Hot Water Corn Bread

Actually we called this hot water bread. For those of you not familiar with this term, you may have heard of "corn pone". The name is irrelevant, it is the bread itself that is something unique and special and definitely "Southern Cooking" at its very basic. My Mother would mix this up, and since it was boiling water, she kept a bowl of cold water next to her mixing bowl, because she would pat the bread out into ovals about 2 x 3 inches. Remember the mix is with boiling water. Very important, not hot, but boiling.
Then it was into the black iron skillet, (a must have for southern cooking) that had about 1/2 of oil, sometimes Crisco or left over bacon fat. These patties would fry on medium until they were golden and crunchy on the outside, and fluffy on the inside Not greasy at all. My Grandmother called these "poor mans bread" since the ingredients are cornmeal, salt, and water. Everyone in the South, had these items in their pantry even in the leanest of times during the depression.
As simple as this sounds there is quite a trick to it. You have to pour the right amount of boiling water on the first pour because the meal will be lumpy if you don't get it wet enough at the first.
Adding water makes the mush lumpy. The mixture will look like mush when it is mixed right.
These will be so crunchy on the outside but light and fluffy on the inside. Great with peas and pot likker.
Truly easy and very deep south country food. I don't make these as much since we all have to get on that "Healthy" not fat, No grease program, but when I do make them, I make field peas, with okra and ham, corn on the cob, turnip greens, smothered tomatoes.
Try this you may surprise yourself at how good, something so simple can be.
I also eat these cold, but they are better hot.

Hot Water Corn Bread

2 cups self rising white cornmeal

1/2 tsp salt

2 cups of boiling water

Put water in boiler and bring to roiling boil. At the same time, about half fill heavy iron skillet with cooking oil, and set on medium heat. Mix meal and salt, when water comes to full rolling boil, begin pouring over cornmeal, stirring while you pour. When well mixed and thin enough to form patties, *turn heat to high under skillet, dip hands in cold water, and form patties of the cornmeal mixture. Make sure oil is very hot when you put patties in. If they crumble in the oil, it is not hot enough. When brown on one side, turn and brown on the other , drain on paper towel when removed from skillet.

*I have given the recipe as it is written, but you need to turn down to medium high once the patty sets(meaning it isn't crumbling in the grease) Cooked on medium, will take 15 minutes or a little more. You only turn once.

Southern Cooking is easy, don't you think?

