In 2006, Allen Canning Company changed its name to the simpler Allens. Headed by the third generation of the Allen family, the Arkansas-based company is the source of all sorts of country-tasting goodies. Many of these goodies are canned with other brand names, such as Sugary Sam, Popeye, Trappey's, and so on. Some of these brands were purchased (e.g., Veg-All) rather than representing new product lines developed by the company. Since I was familiar with the East Texas Fair brand, I always thought of the company was Texas-based. *sigh*
The foods that they offer are still well within the tradition of my family's East Texas roots. (Okay, I have some Louisiana roots as well, but the foodways are still roughly the same.) Allens talks about these foods as southern foods, but I tend to think of them as country foods. No doubt this is because, when I was young, I was making a distinction not on region but on urbanization. In the city, we had no garden nor, because of circumstances, did we have a lot of access to fresh produce. When we went to visit grandparents--either in East Texas or in Louisiana--we pigged out on veggies and hauled as much fresh produce as we could back to the city.
My favorite memory from childhood is driving back from Louisiana, sitting in the back seat of the old Chevy, with Mama in the front seat shelling purple hull peas. All the way home, I would be thinking of the incredible meal that awaited us:
- fresh purple hull peas cooked with bacon
- cornbread
- sliced tomatoes, fresh from the garden
- corn on the cob (sometimes)
- fried okra (sometimes)
If anybody else besides Allens cans these peas, I don't know about it. HEB stocks their field peas and crowder peas. Kroger also stocks their purple hull and lady cream peas. You can guess what I buy in Houston and haul all the way home.
3 comments:
I found this recipe for cornbread in a Branson Cookbook that I had bought in Branson MO. This recipe didn't call for flour so you might could make it ahead store and when you want cornbread just had the other things'
2 c plain cornmeal 1 egg beaten
1 tsp soda 2 C buttermilk
1 tsp salt. 2 Tbs melted lard
Sift the cornmeal, soda and salt together. At this point you could seal this in air prove jar or bag and keep til you wanted to make cornbread . If you want to go head then mix in beaten egg, milk and melted lard. Then melt lard in iron skillet or backing pan pour dough in bake at 425 in oven.
That sounds like you could start and make lated.
Moolady
the recipe didn't print right.
2 c plain cornmeal
1 tsp soda
1 tsp salt
could be stored until use
1 egg beaten
2 c buttermilk
2 tbs melting lard
could be added later to cook
Moolady
I'm thinking that anything made with buttermilk would be good! We don't keep it around our house, but I am not above using milk that no one else would drink to mix up the cornbread. My Prince now even asks: "Are you planning to make cornbread, or should I throw this milk out?" There's usually a sort of hopeful sound in his voice, since the boy does love his cornbread.
The soda I hadn't thought of. I will try that and see what happens.
The lard is a whole 'nother issue. Anything with lard is good, maybe even better than with buttermilk, but I need to stay away from it as much as possible. ("More vegetable oil, less animal fat.") On the other hand, there are some vegetable oils that won't work. I tried olive oil with the cornbread once. That was so not right!
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