And if you were at a favorite restaurant in my area, biscuits and sorghum syrup. (Can you tell I’m trying to cut back?)
DO NOT shred your collard greens like cole slaw! I have never ever seen that. When you prepare collards or other kinds of kale you should cut or tear your pieces no smaller than “bite size.” As all southerners know, Collards shrink tremendously when simmered. A pot full of Collards, even with the leaves bursting out from under the lid, will reduce quite a bit (to about 1/2 to 1/3) after slow simmering for about 60 minutes.
And no, Collards are not stringy if you remove the wide part of the stems. Personally, I leave the stems in because the stems are the source of great flavor and leave a bit of a “bite” in the dish. One more thing; do not over cook your greens. No more than 90 minutes or less is fine.
I remove the stems and cook collards with ham hock, or leftover ham bone. I add pepper sauce (the vinegar-pepper kind) and sometimes a pinch of sugar. Make sure you clean the leaves well, sometimes they can be gritty. I also agree that you shouldn’t overcook them.
Well, smoked turkey is the nouveau flavor agent for simmered Collards and Kale these days. The Essence Cookbook doesn’t even have one recipe that includes pork. That’s a bit imperious to me, but to each his own.
I’m guessing that in 99% of these cases, it’s some white person who is offended on behalf of some group they think should be offended. And yes, the way to avoid any of this is to simply ask the group or organization being celebrated and ask what the h@ll they want to eat!
I am a vegetarian. How would one prepare collards without pork/turkey/meat fats?
I am eating a lot more veggies and am looking to try new greens and veggies, and collards sound great!
The collards were done almost coleslaw (large shreds not teeny ones) size and simply delicious.
@acollegestudent, use whatever vegetable broth you like in place of the meat, and scale up the onions and hot peppers in the recipe.
I’d add a little worcestershire sauce if you’re ok with eating a tiny amount of fish. Soy sauce if you aren’t.
And as far as I’m concerned green beer is a definitely ethnic slur. 
College student, with any greens, I saute onions, garlic, add cut up greens, whether kale, collards or chard, and saute or simmer with a little broth and salt and pepper, gently till done. Chilis and mushrooms are optional.
Different greens take different amount of time. I then use this base of greens and onions with scrambled eggs and a little cheese in the morning, with pasta, as a bed for fish, or with firm sauted tofu, as main dish. Greens are a staff of life in many cultures.
While the idea is not bad, there would be a logistical (or nature) problem to adopt Chiles en Nogada in May. The problem would be the seasonal availability of the granadas (pomegranate) in Mexico. Contrary to the Southern Hemisphere, the fruit is not in season in Mexico until the summer, and start mainly after August.
The dish can be connected to Mexico’s Independence day, but that is on September 6th. I guess that for Cinco de Mayo, most would have to settle for the Mole Poblano, which shares similar mythical origins.
Or as many do, equate Cinco de Mayo with the US inventions of purported Mexican food, namely fajitas or nachos
Chiles en Nogada was definitely not invented for Cinco de Mayo. It is just a festive, delicious dish with patriotic overtones. And a lot better than tacos!
Besides the corned beef and cabbage tradition on 3/17 , I have found a bizarre regional food that people make for St Patrick’s day…Irish Potatoes ( yuck )
I am not a fan of bland/ boiled dinners. I am Irish and Scottish heritage but seriously, is there any worse food than the foods from GB ?
In New Orleans, there’s an annual St. Patrick’s Day parade, where cabbages are thrown to the crowds. It’s the craziest thing!
@lje62, what kind of a potato dish is that? Never heard of it.
“I am a vegetarian. How would one prepare collards without pork/turkey/meat fats?”
There is a flavoring in the spice section called Liquid Smoke. It’s like distilled wood smoke. Use just a couple of drops per pot of food. I use it and olive oil and salt and pepper. A little Worcestershire sauce if you are ok with a bit of anchovy…or perhaps there’s a vegan seasoning like WS ?
Irish potatoes is not actually potatoes at all…it’s a sicky sweet mess with confectioner’s sugar , sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon …maybe coconut …it’s a south Jersey thing and what on earth has to do with Ireland or St P 's day is beyond me
Should read September 16th – not the sixth! 
Going back to the original topic, it’s difficult when a genuine cultural feature is weaponized by the majority. That’s what’s happened with fried chicken and watermelon, and arguably chitlins, but for whatever reason, less so other soul food classics like fried catfish and sweet potatoes. Once the weapon has been wielded long enough, you inevitably invoke the weapon when you invoke the cultural feature.
I’m trying to figure out whether this weaponizing of real food practices is unique to anti-black stereotypes. Most of the negative stereotypes about food are myths (like Chinese people putting cats and dogs in their food, or Jews using blood to make matzo). There aren’t any historical equivalents to “Sambo-eating-watermelon” imagery using Mexicans and tacos or Italians and spaghetti. You can’t dehumanize Pakistanis with naan.
I honestly don’t understand the taco dissing on this thread! Consolation, you should come to LA and take a tour of some of our best taco stands, trucks and other casual eateries before you write them off as unworthy of serious culinary consideration. Here are a couple of lists to get you started:
http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydish/la-dd-jonathan-gold-great-tacos-story.html#page=1
http://la.eater.com/maps/20-tacos-to-try-before-you-die-in-los-angeles