The Early Ladies of Cooking

Magazine Home Economists Heard On Radio

Lincoln, Me. (DG)---

When network radio began in 1926, the main focus was the evening hours. Of course, this was the time the whole family was home. While the evening was filled with entertainment, the daytime was another matter. With the exception of a handful of programs, the networks didn't worry too much with the daytime. That time was filled with programs from the local stations. As each year passed, there were more network daytime programs on the air. With the exception of an occasional musical or variety program, the dominant daytime radio programs of the early years consisted of cooking and household hints. Of these programs, we're going to look at 4 ladies of fact and fiction who hosted this type of program. They are Winifred S. Carter, Mary Ellis Ames, Frances Lee Barton, and of course, the first lady of cooking, Betty Crocker. What set them apart from the other cooking show hostesses concerned a second job they all had. These 4 ladies were also home economics advisors for different companies in magazines. During the 1920's and 1930's, Winifred Carter was the advisor for Procter & Gamble. In the magazine ads, she gave advice and recommendations for products like Chipso, PandG The White Naphtha Soap, and the product she was most famous for, Crisco. Just for the asking, Ms. Carter sent information on how the housewife could do more with the 3 mentioned products.
During the 1930-1931 radio season, Ms. Carter hosted COOKING TRAVELOGUE. Although this program was on the air briefly (I don't have the exact dates when the program began and ended), it had the rare distinction on airing on all 3 national networks that were in business at the time. It was on the air on Monday at 10:45 AM for NBC's Blue Network; Friday at 11:15 AM for Columbia; and Saturday at 10:30 AM for NBC's Red Network.
On the program, Ms. Carter offered cooking hints that most likely required the services of Crisco. (I suppose you could bake a pie with Chipso and PandG, but I wouldn't recommend it!).
When the program went off the air, Ms. Carter continued her advisor role by creating new recipes in Crisco magazine ads during the early and mid 1930's. She was also featured in a 1935 Crisco contest where she asked the readers to create a name for a "New Crisco Pie" creation. The winning entry received the grand prize of $1000 (which was a lot of money back then).
Frances Lee Barton was the advisor for General Foods. She was featured in magazine ads for Calumet Baking Powder and Swans Down Cake Flour during the 1930's. Her daytime program was on the air from 1932-1935 on NBC's Red Network. After the program went off the air, Ms. Barton continued her recommendations and recipes for different General Foods products in magazine ads into the 1950's.
Mary Ellis Ames offered her advising services in behalf of the Pillsbury Flour Mills Company during the early to mid 1930's. When flour was needed for a recipe (which was often), Ms. Ames highly recommended Pillsbury's Best. It was the "Balanced Flour" that was perfect for cooking and baking.
On the radio, Ms. Ames hosted COOKING CLOSEUPS on the Columbia Network from 1933-1936. The program was on the air on various weekday mornings at 11:00 AM. If that wasn't enough, Ms. Ames also offered recipes on the Pillsbury's Best commercials on TODAY'S CHILDREN over NBC's Blue Network. To obtain the recipes, the housewives had to send their names and addresses to the Pillsbury Flour Mills Company.
We conclude this article with the most famous expert on cooking, the one and only Betty Crocker. Her long running radio program was the first and the last of its kind. It was the first daytime network cooking program--- and the last network cooking program left on the air 27 years later. Over that span, many great tasting and inexpensive recipes were offered to the housewives who listened to her. Of course, these recipes required the services of Gold Medal Flour and other General Mills products.
As you already know, times have changed since radio's golden age ended. The way people prepare meals have changed drastically. Betty Crocker adjusted with those changes--- and would once again bring the latest recipes to radio. In 1999, Betty Crocker was heard on radio once again. Although the recipes and hints are for the modern lifestyle we have today, the program is basically the same as it was when it aired during radio's golden age.
Cooking during radio's golden age was an impressive achievement. Although the housewives knew what they were doing in the kitchen, they didn't mind taking advantage of the helpful hints and recipes offered by Winifred Carter, Frances Lee Barton, Mary Ellis Ames, and Betty Crocker on their radio programs. The results were very satisfying to every family member's taste buds--- and the Tums could be saved for another day!

I thought this bit of trivia would be of interest and is courtesy of Danny Goodwin an expert on early radio commercials. He has some excellent food commercials on audio and it is worth visiting his pages to hear blast from the past. In Southern cooking recipes you will almost always have the brand Crisco as an ingredient, and of course Gold Medal Flour. These were staple brands for the southern cook.

Hot Water Gingerbread

I wanted to include this recipe for gingerbread also. It contains the same ingredients as 60 year old gingerbread, but it is a double recipe. This recipe I believe is basically the same, so I don't know why it is named different except that it was from another source, but [probably the same era. This recipe was found in Helon's old recipe box. I don't know if she used this one or not, but it seems to be the same just a doubled recipe. Here goes another staple recipe of Southern Cooking.

1/2 cup shortening
1 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups flour
1tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
1 cup hot water
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp soda
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. salt

Cream sugar and shortening: add molasses and egg Sift dry ingredients and add to mixture. Add hot water and beat by hand until smooth. Bake in 13 x9 inch pan at 325 until done(here we go again)

Apparently the cooks of days gone by just eyeballed there baking, but the reason was that ovens were so different and not as exact as ours are today. Hope one of these works for you. I haven't used this one, but I think it is just a larger recipe from the 60 year old gingerbread.

