Corn Bread

[Noahguide 0]

15 hours ago, niveker said:

Fritters and hush puppies are fried in oil.  Whats the difference between those two?  

Where you live.  In SC they're hush puppies as in most of the coastal south.

[fshng2 0]

Anyone ever heard of Spoon-Bread?

I was introduced to it at Historic Colonial Williamsburg Virginia, 20 plus years ago.

It's a moist, custard-like cornbread that you can scoop with a spoon.

I don't recall which tavern or what the meal was, but I'll never forget the spoon-bread.

 

Virginia Spoon-Bread:   https://www.theseasonedmom.com/spoon-bread/

Awendaw Spoon-Bread:   https://ansonmills.com/recipes/461

The dish is believed to be of Native American origin and is commonly called called “Awendaw” in Charleston S.C. after the Awendaw Indians.    

Berea Kentucky holds a Spoon-Bread festival every year.   https://www.spoonbreadfestival.com/

[Steeldrifter 0]

Hush puppies are one thing I have never had. They look pretty tasty though.

[mikechell 0]

28 minutes ago, Steeldrifter said:

Hush puppies are one thing I have never had. They look pretty tasty though.

I've never had corn bread fritters.  But corn bread hush puppies are definitely good ... IF they're prepared right.  I don't cook them, so I don't know what "right" is ... but I do know there are places where I've gotten hush puppies that I couldn't eat.  IF you try some, and you don't like them, don't assume they ALL are like that.  There are some that are literally, food of the gods.

[Guest]

Typically eat the hush puppies with the cole slaw then tear into the fish and fries...the mess to the left is ketchup/tartar sauce conglomeration😛

Serious down home outa the grarden vitals.    Collard green, turnip roots, sweet potatoes, fried squash, fried eggplant, and of course big ole corn fritter.   The hog meat must be on another plate.😛

[Flat Rock native 0]

Food Network ya got nothin on us...

[netabrookie 0]

Fritters and hush puppies are very different. Fritters are fried in a pan or on a griddle and you pour the batter just as you would a pancake but hush puppy batter is thicker and I always spooned it into the deep fryer.  First dip your spoon in the fryer oil and then get a spoonful of batter and let it slide off the spoon into the fryer oil. you can do a few and then dip your spoon in the oil again and repeat the process.  With a little practice they will all be similar size (which is necessary for even cooking) and actually start looking football or roundish shaped instead of a ugly glob.  You can tell when they are done by the beautiful color and they are floating high in the oil waiting to be dipped out and drained and then enjoyed.   Mike is right about the different hush puppies out there because some of them are awful but some are as good as the entree they are being served with.  When I make fritters I add a little bit of flour to help keep them together and keep them from crumbling like corn bread does.  I'm a southerner but I like a little sugar in the corn bread sometimes unless its with a good pot of pinto's and then absolutely no sugar.  And if you ain't had southern pinto's and cornbread in your life yet you are really missing out.

[kerusso 0]

I like to make my fritters using buttermilk in my cornbread mix and add diced jalapeno and shredded cheddar cheese.  Served with either Chili or fresh pulled BBQ it's hard to beat.

[niveker 0]

Wow, great to know these differences, and some great new corn meal recipes to try out.  Great replies.  I forgot all about spoon bread, my son and I are the only ones who enjoy it, but he's moved away, so I haven't made it in a while.  And buttermilk, I always use it when I can find it.  

[Poopdeck 0]

Learn something new everyday. I didn't know fritters were different from hush puppies. I just assumed it was a regional name thing. I think the difference in hush puppy taste is just like burger joint French fries. The places that regularly change out their oil have the good puppies and fries  and the places that never change their oil has crappy puppies and fries. Calamari is usually my litmus test as to the cleanliness and best practices of a restaurant. Perhaps I should add a hush puppy litmus test for when I'm south of the Mason Dixon line. 

[Flat Rock native 0]

17 hours ago, netabrookie said:

 I'm a southerner but I like a little sugar in the corn bread sometimes unless its with a good pot of pinto's and then absolutely no sugar.  And if you ain't had southern pinto's and cornbread in your life yet you are really missing out.

New elk camp, breakfast of champions!

Recipe?  (never thought I’d ask such a question here, without a reference to #hook size#)

[cphubert 0]

A swamp yankee favorite, Johnnycakes, AKA cornbread yellow or white, fried in a skillet,  small like 4-6" dia. pancake, will fit in your pocket to take with you. I had them for dinner covered with stew or whatever was leftover, breakfast with pan fried fish (white perch, yellow perch or hornpout) Mike is correct fritter & hushpuppies are deep fried and often have other items added (clam fritters) after finding and marrying a southern girl during my military time I was introduced to real cornbread baked in a cast skillet or dutch oven. That brand of cornmeal is her favorite she has different additions for different meals. 

[netabrookie 0]

Flat Rock native, there's probably a zillion different ways us southern folk fix pintos.  The old folks used to say we had to "look" the beans, meaning you had to look through the dried beans for any bad looking ones and the occasional small rock. After you "looked" the beans then you put them in your pot or pan (depending on locality I guess,  either a pot of beans or a pan of beans....I reckon from a "sauce" pan)  but we always said a pot of beans.  Cover them with water and let them soak overnight and then drain the water and add new along with a healthy piece of fat back. Some use ham hocks or bacon but the fat back is cheaper and works about as good. A little salt and pepper and you gotta throw some butter in as well and that's about it I guess.  In a pinch and don't have any fat back then substitute a few tablespoons of peanut butter.  The peanut butter sounds crazy but it does give the beans a great taste and don't leave them tasting like a jar of Skippy.  If you get your beans going before lunch then you should enjoy them by dinner time but slowly simmering in a covered pot all day is where the flavor and consistency comes from. Just stir occasionally and add water as needed and let them cook for quite a few hours.  When they are done get yourself a piece of cornbread or two and crumble them into your favorite bowl and then add the pintos on top with a lot of the liquid also.  Enjoy.....

It was mentioned earlier and I agree about the best corn bread is made with buttermilk.       My dad used to love a piece of corn bread crumbled into a glass of buttermilk but I hate the taste of buttermilk so I don't drink it,  only cook with it.   Try cornbread crumbled into a glass of whole milk and it is a tasty treat. Don't anyone turn up there nose at the sound of cornbread in milk until you try it because you could get surprised at the flavor and go back for a second glass.

[Flat Rock native 0]

Screenshot made, dinner in the making... Thanks netabrookie

[richmce 0]

 we alwys had chili on top of macaroni noodles. then we heard of putting chili on cornbread then we put honey on the  cornbread while its baking    the best yet