| 1 |
Mix chamisa ash with 1/2 cup of cold water and set aside. |
| 2 |
Put cornmeal in piki bowl, pushing a third of the meal to the back of bowl. |
| 3 |
Pour 4 cups of boiling water into the larger amount of cornmeal and stir with a wooden spoon or stirring stick until well blended. Add the rest of the boiling water and continue to mix until the larger amount of cornmeal is moistened. (The dough should be heavy and stiff.) |
| 4 |
Strain ash water through broom straws or a sieve lined with cheesecloth into the dough, a little at a time, until dough turns blue. (Too little ash water is better than too much as you can always add more. If you do use too much, then add another cup of meal from the remaining cornmeal in the bowl and another cup of water.) |
| 5 |
When dough is cool enough to handle, knead it by hand until the lumps are dissolved. Add extra meal, a little at a time, until all the cornmeal in the bowl is blended in. |
| 6 |
Set dough aside and build a fire under the piki stone. |
| 7 |
While the stone is heating, begin adding the cold water to the dough, a little at a time, and continue working dough with your hands. Add enough water to make a smooth, then batter that is the consistency of crepe batter or thinner. The thinner the batter, the easier it is to work with, but some Hopi women prefer thicker batters. As you are making the piki, it may be necessary to add more cold water, since the batter has a tendency to thicken. |
| 8 |
Wipe off the hot stone and oil it with either bone marrow or cooked brains, which will make the stone as slick as glass. The stone may require additional oiling after cooking two or three sheets in order to prevent sticking. |
| 9 |
Dip your hand in the batter and hold a small amount in the curve of your fingers. Spread batter across the stone (touching the stone lightly with your fingers), moving from right to left and back again, and removing any lumpy deposits. Dip fingers into batter again to cool them-one has to work fast to avoid burning the fingers-and continue spreading batter across the stone, over-lapping the previous strip, until stone is completely covered. |
| 10 |
When piki is done, the edges will separate from the stone. With both hands, gently lift it from the stone and place it on the piki tray. (The first piece is "fed to the fire." Also at this time, the stone is asked "not to be lazy and to work well" for the cook.) |
| 11 |
Spread more batter onto the stone and, while it is cooking, gently lift the sheet of piki from the piki tray back onto the stone and let it sit for a minute or two to soften. Then fold the two ends of the piki away from you, as you would a cinnamon roll. Place rolled piki back on tray. |
| 12 |
Lift the sheet still on the stone to the piki tray and spread the stone with more batter. Continue to bake and roll the piki until all batter is used. |