Bread
- Thread starter Janne
- Start date
For years, a big piece of a botany course that I taught was economic botany.
Spices, tea, coffee, coconut and the staples rice, corn & wheat.
"Corn, walking." That's how some Mexicans describe themselves.
Because they thrive in different climates, not all corn/maize was the same in pre-Columbian times.
Flint, flour, dent, sweet & popcorn were the 5 of cultivation.
As far as I know, there still is no definitive genetic history to corn as there is with all 14 of the species of wheats.
Spices, tea, coffee, coconut and the staples rice, corn & wheat.
"Corn, walking." That's how some Mexicans describe themselves.
Because they thrive in different climates, not all corn/maize was the same in pre-Columbian times.
Flint, flour, dent, sweet & popcorn were the 5 of cultivation.
As far as I know, there still is no definitive genetic history to corn as there is with all 14 of the species of wheats.
No chance of that, done right. I use a recipe that I got from the Tabasco Sauce people.
Sometimes even put corn kernels in it. Smokin' skillet and into the oven.
Strictly up to you as to how much molasses you need to add.
Sometimes even put corn kernels in it. Smokin' skillet and into the oven.
Strictly up to you as to how much molasses you need to add.
Fascinating site. One worth bookmarking to come back all sorts of enquiries. Many thanks for drawing attention to it.
When the first European settlers came to the Americas they brought with them what they were growing back home, wheat, rye and the other.
The Amerindian tribes that were cultivating maize, did they start growing European crops too, or was the agricultural exchange unilateral?
What about animals, like pigs, goats, chicken and geese?
Is there any kniwledge abour that?
The Amerindian tribes that were cultivating maize, did they start growing European crops too, or was the agricultural exchange unilateral?
What about animals, like pigs, goats, chicken and geese?
Is there any kniwledge abour that?
May have been quite the reverse with First Nations trying to educate the Euro-arrogants as to what would grow
with the patchy availability of open ground. The FN were doing well but that meant a profound change for the Europs.
All the so-called "farm animals" came with the Europeans as well.
There's been nothing in North America which really wants or needs to be domesticated.
Don't blame them. No more fun than animals which fight back (like bison, elk and Canada geese.)
At some point, open range land was cleared of bison and some division took place between the cattlemen
and the grain growers.
Even as little kids, we were taught, over and over again, to wait until the Oak leaves
were the size of a mouse's ear before you plant corn.
Then you put 3 seeds in each hill and one dead minnow for fertilizer.
Maize was never the universal staple crop. Pollen deposits point to many other multipurpose plants.
with the patchy availability of open ground. The FN were doing well but that meant a profound change for the Europs.
All the so-called "farm animals" came with the Europeans as well.
There's been nothing in North America which really wants or needs to be domesticated.
Don't blame them. No more fun than animals which fight back (like bison, elk and Canada geese.)
At some point, open range land was cleared of bison and some division took place between the cattlemen
and the grain growers.
Even as little kids, we were taught, over and over again, to wait until the Oak leaves
were the size of a mouse's ear before you plant corn.
Then you put 3 seeds in each hill and one dead minnow for fertilizer.
Maize was never the universal staple crop. Pollen deposits point to many other multipurpose plants.
You must have had the cornbread they make here in Florida; they add sugar. Real cornbread doesn't have ANY sweetener at all. Just cornmeal, some flour filler (I use gluten free flour nowadays so my daughter can eat it) a small bit of oil, an egg, a leavening (baking powder if you use sweet milk (regular whole fat milk) or said baking powder plus a small amount of baking soda if you use buttermilk) It should taste a bit bland or even buttermilkish.
If you're putting molasses in it, it ain't real cornbread.
Sorry about that. I can't seem to correct it. Nor copy and paste the contents. Basically a short essay about the Navajo learning to make it using the meager ration sthe Army gave them while in captivity. Since then it's become almost a ritual.
The Spanish released pigs into the wild everywhere they even so much as explored. Likewise they were the first to introduce cattle and reintroduce horses to the New World. I'm not sure who brought the chickens, sheep, and goats. Europeans certainly brought plant crops as well but I don't know just who brought what or exactly when.
