TheBanyanTree: Lush Puppies

[Dee Churchill]

Down through history different cultures have been cooking up fried bread in
one form or another ever since Granny accidentally dropped a chunk of
unleavened in the sabertooth tiger fat being rendered over the fire. I'm
pretty sure it was tiger fat because I remember my favorite Little Black
Sambo story, where he tricked the tiger into chasing him around the
tree...and he ran so long and fast that the tiger melted down into butter.

We are more fortunate than that ancient granny was, in that we have all
kinds of rendered oils in which to cook our food to a rich golden-brown. We
also have a wider choice of grains for the breads we fix, whether baked or
fried, and the South Land, among its many gracious virtues, has given us the
cornmeal-laced Hush Puppy.

I don't pretend to possess anywhere near the number of gracious virtues
you'll find in Dixie but I will give you the Magic Secret of Superior
Breadstuff...which is, simply, USE BEER. Your bread (that includes biscuits
and pancakes and doughnuts and whatever) will be lighter and wonderfully
flavorful and unbelievably fragrant. Nowhere is this happy phenomenom better
demonstrated than with the inspired marriage of cornmeal and beer.

Which is how, in my house, the already marvelous Hush Puppy evolved into the
fantastic Lush Puppy. Here's whatcha do...

In a mixing bowl, combine:

1 cup corn meal
1 cup flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup diced or shredded onion
1/2 cup shredded cheddar (sharp, if possible)
1 handful diced jalapeno pepper*
enough beer to make batter desired consistency**

What is the desired consistency? HellifIknow. I made mine thicker than
pancake batter. Seemed to work fine. You could fiddle with it. The fact that
the cook gets to drink any leftover beer may influence your experimentation.

Drop by the spoonful into hot cooking oil (about 350 or 375 degrees) and
brown on each side. Drain on paper towels. Eat until your eyes cross.

*I happen to have a goodly supply of the pickled jalapenos that are used on
nachos, so that's what I put in the Lush Puppies. However, one can certainly
use the chopped jalapenos that come in the little cans or, even better,
chopped *fresh* fellers. The amount to use will be dependent upon your
individual Thermal Rating. One will not experience the fullest possible
enjoyment from food when one is screaming. If you misjudge on quantity, keep
a cold beer handy. Alcohol really does neutralize lava-mouth quickly. (So
will milk, but not nearly as well.)

**Wiser minds than mine usually suggest using flat, room temperature beer
for cooking. If all I have on hand is what's in the fridge, I simply nuke
what I want to use for the recipe and drink what's left while it's still
cold.

This is the snack food I'll be serving Super Bowl Sunday and it's occurred
to me that these succulent little Lush Puppies would be even more delightful
if one accompanied them with a couple of suitable dips. Like a hot cheese
dip or something with sour cream and avocado. What do you think?

Hugs, Dee...plotting, plotting...