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The Cherokee have influenced Southern cooking. Here are a few items for you to try and enjoy! Table Grace Now I am about to eat, O Great Spirit, Give my thanks to the beast and the birds whom you have provided for my hunger and pray deliver my sorrow that living things must sacrifice for my comfort and well being. Let the feather of corn spring up in its time and let it not wither but make full grains for the fires of our cooking pots. Now I am about to eat.
IT IS THE WAY "Take only what ye need." When ye take the deer do not take the best. Take the smaller and the slower and then the deer will grow stronger and always give you meat. Pa-Koh the panther knows and so must ye. "O Ti-bi, the bees stores more than he can use.... and so he is, robbed by the bear, and the Coon... and the Cherokee. It is so with people who store and fat them-selves with more than their share. They will have it taken from them. And there will be wars over it..., and they will make long, talks, trying to hold more than their share. They will say a flag stands for their right to do this... and men will die because of the words and the flag... but they will not change the rules of THE (CHEROKEE) WAY. Taken from: "The Education of Little Tree" Pg.. 9 &
10.
CORNMEAL
OLD RECIPE
Use flour corn. This is skinned with wood ashes. Sieve the ashes, out into pot which is full of boiling water. Drop kernels of corn and boil and stir often until thick enough to bubble. Remove corn placed in sieve. After it has been washed thoroughly, let the corn drip dry. While still damp place in the home made corn beater and pound
into meal.
Carol Richmond
BEATER
A beater is made from a hollow log stump. The beating pole is made from a large size tree and a large section is left at the top to give weight.
CORNBREAD FOR TRAVELERS
Since the Native American could not carry their cooking pots and pans, they used what was available. To cook bread the men would cut pieces of bark from a chestnut tree. The dough was put on the inside of the bark and this was placed in front of the fire to cook until done. This was one of the best breads because of the bark and wood smoke.
Carol Richmond
INDIAN SUMMER - is mild weather in late autumn sky is blue - horizon may be smoky. Creamed Dandelion Leaves
1 pound fresh dandelion leaves 1 quart water 2 tbs.. butter 1/2 tsp. salt 2 tbs.. flour 1 cup milk Salt and pepper
Clean and wash the dandelion leaves and put into a 3 quart saucepan. Add water and salt and allow to come to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and drain.
Over high heat melt the butter in a 2 quart saucepan, add the flour and work the mixture into a smooth paste. Add the milk to make a smooth thick
cream. Add salt and pepper.
Place the dandelion leaves, well drained, on a cutting board and chop real fine. Add the leaves to the sauce and mix, reheat if necessary. Serve with meat in large bowl. Delicious served with groundhog meat and sour cream. Stone Griddle Cooking
The griddle, on whose polished surface many dishes are prepared in these modern days, is not a new invention. Indians used a form of griddle, made of a highly polished flat stone instead of the shinny piece of metal now used to cook
their food.
These Indian griddles were carefully made by polishing out a piece of sandstone which had been rubbed with grease and tallow. It probably took weeks to finish making them and they probably were used to cornbread fish and other kinds
of meat.
A stone griddle of the kind the Indians used may be made for use today. Find a flat piece of sandstone (no other kind will do). Place it on four cornerstones and brush and wash the surface of it until it is perfectly clean. Only sandstone will stand the heat of the fire under it. Other types of stone may explode into small chips and
injure the cook.
Make a good fire under the stone to get the griddle hot enough to dry out. Be sure to get the griddle dry and clean before using it. Bear fat or bacon rind may be rubbed into the griddle and now you are ready to cook.
FRIED GREEN TOMATOES
6 medium green tomatoes, sliced 2 eggs 1/2 cup flour l/2 cup salt 1/4 tsp. pepper l/4 cup flour
Slightly beat eggs. Dip tomato slices into egg. Mix flour, salt and pepper. Roll tomatoes slowly on both sides. Add more butter as needed. YELLOW SUMMER SQUASH
3 yellow squash 1 onion 1/2 stick butter
Sauté squash and onion in butter. Cover until tender. Serve hot Serves 4. FRIED ZUCCHINI
3 large zucchini peeled and sliced flour, oil, salt
Coat all sides of squash with flour. Fry in 1 inch of oil until tender. Drain and sprinkle with salt.
Timexx's Favorite Christmas Cookies
1/2 cup shortening 1 cup brown sugar 1/2 cup white sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 3/4 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup chopped nuts 1 cup carnation milk
Mix thoroughly shortening, sugar and eggs. Stir in milk and vanilla. Mix in salt, flour and soda. Blend in nuts. Chill one hour. Bake on greased sheet 10 minutes at 375 degrees.
