Antebellum Rice Bread

1 tablespoon Melted butter

1 teaspoon Salt *

1/2 tablespoon Melted shortening

1 dash Cayenne pepper (optional)

1 cup Cooked rice

1 cup Milk

1/2 cup Cornmeal

3 Eggs -- beaten

This one is from The Bread Winners Cookbook by Mel London.

This recipe was given to me by an old friend in Savannah, who told me that it was a favorite breakfast bread on the plantations.

* The salt, though traditional, may be eliminated if you choose to do so.

Place the melted fats and the rice in a heavy saucepan, covered, over very low heat. Mix cornmeal and salt and pepper, then stir milk into beaten eggs and blend in the cornmeal. Blend together with the rice mixture and put into greased 8- or 9-inch square pan.

Bake at 450 deg.F. until firm when tapped with finger and well browned on top--about 25 minutes.

Cut into squares to serve.

Makes 1 to 1 1/2 dozen squares.