60 Year Old Gingerbread

During the Holidays one of the favorites in Helon's Kitchen was the smell of gingerbread baking.
I don't know if the smell wasn't better or at least close to the great taste. This is an incredible recipe and makes a moist gingerbread. It is very easy, but I do not have the exact length of time that the gingerbread is to bake since this is an old recipe, and it was baked by touch, smell, and color. I cook it the same way and it takes about 25-35 minutes, and is cooked at a rather high heat for baking.
The ingredients are simple and probably already in your cupboard....so grab them and cook up a batch and fill the air with the smell of ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Do this and have company over to not only taste the gingerbread but enjoy the aroma.

1 egg
1/4 cup shortening
1 cup of flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1tsp. ginger
1tsp. allspice
1tsp. cloves
1 tsp. soda
1/2 cup boiling water


Mix all ingredients (soda and boiling water last) and bake in well greased, floured pan at 400 degrees or until done. (see what I mean) This is dark gingerbread because of the dark molasses.
I use an 8x8 metal pan and do exactly as the recipe. The gingerbread is done when it springs back at touch, or insert a toothpick in the center when it comes out clean it is done. In keeping with the original recipe, I do not use no stick spray, but the flour and oil.

Southern Comfort

Sunday was the day for Church and Chicken. Fried chicken was the standard. None of this baked, healthy stuff. No good ole fried chicken in Crisco usually. My grandmother use to only use fresh chicken. By that I mean she went outside and caught one and we had very, fresh chicken. She would do this and still be ready in time to teach Sunday School.
This was Helon's mother, my grandmother, Mignon. I still fry chicken the same way. Only my chicken comes from the nearest grocery. There is an art to cutting up a chicken, which I learned growing up. There are 2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 wings, 2 breast, a pulley bone if large enough( was my favorite) and 2 back pieces, which I never touched. Some people preferred those pieces. So you actually got 10 pieces, and 11 if you cut the pulley bone. For those of you who don't know about this piece, it is the top of the two breast.
Below is the recipe for Sunday Southern Fried Chicken, nothing is exact, but I think you will be able to manage. It is not hard, just a bit time consuming but worth it.
Included in the meal would always be mashed potatoes, and you may think there is no difference in mashed potatoes, unless add garlic, sour cream etc. Not so. I include my grandmothers mashed potatoes. The lumps are part of the great taste and texture, so don't work to hard to remove them.

Helon's Mothers Chicken
1 chicken cut up
salt and pepper to taste(we used lots of black pepper)
buttermilk
flour(not self rising)
Crisco (enough to measure about 2 inches in skillet

You will need and iron skillet, or dutch oven for the best, but do what you can with what pots you have.

Wash chicken really good.
pour buttermilk into a large shallow pan or bowl
put flour in another large shallow pan or bowl
salt & pepper chicken, roll in flour
Dip into buttermilk drain off and roll back into flour

Get grease hot almost smoking, and place chicken in , brown on one side turn to the other, then turn down heat to medium , cover and cook , turning occasionally. Uncover when chicken is no longer running pink when pierced with a fork turn up heat and let crisp up. Turn once. Remove and drain on brown paper or paper towels. This should take about 25 minutes. You just have to watch the chicken and learn to tell by the look. There is no exact, or even a written down recipe.

Hint. It takes longer to cook the dark meat so add the white meat later in the cooking.

Mashed potatoes.
This potatoes recipe is basically boil potatoes, we used white potatoes, Yukon gold are good.
Cover with water add salt bring to boil, and cover and let cook on medium until soft. You can slice the potatoes anyway you want we would quarter.
Drain, add 2 or more tablespoons of butter and start mashing. Add carnation milk(no substitutes) and mash until almost smooth, if possible. Keep adding the milk until you get the right consistency. These are stiff potatoes, and hold up to some thick gravy. Add black pepper to taste, but actually ours were made where could see the black dots of pepper. It is the carnation milk, and butte that makes a difference. The potatoes will be white, due to light butter, don't use yellow margarine.

Brown Chicken Gravy
To top these potatoes, drain most of the oil from the skillet. Scrape up all the brown pieces in the skillet. Add 2 tablespoons of flour, stir until brown on medium heat, add cup of hot water, it will smoke, season with salt and pepper, and cook until thickened.

Hope you enjoy!