Got that question over the weekend and it’s a good one. As it happens, white corn meal isn’t necessary, but it’s more traditionally Southern. White corn is to the South what sweet yellow corn is to the North. Both are varieties that are distinct from feed corn in that they’re considered to have a better, […]
READ ONI’m so glad you asked that. I happen to have a few pictures right here! I confess to you that I was pleased indeed to have spoon bread pop up on the request list this week, since it was only a couple of weeks ago that I happened to visit a pristinely maintained — and […]
READ ONThat’s another question that came in last night, and as it happens, it plays right into what I wanted to write about today. Spoon bread is a hill country and/or Southern thing because corn has always been the dominant grain in those areas. Why? Partly because wheat doesn’t do well in hotter climates, but mostly […]
READ ONA few folks wrote in last night asking for specifics on the Native American contributions to spoon bread. As far as I know there was no definitive Indian antecedent to spoon bread, since they did so many darn things with corn. They pounded it into meal and made porridges of various kinds out of it. […]
READ ONIf you were to browse around the internet looking for spoon bread recipes, you’d see that more than a few of them are leavened solely with egg foams. It’s thought that most early spoon breads were leavened this way until chemical leaveners like baking powder came into broad use in the mid-1800’s. Why not just […]
READ ONReader Gillian writes As an Australian I feel it incumbent upon me to point out something you almost certainly already know: we had an early colonial Rum Rebellion. It’s the closest we’ve come to a revolution, I’m afraid, but at least it was liquorbased. And it deposed Governor Bligh (the same Bligh who had trouble […]
READ ONReader Sonny corrects me that spoon bread isn’t just for hill folk anymore. It’s been a Southern favorite for generations. Just goes to show that even though I’ve lived in Kentucky for six years now, I have still haven’t quite earned my Southern bona fides. Thanks for keeping me honest, Sonny — and I’m working […]
READ ONIt’s debatable where spoon bread first originated, though it is known where the world’s best spoon bread is served: right here in Kentucky at the Boone Tavern in Berea. This spoon bread has been drawing crowds to the Boone Tavern for over 60 years. 3 cups whole milk 1 1/4 cups (5 1/2 ounces) cornmeal […]
READ ONUnless I start rambling on incessantly (which, you know, I can do), this should be a pretty brief topic. For spoon bread is a very basic thing, a sort of corn soufflé, except that it’s made by hillbillies. I should amend that: Appalachians. Spoon bread has its roots in Indian — scratch that: Native American […]
READ ONHere’s something I’ve learned about Bananas Foster: it doesn’t photograph well. But then what did I expect when I spooned hot caramel sauce over ice cream? The real visual magic of this dish happens during the preparation. As soon as it’s plated, it begins its transformation into a melty mass of sweet, rummy goodness. No […]
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