The Durham recorder. [volume] (Durham, N.C.) 1879-19??, 1883-05-30
A VIRGINIA COOK.

, Special Correspondence of The TIMES.
Old Mimy has never left those who
once were her owners. When the
exodus took place she declined to Join
the sable ranks for many reasons.
First, she was ''rheumaty;" secondly,
old Hard Times, her husband, lay i'll
of fever, and, lastly though not
leastly, "Dem what stayed behind gifts
the moss"
4 So Mimy still remains, has the best
= : cabin on the plantation, has her pigs,
!, her fowls, her garden and her wages,
/ and for these small privileges consents
i to do the cooking, if allowed to do it
in her own way. Her bread is white,
light and crisp-rolls one morning..
biscuits the next, and no ea.thly per.
suasion has ever caused her to deviate
from this fixed, unalterable habit.
"Mimy," said /, "you know how to
make those nice corn-meal batter
cakes We once had. Can't you make
us some?"
Law, chile, dat was fo' de war.
lujun meal was meal in dem days, |
shore nufi. An'eg was eggs. Dem
batty cakes 'quires de mos 'sideration.
Tings amt flung up in hurry widout
'sideration desc days; dey amt as
dicular no how as dey was 70 de war;"
"But Mimy," said I. "there are eggs
and milk; there is everything you
require to make cakes now-why
can't we have them sometimes ~
ro' DE WAR cAkE-. /,
"Dey is dere, chile sich as dey is
but deres Nancy and libby and Phil
lis, sides little Pete, wanting to dem
batty cakes. Fo' de war, when sif'
de meal Tibby flew to de griddle and
stuck dere, too ; you min EFF she didn't,
now. Den / crack de eggs, and Phil.
lis come up square wild de bacon fat ,
she know'd better'n not to come up
in de berry nick oh dat time, and stand
dere, too. Den / tilts dc pan OBJ milk,
and little Nancy she flew and smoov.
ed off dat griddle; / glanshs at Pete,
and he pack in de chips. Law, / tell
you chile, dem chillun know'd all dc
ins and de outs OBJ dem batty cakes. /
And now dem gals, big strapping |
creeturs, is u sailing round in dey
silks, and nary one all togedder can't 9
turn de fIst batty cake"
Il dare say not, Mimy. But YOU {
know it does not require half dozen
people to make batter-cakes. can
beat the eggs and help you, too, q
though could do it all myself easily"
"An' who on airth would eat 'em,
chile, after yer'd done wild en-? Sling. ,
ing 'em round BACKYARD, filst here Y
and then there. Him aboye knows I
il can't be done desc days, chile. '
Fust it 'quires meal as is meal, not dat g
measly meal dat sif 'froo too fas.' II
'quires dat meal dat has to be shuck n
and shuck, and leave ebery hus' be.
hind. Den dem eggs! Eggs ain't I,
like dey was TO de war den eggs was G
big and yaller now dey, is lettle bit a
oh small shell and a mos white 10 'em. n
Dey amt fit for no batty cakes, honey. O
An dat milk! Dere amt no COW I
about here, chile, dat gibs milk down 0
like dey did 70 de war. Dey keeps i
back de best for deyselves. You
knows dat yerself. done hear you
say: Mimy. dis milk mighty pore
and gifts sour jes as soon! Dem batty
cakes 'quires de best Of cherry ting. O.
No yaller corn no pore white egg, no
skinny milk, and the bacon skin don't d
grease de griddle like il did n de b
war. Pears like dem hogs is all 81
wrong somehow" "
OLD MfMY's RECIPE. 4
well, Mimy, give Us the recipe, + +
anyhow you always made them 30 :" =,
nice, and we want It for friend" = =
Law, chile, don't tell dat TO no I"
fren.' hear my ole mistiss, what's
dead and gone, read dat out oh her -.
biggest Bible TO de war" :"
"Oh, Mimy, you make such a nys. = =
terry Of the thing" y
"Dat's jest It, chile; it's all misty. ':
My ole mistiss what's dead an gone, n y
says she, Mimy, eberyting is a misty. =
How yer soul an body gree to lib
togedder Is q misty, an she know'tl q
heap, my old mistiss did"
"l.ut, Mimy, the batter.cakes. You -.
say first get good white meal and sift :, :,
Il very slowly" =
Him, hm, hm, answers Mimy. ol
Then you break two eggs-think =,
you said two2,'
"Jeshear dat chile nov. Two pore,
white, miserableeggs. Hin, hm, hmr ,
Must you beat the eggs separately, n q
Mimy" !"
Law, chile, dsre amt no getting =.
roun' you; set down. set down, an u u
get the 'ceipt, but don't tell no fren', y
honey. OATS bad luck. Fust git de l"
white corn, and git it ground ober 10
'Striders' mill /; dat's dc ftist, ting, q,
chile" T
'"But strider's mill was burned dur. q,
ing the war;, Mimy." a,
"Dat's de Dressed Marstefs troof Il
chile dat aiH't meal what's gyind 10 !,
- o. go