-Unrivaled? No. Probably not even close.
-The most universal? Absolutely; it covered two entire continents.
Basic recipe for cornbread:
-1 cup cornmeal (white cornmeal is traditional but yellow will work)
-1 cup all purpose flour (I use gluten free so my daughter can eat it also)
-1 & 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
-1 egg
-1 tablespoon of cooking oil (I usually use corn oil)
-About a cup and a half of milk or buttermilk (if you use buttermilk add 1 teaspoon of baking soda as well) Vary the amount of milk to the proper consistency
Preheat (about 425f to 450f) oven and a cast iron frying pan well coated with a high temperature cooking oil (there are other specialty cast iron cornbread pans but unless you make CB every few days don't bother; I'll post pix of those later) Mix all ingredients and pour into hot pan. bake until golden brown (about 25 to 35 minutes)
There are a few traditional variations:
1) Crackiling bread = add thinly sliced strips of cracklings (bacon rinds) either raw or fried first to the batter.
2) Mexican cornbread (also called Fiesta cornbread) = add diced bits of colorful bell peppers (yellow and/or orange bell peppers) and sweet corn kernels
3) Cheesey cornbread (relatively new on the scene at less than 40 years) = add shredded cheese to the batter.
Baked in a frying pan and cut the traditional way
Baked in a specialty cornstick pan (these have been around over a century at least)
Triangular cornbread pan eliminates the need to slice (these have been around well over a half century)
-1 cup cornmeal (white cornmeal is traditional but yellow will work)
-1 cup all purpose flour (I use gluten free so my daughter can eat it also)
-1 & 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
-1 egg
-1 tablespoon of cooking oil (I usually use corn oil)
-About a cup and a half of milk or buttermilk (if you use buttermilk add 1 teaspoon of baking soda as well) Vary the amount of milk to the proper consistency
Preheat (about 425f to 450f) oven and a cast iron frying pan well coated with a high temperature cooking oil (there are other specialty cast iron cornbread pans but unless you make CB every few days don't bother; I'll post pix of those later) Mix all ingredients and pour into hot pan. bake until golden brown (about 25 to 35 minutes)
There are a few traditional variations:
1) Crackiling bread = add thinly sliced strips of cracklings (bacon rinds) either raw or fried first to the batter.
2) Mexican cornbread (also called Fiesta cornbread) = add diced bits of colorful bell peppers (yellow and/or orange bell peppers) and sweet corn kernels
3) Cheesey cornbread (relatively new on the scene at less than 40 years) = add shredded cheese to the batter.
Baked in a frying pan and cut the traditional way
Baked in a specialty cornstick pan (these have been around over a century at least)
Triangular cornbread pan eliminates the need to slice (these have been around well over a half century)
I certainly will try that cotnbread!
Yes, all the ones I have tried were sweet.
Like a cake.
Yes, all the ones I have tried were sweet.
Like a cake.
I make real corn bread. At least, it's good enough corn bread for the nice Tabasco people.
I said that I put molasses ON the corn bread.
I said that I put molasses ON the corn bread.
That'll work. But the best thing to put on the cornbread is to use it to sop up the the pot liquor from the collard greens. Tobasco (and the people who work there) are good people; but they're Cajuns. Their specialty regarding breads is French Bread. Their cornbread's Ok but the experts are in Mississippi (especially up in the Delta at the northwest part of the state) and Tennessee, and Alabama. Texas cornbread can be great but Texas is so big the style varies too much from place to place.
First time I got it was here, together with fried chicken. I expected a salty bread, so took a bite. And spat it out. it came like a weird shock, expecting one flavor and getting something totally different.
Here I think they put sugar, sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon in it.
But very nice together with a cup of coffee!
Here I think they put sugar, sweetened condensed milk, cinnamon in it.
But very nice together with a cup of coffee!
Salt of the Earth, eh?
I met Chef Prudhomme a bit in the old days.
He could cook.
Cajuns were a (french) Canadian export. Look it up. Acadian Canadians.
Tabasco corn bread is so plain, probably why I like it. Not kakked up with other stuff.
Tabasco corn bread is so plain, probably why I like it. Not kakked up with other stuff.
