Grandpa Ray's Hush Puppies

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg
1/4 - 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 TBL finely chopped bell pepper

Chop onion and bell pepper and set aside. In small bowl beat together
milk and egg. Next take a larger mixing bowl combine dry ingredients.
Make a hole in the middle of the dry ingredients and dump in your egg
mixture with the chopped onion and bell pepper. Mix by hand only
until dry ingredients get wet. This will take only a couple of stirs.
Let this sit for about 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile you will need a
deep heavy skillet. I use my cast iron one. About 5 minutes before
you are ready to cook, place around 3 inches of canola oil in skillet
and preheat. DO NOT allow it to get to hot or it will smoke. Use
medium flame. Too hot and the hush puppies will burn - not hot enough
and they will be too greasy. Test oil by dropping a tiny bit of
batter into the grease. It should rise to the top. Stop and taste at
this point to see if you need to add more salt. Drop by small
teaspoons into the hot oil. These swell up three times their size. Do
not overcrowd. They will cook very quickly. Drain the hush puppies on
paper towels.

Don't expect any leftovers. People stand around the stove and eat
these as fast as they come out of the pan.
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