Aren’t Hush Puppies shoes? I know Buster Browns are shoes because I had a pair when I was in third grade. They really were brown and I wore them with my red pants. And one day I accidentally stepped into the horse trough (that was really an old bathtub) and got them wet. They were never the same after that. And even though no one was around to see me accidentally step into the horse “trough”, I was so embarrassed. Shouldn’t I have been more embarrassed that we had an old bathtub in our corral? Probably. But my 7-year-old self didn’t even think of that. It’s amazing we even had a horse in the first place. You see, we are really city folk who like to live in the country. We wear white tennis shoes. Even to the rodeo. We step carefully in all that fluffy dirt, so as not to get our white shoes dirty. But I digress . . . oh yeah, shoes. Hush Puppies. I believe they are a shoe and a food. Just as a dogwood is a tree and a flower. I learned that from the movie “The American President”. Again, I digress. As soon as I heard that hush puppies (the food) were fried, I was sold! And then I learned that bacon was involved. Um, thank you to whoever thought of that! And thank you to my friend, Kristy, who gave me the coolest red baskets to serve them in. She knows me oh too well.
Spicy Ranch Dip
½ c ranch dressing
½ t chili powder
½ t Tabasco sauce
Hush Puppies
vegetable oil for frying
2 c cornmeal mix
1 c buttermilk
1 egg
¼ t freshly ground pepper
1 c shredded cheddar cheese
6 slices bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
Mix sauce ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve.
In heavy saucepan, heat 2 inches of oil over medium heat (350°F). In medium bowl stir cornmeal mix, buttermilk, egg and pepper. Stir in cheese and bacon. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls into hot oil. Fry 2-3 minutes, turning several times, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve hot with spicy ranch dip.
Source: Pillsbury
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