Post by blackcrowheart on Jan 21, 2008 11:32:26 GMT -5
Ata'ki
This is a soft, or as you call it, a flour corn, and was perhaps the favorite
variety grown by us. The word ata'ki means white; but when applied to corn
we translate soft white, to distinguish from ata'ki tso'ki, or hard white. The
use of ata'ki, or soft white, was very general, since it could be made into
almost every kind of corn food used by us. "It is the one variety," we used
to say, "that can be used in any and every way." Soft white corn, parched and
pounded into a meal, was boiled with squash and beans to make mapi' nakapa'.
The unparched grain was pounded for meal to make ma' nakapa'; but although
good, we did not think the mush made from soft white meal was as good as that
from the hard white corn meal. "Boiled Corn Ball". A less frequent dish made
from soft white corn was boiled corn balls; it was made only from the dried
ripe grain.
I pounded quantity of grain into meal, and poured the meal into a pot having
hot water - but not too much water- stirring it well about. I now lifted out
some of the mass into my left palm and patted it down with my right, making a
cake about as big around as a baking powder biscuit, but not so thick. This
cake I dropped into a pot of boiling water, where it sank to the bottom. I
continued until the pot was full, or until I had all I wished to cook. No salt
or other seasoning was added. As the pot boiled, one could see the corn cakes
move around in the water; but they never floated, nor did they break apart.
The boiling lasted about an hour. In older days we ate these corn balls
alone; now we more often eat them with coffee. (BBW)
This is a soft, or as you call it, a flour corn, and was perhaps the favorite
variety grown by us. The word ata'ki means white; but when applied to corn
we translate soft white, to distinguish from ata'ki tso'ki, or hard white. The
use of ata'ki, or soft white, was very general, since it could be made into
almost every kind of corn food used by us. "It is the one variety," we used
to say, "that can be used in any and every way." Soft white corn, parched and
pounded into a meal, was boiled with squash and beans to make mapi' nakapa'.
The unparched grain was pounded for meal to make ma' nakapa'; but although
good, we did not think the mush made from soft white meal was as good as that
from the hard white corn meal. "Boiled Corn Ball". A less frequent dish made
from soft white corn was boiled corn balls; it was made only from the dried
ripe grain.
I pounded quantity of grain into meal, and poured the meal into a pot having
hot water - but not too much water- stirring it well about. I now lifted out
some of the mass into my left palm and patted it down with my right, making a
cake about as big around as a baking powder biscuit, but not so thick. This
cake I dropped into a pot of boiling water, where it sank to the bottom. I
continued until the pot was full, or until I had all I wished to cook. No salt
or other seasoning was added. As the pot boiled, one could see the corn cakes
move around in the water; but they never floated, nor did they break apart.
The boiling lasted about an hour. In older days we ate these corn balls
alone; now we more often eat them with coffee. (BBW)