Cooking with Wholegrains: Corn Pone

Simple and smart: Check it out.

I was at Watchung Booksellers recently for a holiday fundraiser; 20 percent of retail sales that night went to Toni's Kitchen, to help feed the homeless and hungry.

I got a couple of nice gifts, one for H., one for Figgy, and Joan Didion's Blue Nights, which I'm loving. Then, being the cookbook collector I am, I combed and combed the cookbook shelves. I already own a lot of them, and tried to resist others, which were too pricey or too narrow in focus [cupcakes, or salads]. Then, there it was, calling out to me: A slim, 72-page paperback volume that was first published in 1951 [the year my parents married] and has a great intro by high-profile cookbook author Deborah Madison, who wrote Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. Price: $12. Here's the amazon link. I just saw it there for $1.09! And it was already a steal @ $12.

Cooking with Wholegrains is by Mildred Ellen Orton, a Vermonter who just died in 2010 at age 99. The subtitle: How to make breads, rolls, cakes, scones, crackers, muffins and desserts, using only stone-ground wholegrains.

Last night, I made the Corn Pone recipe on page 50. I had all ingredients on hand. It couldn't have been easier. I hope Mildred won't mind, but here it is, paraphrased:

Mix together 1 cup cornmeal*, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 3/8 teaspoon baking soda. Stir in 1 cup buttermilk and mix well. Heat butter and/or canola oil in skillet [cast-iron works well]. Drop dollops of batter on hot pan. When one side is brown, turns cakes over and brown other side. And here is her direct quote: These are delicious served with butter in place of bread with any meal, or with maple syrup, honey or applesauce they make a nice breakfast or luncheon dish.

I love corn, H. said when he saw them.  I knew he would love them. He wants me to put whole corn kernels in next time, but I'm not sure...

Night.

*I don't know if my Quaker Yellow Cornmeal qualifies as stoneground, but I figure it's close enough. 

TCOY

1. Boot camp in the park. Stations [running cones, jumping, ball slams, boxing and more] plus running the steps.
2. Caught up on sleep, since worked till 2:30ish  A.M.
3. Ice water.
4. Faced music and tackled work; emailed my editor and set up phone interview with source for Monday.
5. Sent out resumes to two more magazine contacts.
6. Read.
7. Talked to H.'s brother John, up in Maine, about our planned Christmas visit and how not to be a pain in his home. Clear communication and clear expectations should make our visit go more smoothly. John [and his daughter, Leah, too] is so golden-hearted to always welcome us.
8. Did some Christmas shopping, since had to drive Fig to mall anyway to meet her friend; felt good to pace myself and get some done. Got excellent sales on high-quality brands, to boot. 
9. Threw out that bag of hot tortilla chips from Mexican place in food court before ate the whole thing.
10. Walked Sug around block under night sky. On way back, saw Dad--a hardy, plump grown bunny rabbit--out on the grass. On December 9!!! I know he was checking in on us.