Cornbread is the quintessential bread of Appalachia. Although batter recipes vary, the key to making traditional cornbread is to use a pre-heated cast iron pan for baking.
- 2 cups self –rising white cornmeal
- 1 beaten egg
- ¼ cup oil
- 1⅓ cup milk
- Shortening or lard
Grease cast iron pan liberally with bacon fat or lard. Place in cold oven and pre-heat to 450 degrees. Place 2 cups cornmeal in mixing bowl. Combine egg, oil, and milk; then pour into bowl with cornmeal and mix thoroughly. Carefully remove heated pan from oven and add batter. Bake for 20 minutes or until done.
NOTE: Plain cornmeal can also be used by adding 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 1 teaspoon of salt.
TIP: Sprinkling hot pan with cornmeal before adding batter will make an even crisper crust.
—Celebrating Southern Appalachian Food written by Jim Casada and Tipper Pressley
Since we started the Celebrating Appalachia YouTube channel people often ask us if we eat cornbread every day. We don’t, but we come mighty close to it.
When I was a girl Granny made either biscuits or cornbread for our meals. In those days I preferred biscuits, but today I love cornbread just as much.
One of my life long friends lives just down the road. We met when we were young because our parents were friends.
Her parents, Francis and Hazel, were a real influence in my life. They still are.
I’ve never forgotten a story Hazel told me years ago. She said like many families Francis’s was poor when he was growing up and often they only had cornbread and honey to eat. Since times were better for them in their marriage she wanted to make him all the good foods that were available, but often he wanted cornbread and honey.
Pap’s family and Francis’s family have remained close all these years. Each generation continues to be intertwined in the other family’s life—from church to playdates to making music we have stayed close and it’s been a true blessing.
This summer one of Francis and Hazel’s granddaughters has been helping me a couple of days a week. I’ve known Taylor since she was born. I’ve watched her grow up to be the thoughtful, intelligent, compassionate woman she is today.
Taylor made a history teacher. She’ll soon go back to her full time job and boy I’ll miss her extra hands.
For her thesis project Taylor researched her great grandmother Anna Belle Cook, better known as Granny Bell and the impact she had on her large family as well as the community of Brasstown.
I can remember Granny Bell. Francis is a lot like her as are others in the family.
Here’s a bit from Taylor’s project.
Anna Belle Cook (better known as Granny Bell) was born on August 31st in 1905 and passed on November 3rd, 1992. She lived in Northern Georgia before marrying and moving to Western North Carolina. Many recollect that she married early to Samuel Theodore Cook (July 11, 1891 – November, 1961) when she was fifteen years old. She was the daughter of Reverend John Davis and Mary McCallester. Theodore’s first wife was Tinnia Davis (1888-1918). Some say that Theodore had five children with his first wife, although I have found records of four. With Granny Bell, the Cook family added 16 more children, the first being born on her sixteenth birthday in 1921.
One might question the significance of a single woman who had many children in the Appalachian mountains, however, her life left the remembrance of faith, resilience, and a snapshot of the 20th century through the eyes of the countryside. Her memory lasts outside those who were related to her and reveals the importance of women in the lasting beliefs and lifestyles of future generations.
These interviews were completed by Taylor Cook, Granny Bell’s great granddaughter and her second-youngest son’s (Francis Cook) granddaughter. Taylor heard many stories of her great grandma growing up. Stories such as knife fights at church houses and an elderly woman swinging through the rafters of a tobacco barn. All of these stories and the way Granny Bell’s ideals influenced Taylor’s own sense of self, led to her dedicating a college project to collecting the stories that had formed much of her family lore. Although her focus has shifted, Taylor continues to interview residents of Appalachia today.
For the rest of this week I’ll be sharing interviews conducted by Taylor during her project about Granny Bell. I know you’ll enjoy them as much as I have.
You can see Taylor’s current online project here.
Last night’s video: Can We Get It All Done?
Tipper
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