Mrs. Larkin is a trusted source on Baking.

added over 2 years ago

wow! that's beautiful! Not sure if Native Americans made popcorn, BUT can you pop it like popcorn?? (for the kids). Popcorn is very exciting, I think. ;-)

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Barbara is a trusted source on General Cooking.

added over 2 years ago

Wow, you have an exciting life! If you can pop it like popcorn, you can make thirschfeld's tipsy maple corn http://www.food52.com/recipes...
for teh adults!

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hardlikearmour is a trusted home cook.

added over 2 years ago

from On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee: Wet-milled Corn: Masa, Tortillas, Tamales, Chips. Tortillas, tamales, and corn chips are made from corn grains that are milled when wet, after they have undergone the preliminary cooking step called nixtamalization. The corn is first cooked in a solution (0.8-5%) of calcium hydroxide, or lime, for a few minutes to an hour, then is left to steep and slowly cool for 8 to 16 hours. During the steeping, the alkalinity softens the hull and cell walls throughout, causes the storage proteins to bond to each other, and breaks apart some of the corn oil into excellent emulsifiers (mono- and diglycerides). After steeping, the soaking solution and softened hulls are washed away, and the kernels, including the germ, are then stone ground to produce the dough-like material called masa. Stone grinding cuts the kernels, mashes them, and kneads the mass, mixing together starch, protein, oils, emulsifiers, and cell wall materials, and the lime's molecule-bridging calcium. With further kneading, this combination develops into a cohesive, plastic dough.
Hope this answers at least some of your questions.
If you dry mill you could make grits, cornmeal or corn flour instead. Maybe make some blue corn pancakes for the kids.

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betteirene added over 2 years ago

Blue Corn Muffins with Pumpkin Butter and some kind of jerky/pemmican.

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susan g added over 2 years ago

I'm reading "Blue Corn and Chocolate" by Elizabeth Rozin. "Blue corn is usually dried whole or ground into a meal for breads, gruels, and dumplings" by natives of the American Southwest. However, that wonderful blue color seems to need the alkaline treatment (traditionally, saltbush or juniper ashes) -- but "can be obtained with ordinary baking soda or calcium carbonate."
I know there is commercially available blue corn for popping (which looks white when popped), but I think it is a different variety. And also FYI, popcorn was known by the ancient Americans.
I'd love to hear how this all ends up. ...and was the corn grown locally (to you)?

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thirschfeld added over 2 years ago

Blue corn crepes! Fresh masa is ground wet. Many times you can buy fresh masa at Mexican groceries. It makes for great totillas and excellent tamales. The dry stuff in the bag is great but it is instant masa and is handled differently. Lucky you to have such beautiful blue corn.

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Thanks, folks!

Never even thought to look in McGee for this!

Won't do popcorn, as susan says, all popcorn looks white once it's popped, so why bother? Thinking about trying this for the school event:
http://www.nativetech.org...
and maybe serving slices with a sweet pumpkin relish/jam so I get all "three sisters" in.

The corn was grown for me in Swaziland. I have a homestead there from my Peace Corps days (92-94). I had brought a packet of seed back from the US a few years ago, grew a few stocks in my garden in Joburg and then took the ears to them for seed. Maize is the staple crop in most of Southern Africa, but mostly hybrid white. It's all what you would call in the US, field corn, ie. starchy rather than sweet. Mostly, they grind it and make a stiff porridge which is served with everything: meat, beans, vegetables, etc. Traditional food in this region has none of the interest and excitement of west africa...

OK, so pozole and tortillas, here I come!

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Food o' del Mundo added over 2 years ago

Fabulous! We have something in common - I'm an RPCV too (from Thailand) and I lived in S.A. for a couple years as a kid.
I'm thinking some Blue Cornmeal Muffins with Dulce De Leche: http://foododelmundo.com... or a grander version from Sky High Cakes Blue Cornmeal Cake: http://foododelmundo.com...

Good Luck - be sure to let us know how the grinding turns out.
~Mary

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susan g added over 2 years ago

I checked the link, and saved it for Thanksgiving. Let's give them the real thing!Here's another one with similar direction: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe...

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