During hard times, this all time classic favorite stretches the wallet, hugely satisfies, and provides incredible nutrition when made with the original, natural ingredients. So… what’s a true hoecake? Why are some sublime, others just funny, thin cornbread?

First of all, true, classic, authentic hoecakes are one of the purest, most natural of breads cooked mostly without leavening or sweetener. They’re extremely simple and quick to make, simple to eat and enjoy. They make excellent travel food, and are especially delicious when made with parched or toasted grains.

Additionally, they are arguably one of the most nutritious and sustaining of breads when made as originally devised.

Classic Hoecake Recipe

2 cups coarsely ground organic parched corn beaten
Enough cold water to beat into very stiff dough
Salt to taste (1/2 tablespoon or 1 – 2 teaspoons)

Heat griddle nice and hot, sprinkle with cornmeal until light brown. Spread batter approximately 1/2 inch and cook until brown on both sides.

Serve on platter allowing anyone to help themselves to as much as they like.

This “unleavened” cake was a nourishing staple and was easy on the digestive system.

The Classic Buttermilk Hoecake

(This hoecake is considered the most delicious of the classic variations, not withstanding any hoecake fried in baconfat…)

2 cups coarse ground parched corn or natural organic cornmeal
Enough cold fresh buttermilk to whip to a stiff batter
Salt to taste or 1/2 tablespoon salt or 1 – 2 teaspoons
2 teaspoons natural baking soda (not powder)
Hot griddle
Butter

Whip ingredients well until a stiff batter is formed.
Add butter to griddle just before cooking hoecake so as to minimize burning. Cook 1/2 inch cakes until golden brown on both sides adding butter to griddle as needed. Very nourishing, almost a complete meal in itself.

Historical and Health Notes: Parched grains were popular during the Biblical days and was a main staple. Parching consists of taking the grain or kernels of corn and heating in a large, round pan until dry, or “parched.”

Additionally, “distinguished surgeons bore testimony that, during the late civil war, the wounded of the Confederate soldiers who had lived almost entirely on roasting ears and parched corn or meal cured easily and rapidly, rarely dying of gangrene or mortification; while just the reverse of this was true of the Federal wounded soldiers, who were fed on salted meats and stale bread from the army rations.”

Classic Johnny Cake

This lovely variety of hoecake was a traveling cake – carried off times by travelers in pouches at their side.

1 Cup Fresh Sweet Milk
1 Cup Fresh Buttermilk
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon Melted Butter

Depending on your parched corn or corn meal, add enough to make a stiff dough, whipping thoroughly.

Spread on a baking tin about 1/2 inch thick and bake at low heat (250 – 275 degrees) until perfect crispness.

To enhance hoecakes and johnnycakes, you can add flavorings such such as natural bacon bits or bits of pork or beef fat or meat.

For sweet cakes, add 2 tablespoons of natural honey or natural brown sugar.

If you feel particular adventurous, make flat dough circles approximately 1/4 inch each, buttering your hands if necessary. Spread raspberry jam on one, cover with another circle and cook both sides of your jam hoecake sandwich until golden brown.

Hoecakes can be delicious, extremely nourishing and sustaining, and very economical. They have certainly withstood the test of time, and when there are hard times, hoecakes can stretch a budget very, very nicely. Enjoy!

Two Delicious Classic High Heat Tom Turkey Roasting Recipes

High heat pre-roasting sears the skin and toughens the first thin layer of meat so that juices are more likely to be retained.

It is important to make sure the skin is as intact as possible with all holes, where juices might escape, sealed by trussing. The vent can be sealed with crust of dry bread.

Today’s turkeys are not quite the same as the days of old. They were fed a different diet, raised in a different environment.

Therefore, newer recipes might be tastier and more tender and juicy to accommodate today’s frozen salt solution birds.

See our information about saline, sugar and sodium phosphate soaked birds. Meanwhile, if you have a wonderful old style farm raised Tom Turkey, these classic recipes below have won hearts for generations.

(Modern Adaptation: Soak cheesecloth with clarified or and rendered pork fat and cover bird surface during final hour of cooking. This will allow for self basting.)

RECIPE ONE – Probably the Classic Gourmet Method of Roasting Turkey

Preheat your oven to 500 Degrees.

Butter your bird well with unsalted clarified butter (Clarification helps prevent burning, smoking) and place of rack breastside (drumsticks) down. Be sure to truss up the openings and close the vent with stuffing or a small bit of toast.

Roast your bird for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 Degrees and roast until internal temperature reaches 165 Degrees.

For every pound, allow 18 minutes of roasting. During the last hour, turn the bird breast side up, basting frequently.

Make a delcious gravy with the juices and brown bits. Wonderful!

RECIPE TWO – A True Old Time Classic Favorite

Preheat your oven to 425 Degrees.

Stuff your turkey with your favorite dressing and light salt and season the skin.

Place the turkey on a rack on it’s side and place slices of salt pork over the breast.

Liberally spread butter over the rest of the bird. Use unsalted clarified butter for best effect without burning.

Roast 15 minutes, then turn bird over and cook for 15 minutes more.

Reduce the heat to 375 Degrees and baste often with fat from the pan. Add water to the pan to insure enough moisture to prevent burning, a few tablespoons at a time.

For every pound, allow 15 minutes of roasting.

For the last 15 minutes of roasting, put your turkey drumsticks up, making sure internal temperature reaches 165 Degrees with Instant Thermometer.

Serve with Giblet Gravy. Enjoy! : )

We are starting out on our own with some of our crazy favorites. Odd, quirky, strange, delicious, and sans Mom! We will only add Mom’s recipes when she a-p-p-r-o-v-e-s this site. : )
 
Some of us are vegetarians, some of us are meat eaters. We live in relative peace, an uneasy yet loving truce, knowing the twain shall never meat. If we have made an error and you can improve upon our miss-typed recipes, please let us know!

Meanwhile, enjoy! : )