Many may know of the Grandmother that carries her “secret” recipe to the grave leaving the surviving family yearning for that dish which recalls home and family.
My Grandmother was no different.
In the rural environs of North Florida resided my Grandmother’s farm where the family would gather for related events replete with required gastronomical delights.
Cornbread was my Grandmother’s secret recipe which came in the form of corn sticks in the shape of ears of corn. The old Wagner cast iron corn bread pan made seven sticks at a time.
She would never divulge her secret while alive and upon her passing in 1993, left no record of that recipe.
I must interject a bit about my Grandmother here. She was not the kindly old matron of the family one might envision of the grandmotherly type. She killed rats with her bare feet, was bitten by a pygmy rattler on the toe in the yard, held intruders at bay with her shotgun, used Sweet Peach (later Rainbow) snuff prodigiously, and cheated at Checkers on her grandchildren. She read the Bible daily and when finished with the book, started over and read it again. Watching soap operas was nearly the only daily activity which found her indoors. Every day she would call each of her children to let them know what happened to the characters. She spent so much time on the phone, she grew a callous on that ear.
During the dispersal of her possessions, I claimed that corn bread pan and set forth on the journey of recreating her recipe. It was to be a journey that ended suddenly upon a revelation.
Starting with a basic recipe, I used ingredients I knew she had. One key element was bacon grease. On the first try, I had gotten close. Further attempts were hit and miss though each was close, just not quite right. Perhaps, I thought, if I used the same brand of cornmeal she had.
Alabama King cornmeal was her choice. I remember that austere white package with the bright red lettering sitting on her wooden kitchen counter tops. Having purchased a bag, I set forth to conquer this project. Again, I got close but wasn’t quite there. Somewhat at a loss, I looked at the recipe on the back of the bag. It was very close to what I had developed, and as I was not getting any closer, decided to start over basing the recreation on the Alabama King recipe.
It was exact. It was my Grandmother’s cornbread. I tested it out on family and they agreed, I had recreated her cornbread exactly. For decades she had kept her secret. The secret that she had just used the recipe that came with the cornmeal.
For nearly three decades I too kept it secret to carry on the tradition, but since I have shared it with a cousin who was also interested in making it.
Alabama King has since changed that recipe to a more “healthy” version. Too, their cornmeal, in my opinion, is now somewhat flavorless and I strongly suggest using, if available, more locally ground cornmeal.
Here is the link to the current version of the recipe, now called the “Dixie Lilly Cornbread Recipe”. It is virtually identical to the original recipe but for the vegetable oil. In place of “two tablespoons of vegetable oil” add “two tablespoons of bacon grease”, and you have the original Alabama King cornbread recipe – my Grandmother’s secret!
https://dixielily.com/dixie-lily-cornbread-recipe/
Corn Sticks and the Secret of the Grandmother