Burnt Butter Icing
2 tablespoons butter till golden brown, beat till smooth, add 2 cups powdered sugar, 1/4 cup carnation milk. Spoon on warm cookies. INDIAN FRY BREAD
2 cups flour 1/3 cup powdered milk 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoon shortening 3/4 to 1 cup warm water oil for frying
Mix dry ingredients. Cut in shortening until crumbly. Add water and mix until soft. Knead until dough is smooth and springy. Make into 24 balls. Let rest 30-45 minutes. Using both hands stretch to thin rounds. Fry in oil at 365 degrees until lightly browned, turning once. The oil should be about 1-1/2 inches deep in pan, keeping oil hot. Serve with butter, honey, powdered sugar or cinnamon and sugar.
Serve with taco meat, chili, grated cheese, diced tomatoes, chopped onions, sour cream, etc. PITTER'S INDIAN CORN AND PUMPKIN CAKES CAKES (ABOUT 18) 1 CUP COOKED CORN 3 LARGE EGGS 3/4 CUP MILK 1/2 CUP FLOUR 1/3 CUP CORNMEAL 2 TABLESPOON MELTED BUTTER 1 TEASPOON SALT TABASCO TO TASTE 1/4 CUP CHOPPED SCALLION 3 TABLESPOONS PARMESAN PUMPKIN FILLING 1/4 CUP MINCED SHALLOT 1 1/2 TABLESPOONS BUTTER 1 1/3 CUPS PUMPKIN 2/3 CUP COTTAGE CHEESE 1/4 CUP MINCED SCALLION 3 TABLESPOONS PARMESAN SALT AND PEPPER
Make cakes by blending in blender corn, eggs, milk, flour, cornmeal, butter and salt for 30 seconds. Transfer into a bowl and stir in Tabasco and scallion; cover let stand for one hour.
Heat a 6-7 inch skillet until hot. Brush lightly with butter. Stir the batter well and pour 1/4 cup at a time into a hot skillet, rotate skillet until batter covers bottom of the pan. Cook cakes until underside is brown, turn and cook the other side until brown. Stack the cakes and keep them
covered.
Make pumpkin filling: In a heavy skillet cook shallot in butter over medium heat until soft. Add the pumpkin mixture and cook one minute. Transfer the mixture into a bowl and add scallion, 3 tablespoons parmesan, salt and pepper.
To serve spread filling into cakes and fold over to form a wedge. Sprinkle tops with parmesan cheese. Serve hot. CORNMEAL GRAVY
4 pieces of side meat 2 1/2 cups milk 1/2 cups cornmeal bread salt to taste
Fry meat to have enough grease to cover cornmeal. Add cornmeal and salt and pepper to taste. Brown meat in grease. Add milk, stir and let boil until thick. Serve hot over bread. CHEROKEE HUCKLEBERRY BREAD
2 cups self rising flour 1 egg 1 cup sugar 1 stick butter 1 cup milk 1 tea. vanilla 2 cups berries (Huckleberry or blueberry)
Cream eggs, butter and sugar. Add flour, milk and vanilla. Sprinkle flour on berries to prevent them from going to the bottom. Add berries. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes. Green Chili Slew
2 lb.. meat, cut into small pieces 2 ears corn (scrap kernels from cob) or 3 cups frozen or canned corn 3 stalks diced celery 3 med. peeled and diced potatoes 2 med. diced tomatoes 5 roasted diced green chili
Brown meat in large pot. Add remaining ingredients along with water to make a stew consistency, cover and simmer approximately 1 hour. 14 Minute Maple Fudge
4 cups maple syrup 1 cup whipping cream 1/4 cup butter 1 cup chopped nuts 1 tea. lemon extract
Cook maple syrup, cream and butter. Boil 9 minutes more after it stands to boil. Remove from heat, add nuts, lemon and stir with a wooden spoon for 5 minutes. Pour into buttered pan. CORN PUDDING
2 cups corn cut from cob 1 zucchini, diced 1 sm. green pepper, diced 2 tbl. shelled sunflower seeds
Blend or mash until milky. Bring to a boil, simmer until it is the consistency of pudding. Serve hot with butter or chili sauce.
Winter Squash Soup
2 tbl. butter 1 cup chopped onion 2 tea. curry powder 3 lb.. butternut squash peeled, cut into 1 in. piece 2 cans chicken broth cups water 1 tea. fresh ginger 1/2 tea. pepper 1/2 cup plain yogurt Melt boiler over Dutch oven. Cook onions 2 minute. Stir in curry powder, cook 1 minute. Stir in all other ingredients. Simmer 45 minutes. Top each serving with a tbl of yogurt.
Photos (c) Copyright 1998-2000 Rose City Net Photos by Danny Farrow (c) Copyright 1998-2000 Pitter's Cherokee Trails
Pitter's Cherokee Trails 105 Broadway Cape Girardeau, MO 63701 573-334-4485
"Pitter's Cherokee Trails" Gift Shop The shop contains books, tapes, and other Native American crafts and gifts.
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