Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-23
VARIETY IN CORN BREADS.

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VARIETY IN CORN BREADS.
Maize, the Indians Staff Of Life, GiM
Of the Great Spirit.
There is no more popular article of
food on hotel Or restaurant bill of fare
than hot corn bread, and 1t is strange
that it is not found more generally on
the home tables in all parts of the
country. 1t is cheap, easily made ana
very satisfying and it's rich coloring in
brown and gold is most effective from
decorative standpoint.
The people of the south appreciate
this useful product, and their pone and
hoe cake are as dear to them as any
other of their most cherished lnstltu-
tons and customs. However, they
repudiate the rich yellow corn meal OF
the north, although its praises have
been sung by the poets, and saSes
have left eloquent testimony of it's
homely value. The meal made from
the corn grown in the north has a
pronounced flavor that is not agree
able to those not accustomed to it from
childhood. 1t is, as a rule, very much
coarser in texture, harder, and richer
in fat, and consequently less digestible
used in Dixie land. Chemical analysis
shows that corn is inferior from nu-
tritive standpoint to hard wheat, but
contains nearly or quite as much nj
trogenous matter as the soft varieties
of wheat, while it is richer in fat than
any other cereal except oats. In it's
digestible carbohydrates it is equal to
wheat, though somewhat inferior to
BARLEY and rye.
Corn meal deteriorates and it's
sweetness is soon lost if it is not well
cured and freshly ground. This is u
point for the housewife - remember
in buying meal. 1t is best to pur
chase such quantities as will soon be
used, and only the freshest and new
est in quality.
The American Indians, who held the
well established belief that maize was
an especial gift from the Great Spirit
TO the red man and designed for the
nourishment of himself and children
unto the last generation, had very
simple process of preserving this food
and at the same time keeping the fla
vor unchanged. First they carefully
dried the ears, then the corn was
.shelled and the grain dried. After this
it was carefully stored in the ground
and cffcctually protected by Indian
mats and coverings of various kinds.
In this way the corn was kept sweet
and was easily ground, as needed, into
u soft meal Owing to the absence OF
gluten corn meal cannot be used for
making ordinary bread. but this does
not lessen its value and greatly i'll
creases its chances of WholcSOmcncss,
rs most raised or yeast breads are
badly made on account of the process
of fermentation being so little under
stood that it becomes a menace to
health and renders the wheat flour
valueless for the purpose designed.
Delicate Cornbread.
Use the fine white meal for this
bread Take Il pint of sour milk and
q heaping teaspoonful of soda, a table
spoonful of shortening and Il pinch of
salt. Stir in enough meal to make q
batter the consistency of sponge cake.
Turn into Il buttered pan and bake in
Il quick oven.
Maryland Spoon Bread.
Put a quart of milk in a double boil
er and when scalded add four large
kitchen spoonfuls of white corn meal
and stir and cook five minutes. Re
move from the fire and let it cool, stir
ring it once or twice as it coos Then
add three eggs beaten with two table
spoonfuls of flour, one Ia tablespoonful
of butter and a scant tcaspoonful of
salt. Mix well, then pour into a
CREASED baking dish and bake thirty
five minutes. Serve Immediately in
the dish in which it is baked with a
folded napkin wrapped around the dish.
Togus Bread.
Three cups of sweet milk and one
of sour. three cups of white corn meal
and one of wheat flour, half a cup of
molasses, one teaspoonful of soda ana
one of salt. Steam three hours.
Serve hot or cold. The above quantity
makes enough for several meals.
Aunt Betsey's Cornbread.
Beat one egg light with a pinch of
salt: add two cups of sweet milk two
tablespoonfuls of molasscs, n level
tablespoonful of butter melted, suffi-
cient corn meal to make d rather stiff
batter, but one that will pour; add
two teaspoonfuls of baking powder
mixed With the corn meal.
Corn Dodgers.
Mix into two cups of white corn meal
Il tcaSpoonfui OF SAT-, tablespoonful vi
of shortening and enough water to
make Il stiff batter. Bake in little
pones until a light, even brown.
Virginia Corn Batter Cakes.
Slit teaspoonful of sugar and hall
q teaspoonful of salt with one and one
half cups of white corn meal. Add a
cup of boiled rice and level table
spoonful of butter, melted. Mix all
together and scald with a pint of boil
ing water, stirring constantly. Dis
solve a scant teaspoonful of soda in
one and one-half cups of sour milk and
stir this into the mixture. Last of all
add one egg well beaten. Bake or
hot creased griddle.
Southern Spoon Bread.
Pour two cups of fresh, boiling wa
ter over one cup of white corn mea
and boil for five minutes, stirring con-