A great ingredient, used from the cob or transformed into wonderful breads, the meal used as a crust and a sprinkled layer under the best pizza!

I found this poem recently, enjoy. pgg

Corn Cake

A poem written in 1904 by Ada f. Freeman, Lake Bomoseen: : “ Out of Vermont Kitchens”

“Two cups Indian meal, one cup wheat,

One cup sour milk, one cup sweet,

One good egg that you will beat,

Half a cup of molasses too,

Half a cup of sugar and thereto,

With one spoon of butter new.

Salt and soda each a spoon,

Then you’ll have corn bread complete,

Best of all corn bread you meet

It will make your boy’s eyes shine

If he’s like that boy of mine,

If you have a dozen boys

To increase your household joys,

Double then this rule I would

And you’ll have two corncakes good.

And when you’ve nothing nice for tea

This the very thing will be All the men that I have seen Say it is of all cakes queen

Only Tyndall can explain

The links between cornbread and brain.

Get a husband what he likes

And save a hundred household strikes

First the traditional, always good, by itself, or with additions. I bake it in a greased iron skillet, but any pan will do.

Corn Bread (traditional) 1 cup corn Meal 1 Cup sifted flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 cup Sugar 1 egg 1 cup Milk

1/4 cup soft shortening

Pour batter into the prepared pan, and Bake at 425degrees 20-25 min

Crackling Cornbread Silver Palette Cookbook:

1 cup stone-ground cornmeal

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 cup diced, crisp-cooked bacon

6 tablespoons sweet butter, melted

1 egg, slightly beaten

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9 inch-square baking pan.

Stir dry ingredients together in a bowl. Then stir in buttermilk, bacon, butter and egg and mix gently.

Pour batter into the prepared pan, set on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes. cornbread is done when edges are lightly browned and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cut into 3- inch squares to serve.

Variation: soon batter into 10 greased muffin cups and bake for about 20 minutes.

Note the different procedure of boiling water added to the cornmeal in each one of the following.

Hot Water Cornbread

From the classic Tex-Mex and Texas Cooking

1 1/4 cups boiling water 1 1/2 cups cornmeal 1 teaspoon salt 1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup butter, melted

Pour water over cornmeal and salt, sit very well and cool, stir in egg and butter

Drop by tablespoon into skillet with a little oil and form into small patty shapes with spoon

Brown on both sides and drain on paper towels.

Serve hot with butter

Corn Wafers

from Jo Harrison

A friend served these delicate and delicious years ago

3/4 cup white cornmeal 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup boiling water

2 tablespoons margarine or unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 425. Coat 2 cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray. In a medium bowl, mix the cornmeal and slat. Stir in the boiling water. Add the margarine or butter and mix thoroughly-until smooth. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Restir the batter to blend well and then spoon 1 tablespoon onto the prepared cookie sheet. It should spread into a 3-inch circle. If it’s to watery and thin to hold its shape-stir in 1 more tablespoon of cornmeal. If it’s too thick-add more water by the teaspoons. Using a tablespoon, spoon the remaining batter for each wafer onto the cookie sheet

Bake the wafers for 20 minutes or until they are crisp and golden brown around the edges. Serve with a crock of butter.

Hush Puppies Stage Coach

Inn Salado Texas

The most delicious Hush Puppies I have ever tasted. The inn was adjacent to a pond that was filled with watercress. It is near Austi, and, I hope, is still in business.

2 cups watergound white corn meal

1 teaspoon baking powder 3 Tablespoon sugar 1 Tablespoon(yes) salt Water (see below)3 1/2 cups

1/4 cup butter

Combine corn meal, powder, sugar and salt add slowly to 3 ? cups boiling water, stirring briskly, as soon as mixture is smooth, remove from heat, stir in butter, cool. Form into finger shaped rolls and fry in 2 inches hot fat (375degrees ) until golden. Makes about 3 dozen

These were fantastic. (Finger shaped, means small fingers pgg)

And for something sweet:

Blueberry Corn Muffins

From the Silver Palette Good Times Cook Book

1 cup Cornmeal

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar 2 ? teaspoons baking powder ? teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

6 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

1 egg slightly beaten

1 2/3 cup blueberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees . line 12 muffin cups with paper liners

Sift cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and pour the buttermilk, butter, and egg into the well. Stir just until combined.

Fold in the blueberries just until combined.

Fill each lined cup two-thirds full with batter, bake until firm and golden, 20-25 minutes

Note: let the butter cool a bit prior to mixing with other wet ingredients.