"Just two old-time things that people have kind of forgotten about"

A come-hither whisper from within a "Beggar's Purse" of wax paper, where one of our Corny Cornbread Mini Muffins poses provocatively atop the dining room table. To make your own: Use the recipe at "Extremely corny and very moist," substituting a cup of thawed, puréed frozen corn if you don't have fresh steamed. Then dollop the batter into a Pam-sprayed mini-muffin pan and bake 15 minutes at 350˚. Yield: 12 minis. See below for how to make wrapper. It's a piece of cake.

"I have just invented the most adorable bit of packaging," we wrote our imail correspondent this morning:

'Was trying to find a cute container for a batch of Corny Cornbread Minis to present as a hostess gift this evening. 'Didn't have any containers or cute boxes of the right size. 'Was about to just put 'em into a reclosable food storage bag when inspiration struck: Wax paper!

She: TELL ALL!!!

We: You place a mini in the center of a six-inch square (half the roll width) of wax paper, draw together opposite corners over the top of the mini and give the thing a twist.

She: AWESOME!! They're called Beggar's Purses, I think, in regard to wrapping little things in dough.

We: I must try it in DOUGH sometime. I LOVE the term, and it fits perfectly with how I stumbled upon it. I do LOVE the look and feel of wax paper. Very sensuous, dreamy … WAXY!

She: LOL. You know whose mother necessity is.

We: Beauty in unexpected places.

 

The structural memory of wax paper is such that the twist held, creating a swirling array that reminded us of the spiraling armies of dancers in the totally awesome opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games, masterwork of former dissident movie director Zhang Yimou, now dissed by critics as "a kind of Chinese Leni Riefenstahl, creating beautiful backdrops for iron-fisted rulers." We caught some of the stagecraft and pyrotechnics — Busby Berkeley on steroids — in the wee hours this morning on NBC. George and Laura were there, bravely soldiering on as the world teeters on the edge.

"How cute is THAT???" wrote our sis when we imailed the top photo:

She: I think you can do for waxed paper what you did for lard.

We: LOL. May I quote you?

She: Well, just two old-time things that people have kind of forgotten about.

So much good stuff that people have kind of forgotten about, so little time.

Comments

[goomp]

Great entertainment in the world of the Cold Turkey Cook Book. When it comes to old times, let's have a renewal of the Judeo-Christian ethics that made Western Civilization and particularly the USA the most successful in history. Abandonment of these values is heading us toward a saddening decline.

[Elisson]

Looks good enough to eat. In fact, if you use edible rice paper, you can do just that!

[Sissy Willis]

You're making me hungry, Elisson. :-)

[Patti]

Sort of like what Elisson said: I think they make Dim Sum that way.