RECIPE FOR AN ASH-CAKE
Take a lot of water and add to it a lot of coarse Indian-meal and about
a quarter of a lot of salt. Mix well together, knead into the form of
a "pone," and let the pone stand awhile--not on its edge, but the other
way. Rake away a place among the embers, lay it there, and cover it an
inch deep with hot ashes. When it is done, remove it; blow off all the
ashes but one layer; butter that one and eat.
a quarter of a lot of salt. Mix well together, knead into the form of
a "pone," and let the pone stand awhile--not on its edge, but the other
way. Rake away a place among the embers, lay it there, and cover it an
inch deep with hot ashes. When it is done, remove it; blow off all the
ashes but one layer; butter that one and eat.
N.B.--No household should ever be without this talisman. It has been
noticed that tramps never return for another ash-cake.
noticed that tramps never return for another ash-cake.
That's my kind of eats right there, simple, wholesome, high fiber, plenty of carbon - and butter. Mmm, butter...
His pie recipe and description of German coffee are also excellent. Makes me thankful that I avoid the stuff.
*Not true, I exaggerate a bit. But not by much.
17 comments:
W.C.Fields said that they lost their corkscrew in Afghanistan and had to survive for three weeks on food and water.
LOL - Twain's rant had to do with eating European food and really, really missing American cooking. We used to have some awesome comedians in this country.
I'll have to try that recipe.
My daughter gave me tickets to the Bruins-Hurricanes game Tuesday, so I traveled out and met my son and we went. It was a great time. Sixty, I stopped by your place, but you weren't home. I took this picture. That is your place, isn't it? Real upscale joint there.
Aw crap, you were here! Thanks for tidying up and painting the place. Sorry I missed you. How was the game? I hear it is played on ice.
OT Andrew McCabe fired, Snoozy Sessions comes through, twisted the knife to the very end.
It was really cool. Seriously, though, spectacular. Bruins scored five in the third to steal it. Pastrnak scored his first hat trick all in the third. Best part was spending an evening with my boy. He landed a great job in Raleigh, but is still cheap, like I raised him. Walks to work. Still drives the car we bought him in high school. He took me out for dinner for the first time. It cost $11. That's my boy.
That was a seriously haunting tune.
As for Windbag winding his way out of the hill country to pay Sixty a visit and trade corn pone, that was good too.
It was actually opiates and ChipA's weird experience with the dread brown bottle that prompted me to rest my oars long enough to listen to the Lorelei, after deciding from my own childhood experience with the brown bottle kept in the medicine cabinet that it may have been Paregoric ringing his memory bell.
Over at Althouse today, Rh posted a link to the Stephen Hawking post here at Levity, which prompted another commenter who followed the link to note how pleased he was to find a group of "old commenters" here!
Heard of it, but never heard it.
PS Sam was a bit of a tramp himself after he got out of the Confederate Army.
I could see myself eating ash cake under the right circumstances and washing it down with a cup of gritty cowboy coffee, but I much prefer it not ever happening.
Windbag, it sounds as though you have raised a good son. Well done.
As for TOP - I used to occasionally read something there but she is seriously demented and I try to avoid bathing in polluted water, as it were. Plus now that the link to her site "went missing" here I have no way to get there, not that I am complaining, mind you.
As for coffee - Mark Twain's description of German coffee is amazing. What a gifted writer he was.
Perhaps CL could explain some of the background of Lorelei to us - I have only skimmed the surface of the mythology involved and have never even seen the Rhine. We need someone whose boots have been on that ground to 'splain it to us.
Did Mr. Clemens actually serve in the CSA? He was from Missouri - I wouldn't have expected that.
As to the Lorelei I'll be on the Rhine in October, roughing it with a Viking river cruise... hopefully will avoid the rock/enchantress. Will get back to you.
Hadn't heard that about Clemens either, I'll have to look it up.
windbag, 2nd's on the good job.
Lots of good writin' on the blog here but MamaM can sure paint a picture in the mind.
I concur, XRay, MamaM is an excellent writer and I look forward to her posting here in the future.
Hope all is well with you, MamaM - I know you have been going through some stuff - hang in there.
Yes, noticed that MamaM had been added to contributors after my comment. Good choice.
Sixty Grit said...
Perhaps CL could explain some of the background of Lorelei to us - I have only skimmed the surface of the mythology involved and have never even seen the Rhine. We need someone whose boots have been on that ground to 'splain it to us.
The Lorelei were similar the Sirens and lured the Rhine boatmen to their doom.
Did Mr. Clemens actually serve in the CSA? He was from Missouri - I wouldn't have expected that.
The Civil War was very bitter in MO. John Fremont's reputation was destroyed there and Fred Benteen's was made there.
Sam enlisted in a small company, but it disbanded soon after. Apparently, he decided it was way too dangerous at home and set off West with his brother who had been appointed Secretary to the Governor of Nevada.
If you read "Roughing It", you know what happened next.
I have read Roughing It - great stories there. And to have been in Virginia City at that time must have been amazing - the fortunes made, well, one of them, anyway, still linger, in the form of Patty Hearst. Thanks, George.
Food is NOT overrated! I mean those folks who live to eat....they're on to something. And yes, I do look forward to lunch.
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