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“The Favorite Recipes of the Virginias” is a collection of recipes that, together, build a window into the White, late-'60s women’s club culture. It has a more-than-abbreviated history of cooking in both Virginia and West Virginia that serves as its introduction, the recipes for card party appetizers and something called Jefferson Davis pie. It’s a lean piece of ephemera with a few black-and-white food photos.
Each recipe is credited to one woman, and we're also told the town or city she's from and her role in a women’s club, i.e. secretary or past president.
And it includes nine recipes for corn pudding, with only slight variations. Stephanie Burt made corn pudding, made by from “The Favorite Recipes from Virginia” cookbook Monday, Aug. 9, 2021 in North Charleston.
Corn pudding must have been a popular (and competitive) dish in the states — and specifically within these women’s social lives. A traditional dish most associated with the Appalachian Mountains, you can find plenty of variations on it online. The current corn pudding iteration might include — in addition to corn, of course — anything from sour cream or cream cheese to a 1⁄2 cup of sugar or fresh thyme.
So, if you’re a “more-is-more" cook, a quick search will provide delicious results. These 1967 recipes are decidedly simpler and bake up decidedly less fluffy, allowing the corn flavor to take center stage. Deciding on fresh corn narrowed down the recipe candidates, and Edna Thomas was the only one who used a water bath, a method that adds some insurance against the pudding drying out no matter the fresh corn used (fresh kernels can have varying water content).
Essentially, this is creamed corn, with a binder of eggs to make it slightly more firm. I cut fresh-off-the-cob Silver Queen corn and “milked” the cobs by running the back of the knife over the cut cob to extract more sweet starch from it. It’s an old trick, and the corn and juice that resulted was sweet enough to omit the sugar, which I did.
Corn that has been soaked in water is cleaned off the cob to make corn pudding, made by Stephanie Burt, from “The Favorite Recipes from Virginia” cookbook Monday, Aug. 9, 2021 in North Charleston. Grace Beahm Alford/Staff I also upped the salt a bit, omitted the pepper and instead added a teaspoon of onion powder, which didn’t affect the color or the texture but provided more of a savory base note for all that creamy sweet.
The black pepper would still be fine here, especially ground fresh as a garnish once served. Source: "Favorite Recipes of The Virginias: Contains 900 Recipes From Women’s Club Leaders in the Virginias.” Advisory Editors: Janet L.
Ceron, Mildred Dransfield, and Ruth A. Hackman (Chairman). Favorite Recipes Press, 1967.
Crisp outsides, airy insides: A recipe for popovers where looks don't matter From Mrs. Edna S. Thomas, Past Sec.
, PTA, Mineral, Va. 2 cups corn 2 eggs, beaten 1 tablespoon butter, melted 3⁄4 cup milk 1 tablespoon sugar 1⁄4 teaspoon salt Dash of pepper Combine all ingredients. Pour into greased baking dish and set in a pan of hot water.
Bake at 350 degrees until set, about 50 minutes. Yield: 6 servings. Corn pudding, made by Stephanie Burt, from “The Favorite Recipes from Virginia” cookbook Monday, Aug.
9, 2021 in North Charleston. Grace Beahm Alford/Staff 2 cups fresh corn 2 eggs, beaten 1 tablespoon butter, melted 3⁄4 cup milk 1 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon salt Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, then pour into a greased 8-inch round or 9x9 ovenproof dish and set in a pan of hot water.
Bake in the water bath at 350 degrees until set, about 50 minutes. Serve immediately. Bring New Orleans home with this baked Creole shrimp recipe.
