Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Hometown Cooking - Recipe #1



(My plate of FLITTERS: You will notice is already one short ! When it is this good, you HAVE to eat as soon as it comes out of the skillet!)


Being raised in "rural" WV, I had some wonderful cooking tips handed down to me... from some wonderful "country cooks". What fun! Over the course of.... well, from here till whenever, I am going to periodically share some of our favorites with you!

When I first got married, I had only "perfected" a few cooking specialties. Like most of us, being a good cook takes practice. When my children were toddlers, we moved to an area where there were limited "fast food chains", so our family just "recreated" all the usual favorites. The "McBride Taco Salad" has become a standard favorite. (Be watching for that recipe blog very shortly!).

Today, I want to share a simple recipe for "Flitters". You may laugh and ask, "What is a FLITTER?" Well, a flitter is a bread-like, pancake that you can make quickly and easily. I have made both flour and cornmeal flitters.

Flour Flitter ingredients:

Flour (I use self-rising Hudson Cream Flour...the BEST!)
Buttermilk
Water
Oil/Skillet

Cornmeal Flitter ingredients:

Cornmeal (I like to use Martha White Buttermilk Cornmeal)
1 Egg
Milk
Oil/Skillet

Of course, a true country cook never measures her ingredients, so you'll just have to mix the above items to your liking...that's how we roll! Some people like a more "crispy" flitter, so you would make the batter thinner. Some like a more "cake like" flitter, so you would keep the batter thicker. If you like a "sweeter" cornbread, you may want to put a little sugar in the cornmeal flitter.

Just like cooking pancakes, the flitter must be cooked in a "HOT" skillet. If you are like me, the first one is always too greasy....soaks up too much oil. I have to admit, I am anxious and do not wait for the skillet/griddle to get hot enough. But, the second (and subsequent) flitters are perfection! Cook to your desired tenderness, crunchy or fluffy!

Flitters are best served HOT and with such choices as;

Beans (Brown, Pinto, Northern, Navy...), Sliced Tomatoes, Fried Potatoes, Kraut w/Keilbasa and Green Onions on the side. YUMMY!

They are very quick to make, helping the busy mother/wife to put a nice meal on the table without taking all day.

I am a firm believer that a good meal can be prepared in under thirty minutes. Yes, I take longer when I am making a special meat or casserole, but when the hubby is hungry, let's get it on the table a.s.a.p! Keep him (and the kiddies) happy... you are happy....everybody's happy! :)

I have to admit that I did not come up with the FLITTER recipe myself. My mother-in-law makes the very best in the world! I told her she could put up a bean & flitter sign and make a fortune. She has showed me how to cook some awesome meals, and I will continue to share her secrets with you!

So, next time you want to add something a little "special" to your ordinary meal, whip up a "Flitter". Your family will love them, smile and ask for more!

6 comments:

  1. Mmm! I've never heard of flitters. :) They look delicious.

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  2. They are amazing. My grandmother would make them for me before she past away. Since then, this place hasn't seen a flitter. She was the only one that knew how to make them.

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  3. I'm 25 and grew up with flitters. I can't get enough.

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  4. Hi from Logan WV. Thanks for the recipe!!!

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  5. Oh my gosh!! I did not think anyone else new about flitters! My grandma was from West Virginia and she used to make them for me all the time. I never learned how and I thought when she died I would never have them again. Thank you!

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  6. My grandmother made these and we made sandwiches with them...mayo and tomato.....best ever. We also used these and made syrup with brown sugar and water and it was a poor man's pancake breakfast. Staple on the table at just about every meal. These are awesome. Better fixed in lard and a cast iron skillet.

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