The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-29
MAKINo THE AMFNDE.

The Richmond Dispatch denies that it intentionally ignored the Johnny cake, and thus refers to that excellent food:
 We plead not guilty to any malicious purpose to ignore the esteemed Johnny cake. but, really. we did not know an open fire wes necessary to cook it~prop- erly. Our recollections of the old Aunt Dinah ''chefs of the country, and of the accomplished soldier cooks whom we Knew in the Confederate Army, was that they cooked the Johnny cake either in Try. ing pan or a skillet. But we are advised by high authority that though some spu- rlous Johnny cakes. so baked, may nave fo .nd acceptance with the voracious put unoiscriminating youth of the period men tioned. the real Johnny cake must pc baked or toasted on board set on its edge before an open fire A quantity or corn meal should be mixed with water or milk seasoned with salt. well stirred and then the dough should be spread thin Iy over the board aforesaid. In some cases a small piece of butter Is used m the seasoning: but we doubt if it was 50 in the original'' The Johnny cake has its origin in the negro cabin. where bacon grease was much more likely 10 De Ioun9 than butter. And it has been asserted make a faultiess Johnny cake. Yet, up in New England white folks are not only undert king to mix and bake Johnny cake, but actually they have added as new ingredient mashed pumpkin.
 We dismiss that last sentence with the brief comment that any one who woul! put pumpkin In Johnny-cake would put buttern,ilk in Il mint jilep. There are one or two other points, however, In The Dispatch article that are worthy of note.
 While we admit that the old-time negro cooks were experts in the prepa- | ration of this food it is not fact that only they could bake 1t. We xnow that there were white cooks of hfty | or more years ago who were quite as expert in this line as any colored eres were.
 4 cake baked in n frying pan Or a skillet might be bread but 1t was cni : tainly not Johnny cake. That mist be baked on a board before an orer hardwood fire. A smooth board or plank of seasoned oak or hickory was preferred and a bright and clean ire of hardwood. We doubt if anyb13y could succeed in baking this bread nc- | fore a coal fire. though it might 1e done.
 | A word as to ingredients. Corn meal | water and salt were she predominant ones, though milk made 1t better. anu If it was desired to make the very ees that could be made a :uttab.e quantity of clean and fresh pork "crackli:.s was invariably added when they were to be had. If they were not p'ocuI' able a little lard was always used. Ant the meal, 1t must be always keLt 1T
 mind, was of the water ground kind which was as much superior for tha | purpose to the bolted meal that we ge in the cities as the JonnTy .cako itst.
 was superior to the ordinary pone
 With such ingredients. am under suci conditions. and with a cook who unaeri stood her business. the resdl: was {
 bread which was unapp,cachable.
 As for the original of the nare, VI
 have always understood that t Is
 corruption of "journey-cakn," so caliet
 by the pioneers because it could b
 baked without any of t!'e appliance
 of civilized kitchens. We have seel
 the bread cooked on a piece Nof cleau
 smooth bark. and the result was no
 bad. But however cooked. it has ,. d.
 tically or wholly gone out oe use' an
 few know anything of it's excellenc'es
 more's the pity.