
1/2 yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and cut into small dice
1/2 bunch chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil (not extra virgin)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning (use Tony Chachere's)

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl. Marinate, covered, in refrigerator for 24 hours. Drain excess salad dressing, and spoon salad onto a shallow bowl lined with red cabbage leaves. Garnish with green onion tops. This dish is usually served at room temperature. I put it out during the meal but lots of folks serve it as an appetizer with chips. Do whatever you want, cupcakes. Retro-luxe wants you to be happy.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.