This month for Dare to Dine, the trending challenge is to eat old school in order to save money.
In the past, when many items were rationed, flour was in high demand for baking bread, leading
to a shift in breakfast staples. Enter cornmeal, a fundamental ingredient for early American
settlers. This ground meal was used to create many traditional dishes, such as cornbread, mush
and johnnycakes, especially in Southern kitchens where cornbread reigns supreme.
When flour was rationed, cornmeal was used to replace half the amount of flour, giving rise to
what became known as a "poor man's breakfast." Hoe cakes are a more economical version of
pancakes; while they are denser, they provide a budget-friendly option for breakfast. So, don't
think of cornmeal as just breading for fish or hush puppies; it's good for breakfast, too. And in
case you're wondering how it got its name, it comes from a garden hoe weeding the corn fields.
Don't forget, you can make your own buttermilk to save some money; just add a spoon or two of
white vinegar to milk. Enjoy.
Hoe Cakes
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus extra for frying
Directions:
Mix the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt by hand in a medium bowl with a whisk
and set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs with the buttermilk and vegetable oil. Pour the flour mix into
the wet ingredients and whisk by hand until it starts to look like batter. Add about half of the
water, whisk again, then add more as needed until you have a thick batter.
Pour about 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil into a skillet and set it to medium-high heat. Cook the
hoe cakes in 1/4-cup portions until golden brown. Flip and continue cooking on the other side,
roughly 2 to 3 minutes per side.
Transfer the cooked hoe cakes onto a paper towel-lined plate to soak up any excess grease.
