Okay. First I wrote about arepas, dodgers, and jonny cakes. Then I posted
a couple of photos. I imagine now you’re wondering, “Nice, but how about
some receipts?!” Well, don’t worry. Here they are.
I’ll let you look at Ana’s blog for her cousin Kako’s arepas recipe. Then below
are several for the jonny cakes, dodgers, and others from assorted historic
cookbooks. If any prove too difficult to understand, let me know. I’ll be
happy to translate! And be sure to let me know if you try one of these
at home, whether on your modern stove or at the hearth.
Enjoy!
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NOTE: All receipts (recipes) are given as they were originally
written. Note the variations in spellings, as well as the
similarity of the receipts, despite the varying names.
Now, back in Europe, from whence most early colonists
came, the word “corn” referred to any grain, be it wheat,
barley, rye, and so on. “Indian meal” was the term created
to distinguish from any other, the meal/flour made from
the grain that was native to this country. And of course,
the word “Indian” was attached, as it was the indigenous
peoples, the Native Americans or “Indians,” who introduced
it to the new arrivals on this continent.
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First, a Native American version described in 1638 by David Pietersz DeVries,
a Dutchman, who toured for nearly ten years throughout early current-day
New York State:
They pound [their maize] in a hollow tree…. When they
travel, they take a flat stone, and press it with another
stone placed upon the first, and when it is pressed they
have little baskets, which they call notassen, and which
are made of a kind of hemp, the same as fig-frails,—
which they make to serve them as sieves,—and thus
make their meal. They make flat cakes of the meal
mixed with water as large as a farthing cake in this
country, and bake them in the ashes, first wrapping
a vine-leaf or maize-leaf around them. When they
are sufficiently baked in the ashes, they make good
palatable bread.
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Johny Cake, or Hoe Cake.
Scald 1 pint of milk and put 3 pints of Indian meal,
and half pint of flower—bake before the fire. Or
scald with milk two thirds of the Indian meal,
or wet two thirds with boiling water, add salt,
molasses and shortening work up with cold
water pretty stiff, and bake as above.
from American Cookery
by Amelia Simmons
Albany, NY, 1796
American Cookery was not only the first cookbook published in America,
but it was also the first written by an American. In addition, this same
receipt can be found in The Cook Not Mad, or Rational Cookery, which
was published by Knowlton & Rice of Watertown, NY, in 1830.
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A more complicated version:
Johnny Cakes.
Make a thin dough of sifted Indian meal and lukewarm
water or sweet milk, adding a tea-spoonful of salt,
and a large spoonful of butter to each quart of meal.
Work well, as Indian meal, in whatever way it is
prepared, should be worked thoroughly. Having
ready a piece of board planed smooth, wet it with
water, and put on a cake of the dough about three
quarters of an inch thick, make it smooth and even
round the edges, brush it over with sweet cream,
and brown it lightly before a clear fire, propping
it on one edge by setting something behind it,
to support it. Then run the blade of a knife or
a sewing thread between the bread and board,
to loose it, turn it over, brown the other side
in the same manner, first moistening it with
sweet cream, and then cut it across in small
cakes, split them, lay a slice of firm butter
on one half of each piece, put them together
again, and send them immediately to table.
from The Kentucky Housewife
by Mrs Lettice Bryan
Cincinnati, OH, 1839
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Corn Dodgers.
One quart of corn meal, a little salt, and
water enough to make the batter just stiff enough
to make the mixture into cakes with the hands.
from The Carolina Housewife
by Sarah Rutledge
Charleston, SC, 1847
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Hmmm…”Kentucky Housewife”…”Carolina Housewife”…there’s even
the “English Hus-wife.” hrrrummph! Those current “Housewives”
reality shows are nothing new!
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