The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1897-11-23
HOECAKE AND CORNDODGElts.
Are They to Disappear Because Of
Modern Cooks and Stoves?

, Are They to Disappear Because o
Modern Cooks and Stoves?
Richmond Dispatch:
While our government is industri
ously at work trying to introduce In
dian corn into the domestic econom,
OF European families, it seems 10 tax,
no note of the lamentable fact that il
this country corn Is less used for breaC
} than formerly.
Most middle-aged persons remembe,
we'll when corn bread was served upor
nearly all tables in the South and West
at least twice day. Sometimes it ap
peared In the form Of hoecake," or
dodgers, at other times as egg OF
=" batter bread" and again in "pones. y
1t was par excellence 1.-The" bread oil
the negro, and every man who served
in the Confederate army was also a
well graduate in the use Of it. Now the
darkies eschew it where wheat bread
Is to be obtained, and upon the tables
OF thousands OF Southern and Western
whites 1T never appears at all, while
others continue to use it only for din
ner.
Now, why is this ? Surely cornmeal
Is as good as it ever was. These who
sincerely, but probably mistakenly, be-
lieve that underground meal is
better than the product of mills iurnt d
by steam can always find supply Of
that in most cities, and it is common
enough In the country. There is n,
trouble about the meal, but we doubt
whether the art of cooking it has been
preserved. The high-toned colored
damsels who are turned out by our
public schools are not the adopts that
our old Aunt Dinahs and Aunt Peg gys
were. No self-respecting pan of dough
would be conlured into shape by such
unskilled hands. And then we NAV
doubt whether corn bread can be
cooked In q stove as well as an open
| fireplace.
The Indians laid their dough cakes
between layers of forest leaves, or
upon the hard ground, and cooked
them in the hot ashes. Hence lash.
cake" very luscious product, indeed,
when one has whetted his appetite for
it by long days hunting.
The hoocake is so called because it
was originally baked upon a hoe-that
ever ready and useful instrument of
agriculture, which Is to be found upon
every plantation. But later on cooking
| utensils were manufactured, which
took the place of the humble hoe. So,
| too, shingles were used whereon to
| place the dough while it went through
the process of becoming well-done
ashcake. In Mr.. Lanes "Choir In
visible" which contains many interest
ing incidents OF border life in Kentucky,
we observe that there the favor
ite shingle for this purpose was
cut from the ash tree. In eastern
Virginia and North Carolina cypress
shingle was generally used, but any
sort would do where the best was not
to be had.
Cracking bread" too, was much
in vogue in the olden days, especially
shOr .ly after hog-killing time. For the
composition OF this bread it was neces-
sary not only to have corameal, but
also choice bits of crispy, fried hog
meat. 1t could be baked either as an
ashcake in the ashes Or as pone in an
Ioven.
In Europe, the insuperable objection
to the use Of cornmeal for human food
is that in most countries the family
baking Is done only once week. Now,
it is we'll known that corn bread is not
q, palataSle whom cold as when hot.
Hence our transatlantic friends and
kinsmen have never esteemed corn
meal highly for family food. They
buy 1t nowadays In great quantities,
but use 1t for the most part as cattle
feed.
The Confederate soldier was some.
times served with rations OF flour, but
oftener with rations OF cornmeal. And
he usually had an appetite which made
; him relish corn bread, hot or cold. In
his marches-advances or retreats
he was often without cooking utensils
and found 1t advantageous to cook ash
cakes. The average Johnny Reb asked
no greater luxuries than good, big
ashcake and a canteen of buttermilk
The ashcake he could generally get
but buttermilk was rarity. For 4
the country was secured by soldiers
afoot or mounted, and these fellow
came to be known II not honored, a
buttermilk rangers"
Cornmeal was cooked in all possibl,
L. ways by our soldiers; and there wer
who considered themselves grea
Chefs" but they had always the ad
vantage of feeding half-f ,mished mel
! young men too. Under such circum
i stances 1T is the quantity rather tina
the quality of the food that is mos
: looked after. However,, our army cook
n won great praise In their day and ger
y Grafton, and all of them knew how
" make good corn bread also tla[
l. jacks" which were often compounde
of meal and -four and were baked In
, greasy frying pan, and had to be frt
= quently turned" which skilled Cor
u federates were wont to do by bouncin
% them high into the air and catchin
:, them In the pan as they can down upC
. the other" side.
a But all Of this 10 aside from the mai
n question, which is: Why is 1t thi
N corn bread Is not as much In vogue {
u formerly In the South and Southwest
10 Doubtless the modern cook and I'll
ia cooking stove have much to do With
y enforced absence from our boards, b.
there must be other reasons. II 8
D, what are they? Have our appetit
Ill failed US, or ls cornmeal not so good 9
and flour better ,han, formerly, or is
ln that We have been Y8lScolzed In th
ni respect as In some others
ne We ask the attention OF the Was
rs ington adminlst, asion to these que
a, tions, hoping that 1t will not on
NO be able to secure the general u
nd OF our cornmeal abroad, but that
or will be able to revive the use Of
upon @ more extensive scale by our q,
IN, ,non,,la