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Corn Bread, food or philosophy ?
Once upon a time in hillbilly land, times were tough. Food had to be packed with nourishment as well as good taste. The people needed simple, inexpensive entrees.
Most importantly the food had to have one main characteristic. It is what my father called food that will "stick to your ribs". He meant the food you ate at breakfast had better hold you until supper.
What they needed was a dish made from mostly home grown, inexpensive ingredients. Anything that couldn't be grown at home had to be readily available and cheap.
The answer to this need was cornbread. There are infinite number of ways to make and to eat this southern staple. It can be breakfast, a side dish for "dinner" or bread with supper. It could and often was treated as desert. Cornbread packed in a pocket became a working man's lunch. Left over crumbs and crumbles was some of the finest dog food ever.
The next time you sit down to a your morning bowl of cereal, realize cornbread was there first. Many, many people took a wedge of cornbread and dropped into a large glass of milk or buttermilk. This dish could be either breakfast or desert.
Cornbread was an inexpensive substitute for bacon and eggs. In tough times, when people had little or nothing to eat, they were happy to see a plate of cornbread on the table. They knew it would "stick to their ribs" and taste good as well.
Cornbread !
It's what ought to be for dinner !
Here's the recipe I use to feed two people and a dog or three.
Pre heat the oven at 450.
Grab a small, cast iron egg skillet and put a tablespoon of vegetable oil or lard in it.
Place it into the oven while it preheats. You should be done mixing the ingredients by the time the preheat alarm goes off.
Into the mixing bowl goes:
3/4 cup Yellow Corn Meal
1/2 cup flour
2 tablespoons Beignet Mix
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder ( it's gonna get a little puffy)
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon Cayenne
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon or Ginger (your preference)
Mix thoroughly
Second bowl
One large egg beat well
1/2 cup of Milk
Mix the two
Now pour the eggy milk into the dry ingredients and stir well until it becomes a smooth mixture. No lumps allowed.
About this time the pre-heat oven alarm should be sounding.
Pull the hot skillet out, notice the oil has expanded and now covers the bottom.
Spoon your magic mixture into the center of the skillet. Don't let mix hit the sides of the hot skillet. The heat will turn it to concrete and it's hell to wash off.
Place in the 450 degree over from 17 to 20 minutes depending on how brown you want the top of the cornbread.
20 minutes later I pull it out and sprinkle just a tad of salt across the top of the bread. Let it sit a few minutes before cutting and serving.
While it's settling melt some real butter. Get out the molasses and honey. Lay a wedge on a bread plate (or larger). Pour melted butter over it. Break it up. Add honey or a little black strap molasses across the broken bread. I admit, I have to use a fork at this point.
Hillbilly etiquette says you can eat cornbread with your fingers. When the delicacy toppings are applied you might want to use silverware. However, with enough practice you too can learn proper "sopping" methods. This is where the term "clean your plate" comes from.
For the times you drop the cornbread into sweet or butter milk, a large table spoon is advised for fishing the soaked crumbles from the glass.
Now go make yourself a skillet full of the perfect food, good old hillbilly country cornbread.
Note: My Alabama cousin calls this version Fru Fru Cornbread due to the use of Beignet Mix. I don't care ! It tastes great.
This article brought to you by the usual suspect @:
John B. Boykin
"The Hard Hat Photographer"
Photography and Media Relations
San Antonio Midland Williston The World
Life's purpose is not to arrive at the grave with the body in good shape. Hell no, you want your body worn slap out, skidding in sideways, eyes bloodshot, hair smoking and all the while hollering "Yee Haw !! ... What a ride !!"
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