Cornmeal Mush                
(from 1830)
The prehistoric Texans soaked dried corn in lime water to make hominy, which was ground into masa, a type of corn flour.  The early European settlers in Texas also ate a lot of corn -- fresh corn in season, dried corn in the winter, and cornmeal the year round after milling was available.  Dried corn could be boiled and eaten that way, or it could be ground into meal and made into corn mush, corn cakes, or corn bread.  If they made a thick batter, with less water, they could fry it into Johnny cakes or bake it on a clean garden implement for hoe cakes.  For corn bread, they needed a leavening agent, like baking powder or baking soda and buttermilk, to make it rise.  Corn mush is simple food, but add some butter, sugar or honey and a little milk, and you have a delicious hot breakfast.

½  cup cornmeal
2 ¾ cups water
¾  tsp. salt

Sprinkle cornmeal into boiling water, stirring constantly. Add salt and cook for about half an hour.  Serve with sugar and cream.
 

Cornmeal Cake
(from 1830)
1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal
1 tsp. salt
½ cup flour
3 tsp. vanilla
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup butter
8 eggs

Mix the sugar, butter and eggs. Mix the cornmeal and salt together, and combine with the sugar, butter and egg mixture. Add vanilla and cinnamon and mix well. Pour into a floured cake pan and bake at 350.

Fresh Creamed Corn
12 ears of fresh-picked corn
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
½ cup heavy cream
¾ tsp. salt