When you get to Week 18 of Dave Raymond’s Modernity course, you’ll be covering “Domesticity vs Tyranny: Versailles, Dictators, and America’s Roaring 20s.” We often think about how the people of the past influenced us, but we don’t always remember what they ate.
While the 20s may have been wild and extravagant for some, President Calvin Coolidge liked the plain and simple in life. He and his wife were not food connoisseurs; rather, they enjoyed the hearty, wholesome food of Vermont, where Coolidge grew up. One of their favorite foods were cornmeal muffins from a Vermont Inn. Finding the White House staff couldn’t replicate the recipe the way she and her husband liked it, Mrs. Coolidge sent for the recipe from the Inn and, tweaking it a bit, created the muffins she and her husband loved.
Mrs. Coolidge’s Cornmeal Muffins
Serves 12
- 1 – 1 1/4 c. MilkÂ
- 2 Eggs
- 2 c. Cornmeal
- 1 c. FlourÂ
- 4 Tbsp. Sugar
- 2 Tbsp. Baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 12-count muffin tin well with butter. Set aside.
2. Whisk together milk and eggs in large bowl. In separate bowl combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pour flour mixture into egg mixture and stir until just combined. If the batter seems very thick, add milk 2 tablespoons at a time until the batter thins out a bit.
3. Pour batter evenly into muffin tins and bake for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
