Indian Nations

Kanataonesterokhonwe

MOHAWK Kanataonesterokhonwe (the real [corn] bread) with meat. Serves?? Cannonballs was my ma-in-law's pumpernickel -- these babies are nukes. Goes with meat, cuz you run out and clobber a cow with one of 'em!

FLASH UPDATE 1/2/97: Russ reports he forgot to include 2 cups of Oatmeal and claims they won't be cannonballs or nukes if that's added>. I guess the oatmeal gets added to the flour and cornmeal before the boiling water.

Date: Thu, 8 Feb 1996 23:28:38 -0800 (PST)
From: "Costanoan Indian Research Inc." <CANYON@SCILIBX.UCSC.EDU>
Subject: Re: Computer/Web artshow
To: Paula Giese

Hello Paula

Here is a good recipe...

Kanataonesterokhonwe (the real [corn] bread)

Mix 4 cups masa jarina, 2 cups white flour, 8 oz or so cooked, drained kidney beans in large bowl. (10 cornbreads)

Meanwhile you have boiled several gallons of water in a huge pot - likely your biggest one - or else this recipe won't work.

Scoop boiling water into the meal and mix until you get a very thick dough, very hot and sticky - but real nice and solid - no whimpy dough here...

Now - this is why only Mohawk Women can do this right...scoop up a handfull of the hot mix (keep the screaming down - it is not traditional) and using both hands, pat into a ball about the size of a softball and flatten it out just a bit, dropping it into the boiling water - when it floats, it's done and scoop them out as they get cooked. Put it in a bowl or something - it will drain a bit.

While that's hot, you have braised (that's pan fried to you Lakota) a large/huge slab of red meat in a giant skillet with lots of salt and pepper then made a gallon of hot gravy from the drippings.

[PG Note: The slab of meat was obtained by running through the forest and/or neighbor pasture and clobbering a large animal betwen the eyes with one of the cornbreads. A large bear might require several clobberings. A very healthful method of traditional food preparation! You get lots of healthy exercise, running away from the farmer with your dead cow (or from the bear who hung in there after being clobbered with all your ammo).]

Take a bread and cut it into bitesize chunks on your plate, likewise a cut of meat and then pour gravy all over everything. Side dishes could be 2-5 pounds fried mushrooms, 5 pounds of sausages, coffee. Molson. Etonaiawen!

[PG cross cultural note: These are Mohawk exclamations demanding still more to eat, commenting snidely on how slow the cornball hunters ran from the farmer with the clobbered cow, and similar traditional ritual festival exclamations.] You can check on Molson right here...

The fun has just begun.

The next day, fry 1/2 inch slices in drippings until brown (good with catsup) For a special serving suggestion, dip fried bread in maple syrup.

[PG cross-cultural Note: Those of us less primitive than Mohawks who have been corrupted by California will pour maple syrup over sliced corncake and even use knives and forks on the resulting breakfast dish.]

This stuff will keep!

Russ Imrie

CREDITS:As indicated, Kahnawahke Kanienkehake (Mohawk) Russ Imrie. courtesy of his relatives on a recent visit from California to his home reserve in eastern Canada.

A few kitchenary remarks from me: Masa tamales (which are steamed, rather than boiled like dumplings) take 1 part fat to 2 parts (cups) masa harina meal. 4 cups would take 2 cups bacon grease or melted butter, 1 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt. Russ's method will work, but the resulting dumplings will be very heavy. The addition of fat (beaten vigorously into the masa for 15 minutes), baking powder and less hot water will lighten them considerably. Of course then you can't run out into the woods and clobber an animal with one of them.....