Comments on: White Trash Cooking: I’m in love!

By: truevyne

truevyne — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 23:07:31 +0000

I have owned a copy of the first edition for many years now. It’s been a while since I’ve looked it over. Now I’ll have to get it out and try something again.

By: almostgotit

almostgotit — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 16:24:58 +0000

Well now, Dennis, technically that there is a SWEET pone. Corn Pone is this un:

Big Mama’s Cracklin Corn Pone

Cracklins are the skins and other pieces left after the rendering of pork fat at hog-killing time (in the Fall after the first cold snap). Pig skins are a passable substitute.

1 cup milk (boiling)
2 cups cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup cracklins, or 1 cup of pig skins
2 tablespoons bacon drippins

Sift your cornmeal, baking soda, and salt into a bowl. Then, pour enough boiling milk into this to make a good and stiff batter. Add the cracklins, or pig skins, and bacon drippins. Pour in a black skillet and bake at 425 degrees until golden. Make sure the skillet is well greased.

Some people shape into pones (small oval shapes) and bake.

Mavis Drew, of Improve, Mississippi, says: “If someone’s eatin corn pone for the first time, this is the one that’ll make a believer out of ‘em!”

By: Dennis the Vizsla

Dennis the Vizsla — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 15:28:41 +0000

So that’s “pone”! The only other time I heard that term was when my uncle (who lives in Arkansas) named his cat “Corn Pone” …

By: almostgotit

almostgotit — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 14:54:46 +0000

Oooh, thanks for reminding me about Staebler’s beautious books, Lavenderbay! I fell in love with *them*, too, while living in Toronto, but couldn’t afford them at the time. Hmm, Amazon has them used, as well. . .

By: Lavenderbay

Lavenderbay — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 11:27:09 +0000

My first reaction to the “plain ol’ pone” recipe was pretty much like Working Girl’s, but then I remembered Edna Staebler’s lovely, folksy recipe books Food that Really Schmecks and More Schmecks. They focused on Mennonite cooking and the dishes of Edna’s mother and non-chef friends, and I was quite happy using the recipes as long as I cut every amount of sweetener by half.

By: Working Girl

Working Girl — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 03:50:56 +0000

A CUP of molasses?

Oh.

My.

God.

By: Jana Morgan

Jana Morgan — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 01:32:41 +0000

I love the White Trash Cooking book. One of my favorite pics is of the interior of the Frigidaire with all its food store and Tab sodas.

We also have another favorite (local to Knoxville) cookbook put out by the Pioneers of America in the early 80s called “Dining with Pioneers.” I used a lot of the recipes in this book when I was living in L.A. and feeling nostalgic for the South, but my favorite section is the “salad” section. By my account Southern “salads” should only be explored for entertainment value as I will NEVER EVER make any concoction for consumption that combines crushed pineapple, jello, cool whip, marshmallows, mayonnaise, cottage cheese, pecans, apples and Sprite… but the recipes abound for those who might be so inclined to such dangerous experimentation. Adventures in cooking…

By: Jan

Jan — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 22:01:07 +0000

Oh yeah, excellent timing….I’m short one Christmas gift and am on my way to Amazon!