OT question: avoiding shortening for cornbread?

wrote in message
oups.com...
No egg or baking powder, or flour?
I remember now my mom putting bacon grease in the batter. I'd
completely forgotten about that. Never sugar, either.

Exactly. My mother always had a can of bacon drippings in the refrigerator.
I have to cook bacon when I make cornbread. About 2 heaping tablespoons of
bacon drippings melted in a cast iron skillet. Mix equal parts of
self-rising cornmeal and buttermilk then carefully pour the bacon drippings
into the batter and mix. Pour the batter back into the skillet and put it
into the oven to bake.

I'd love to have some of that right now. It was wonderful with stew, or
pinto beans 'n
ham (with chow chow), or just about anything else. My grandfather used
to crumble cornbread in a glass with whole, raw milk.

Whole,sweet milk (since I don't have cow I don't drink raw) works as well as
buttermilk - either way it is delicious.

Julie

"Julie Cook" wrote in message
...

wrote in message
oups.com...
No egg or baking powder, or flour?
I remember now my mom putting bacon grease in the batter. I'd
completely forgotten about that. Never sugar, either.

Exactly. My mother always had a can of bacon drippings in the
refrigerator. I have to cook bacon when I make cornbread. About 2 heaping
tablespoons of bacon drippings melted in a cast iron skillet. Mix equal
parts of self-rising cornmeal and buttermilk then carefully pour the bacon
drippings into the batter and mix. Pour the batter back into the skillet
and put it into the oven to bake.

I'd love to have some of that right now. It was wonderful with stew, or
pinto beans 'n
ham (with chow chow), or just about anything else. My grandfather used
to crumble cornbread in a glass with whole, raw milk.

Whole,sweet milk (since I don't have cow I don't drink raw) works as well
as buttermilk - either way it is delicious.

I'd have to pass on the buttermilk too. And I like buttermilk.

Part of the reason I make cornbread is so I can have the left over in a bowl
with regular milk the next morning.

Jo

A question from an ignorant Australian: is cornbread the same as
cornpone? If not, what is the difference? I read "The Yearling" when
I was a kid and the word "cornpone" stuck in my mind because it is so
euphonic, but I've never found out what it is!

tish

Monique Y. Mudama wrote:
I've noticed the more authentic (ie, not in a "cooking healthy/ light/
lowfat/ etc" book) cornbread recipes always call for shortening to
coat the pan.

snipped.
--
monique, who spoils Oscar unmercifully

pictures: http://www.bounceswoosh.org/rpca

Tish wrote:
A question from an ignorant Australian: is cornbread the same as
cornpone? If not, what is the difference? I read "The Yearling" when
I was a kid and the word "cornpone" stuck in my mind because it is so
euphonic, but I've never found out what it is!

tish

I think corn pone is like an unleavened cornbread, no eggs or baking
powder or anything, just cornmeal & milk, and it's fried. I'm not quite
sure, but that's the idea I always had about it.
I love the Yearling. Flag! Flag!! sniff

Sherry

Many thanks Sherry!
One day, hopefully before I'm ancient, I'd really like to visit the
southern USA and experience both Cajun cooking and classic Southern
Cooking.

Tish

On 22 Aug 2006 20:49:32 -0700, wrote:


Tish wrote:
A question from an ignorant Australian: is cornbread the same as
cornpone? If not, what is the difference? I read "The Yearling" when
I was a kid and the word "cornpone" stuck in my mind because it is so
euphonic, but I've never found out what it is!

tish

I think corn pone is like an unleavened cornbread, no eggs or baking
powder or anything, just cornmeal & milk, and it's fried. I'm not quite
sure, but that's the idea I always had about it.
I love the Yearling. Flag! Flag!! sniff

Sherry

wrote:

I think corn pone is like an unleavened cornbread, no eggs or baking
powder or anything, just cornmeal & milk, and it's fried. I'm not quite
sure, but that's the idea I always had about it.

That sounds a bit like a South American cornbread called "arepas". Actually,
arepas don't have milk, just water and cornmeal - masa fina. You pat them
into a round, flattish shape and fry them until they're crispy on the
outside. I used to have that with black bean soup and grated cheese. Yum!

Joyce

"Tish" wrote in message
...
Many thanks Sherry!
One day, hopefully before I'm ancient, I'd really like to visit the
southern USA and experience both Cajun cooking and classic Southern
Cooking.

Tish

I haven't traveled enough to know just what is unique to the south. But
quite a few things are. I'm at a loss as to how to describe cornbread.
There are just so darn many very different wonderful ways to make it.

And no one knows how to fry anything like a good southern cook.

Cajun is another whole wonderful world.

Jo

Jo Firey wrote:

And no one knows how to fry anything like a good southern cook.

Amen to that, Jo. And Lord knows I married a champion!

--
Sam, closely supervised by Mistletoe

On 2006-08-23, Tish wrote:

A question from an ignorant Australian: is cornbread the same as
cornpone? If not, what is the difference? I read "The Yearling" when
I was a kid and the word "cornpone" stuck in my mind because it is so
euphonic, but I've never found out what it is!

Mix corn meal, buttermilk and salt to taste to make a mixture
with the right consistency: not runny and not mealy. Drop by
big spponfuls into a hot, cast iron skillet greased with plenty
of bacon fat and cook until done. Eat with white beans.

Pone is one of those words borrowed from the Indians.

Bud