Post by blackcrowheart on Mar 24, 2007 10:24:33 GMT -5
The Hoe Cake: Native American Cooking
by Cliff Lowe
My grandmother was of Native American descent, Cherokee to be exact. One of my fondest childhood
memories is waking up at Grandma's house to the smell of frying bacon, hot biscuits, and boiling
coffee. And I could barely contain myself until Granny took the hot, fluffy biscuits from the oven
because, you see, when Granny made biscuits she made something special for me. It was called a Hoe
Cake. It looked like a huge, flattish biscuit but, to me, it represented something akin to a
present from the magic fairy and it tasted sweeter and creamier than any other bread in the world.
And it was made even better by the fact this special delight was made with love and reserved just
for me! In fact what it was, was a large biscuit. When Granny cut out the biscuits, she saved all
the loose dough trimmings, formed them into a flatbread shape, and made my Hoe Cake.
When I was older I learned from her that an actual Hoe Cake was made from a mixture of flour,
leavening, salt and liquid such as milk or water and, in fact, closely resembled a biscuit. It got
the name from the way it was made. Many Indians worked in the fields, sometimes their own fields,
sometimes fields owned by White farmers, and they left home early in the morning and didn't return
home until after dark. They carried a bag of prepared dry mix and a small pan to the fields and,
at lunchtime, they grabbed some water or milk (if available), stirred it into the mix to make
dough and then cleaned the dirt off a wide-blade cultivating hoe, which they then heated in a
fire. The flattened dough was slapped onto the already hot hoe, which was then held as near the
fire as possible without burning and the dough baked. Voilà! Hot bread from a hot hoe! Hoe Cake!
------------------
"Want to make a Hoe Cake? Follow directions below except have a nice clean garden hoe and a large
roaring fire. Rub some lard on the hoe, then heat it in the fire. Place the flattened dough on the
heated hoe and hold it against the fire and bake it without burning it. Try it and see if you can
do it. It is a challenge. Or, do as my grandmother did and bake it in a pie pan and make someone
in your house feel special." Cliff Lowe
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening
Enough cold water to make a soft, but firm dough;3/4 to 1 cup liquid
Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add shortening and cut through with knife until mixture
resembles coarse crumbs.
Add liquid to make a dough that is soft but not sticky. If it is too sticky, just add a little
flour, two tablespoons at a time, and knead until mixture is the right consistency.
Heat enough fat (any type: lard, bacon fat, vegetable oil, etc.) to cover the bottom of a large
skillet.
Form dough into a ball, divide into 4 equal parts. Form each part into a round ball, then flatten
with your hands to form a round, flat bread.
Place in hot fat and fry until bottom side is golden brown, then turn and cook in the same manner
until the other side is light brown and the cake has puffed. Repeat for each piece of dough until
all are done. Serve with butter and/or jam or jelly.
Makes 8 (1/2 round) servings.
by Cliff Lowe
My grandmother was of Native American descent, Cherokee to be exact. One of my fondest childhood
memories is waking up at Grandma's house to the smell of frying bacon, hot biscuits, and boiling
coffee. And I could barely contain myself until Granny took the hot, fluffy biscuits from the oven
because, you see, when Granny made biscuits she made something special for me. It was called a Hoe
Cake. It looked like a huge, flattish biscuit but, to me, it represented something akin to a
present from the magic fairy and it tasted sweeter and creamier than any other bread in the world.
And it was made even better by the fact this special delight was made with love and reserved just
for me! In fact what it was, was a large biscuit. When Granny cut out the biscuits, she saved all
the loose dough trimmings, formed them into a flatbread shape, and made my Hoe Cake.
When I was older I learned from her that an actual Hoe Cake was made from a mixture of flour,
leavening, salt and liquid such as milk or water and, in fact, closely resembled a biscuit. It got
the name from the way it was made. Many Indians worked in the fields, sometimes their own fields,
sometimes fields owned by White farmers, and they left home early in the morning and didn't return
home until after dark. They carried a bag of prepared dry mix and a small pan to the fields and,
at lunchtime, they grabbed some water or milk (if available), stirred it into the mix to make
dough and then cleaned the dirt off a wide-blade cultivating hoe, which they then heated in a
fire. The flattened dough was slapped onto the already hot hoe, which was then held as near the
fire as possible without burning and the dough baked. Voilà! Hot bread from a hot hoe! Hoe Cake!
------------------
"Want to make a Hoe Cake? Follow directions below except have a nice clean garden hoe and a large
roaring fire. Rub some lard on the hoe, then heat it in the fire. Place the flattened dough on the
heated hoe and hold it against the fire and bake it without burning it. Try it and see if you can
do it. It is a challenge. Or, do as my grandmother did and bake it in a pie pan and make someone
in your house feel special." Cliff Lowe
3 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons shortening
Enough cold water to make a soft, but firm dough;3/4 to 1 cup liquid
Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add shortening and cut through with knife until mixture
resembles coarse crumbs.
Add liquid to make a dough that is soft but not sticky. If it is too sticky, just add a little
flour, two tablespoons at a time, and knead until mixture is the right consistency.
Heat enough fat (any type: lard, bacon fat, vegetable oil, etc.) to cover the bottom of a large
skillet.
Form dough into a ball, divide into 4 equal parts. Form each part into a round ball, then flatten
with your hands to form a round, flat bread.
Place in hot fat and fry until bottom side is golden brown, then turn and cook in the same manner
until the other side is light brown and the cake has puffed. Repeat for each piece of dough until
all are done. Serve with butter and/or jam or jelly.
Makes 8 (1/2 round) servings.