Cornbread

Background: I've tried many cornbread recipes and hadn't come across a favorite.  My office friend swears by the following recipe:

Combine in bowl:

1 c. flour

1 c. yellow corn meal

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

In another bowl, cream:

3/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. butter

2 eggs

1 c. sour cream

Add dry ingredients to wet, mix lightly but completely

Pour into 8x8 well-greased pan. Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees. Can be easily doubled.


I followed the recipe, with the exception that I used plain greek yogurt in lieu of the sour cream.


Results: Absolutely delicious--this one is definitely a keeper!  I may tweak it a bit in the future and lower the sugar content, but this is definitely my fave recipe to date...

Thanksgiving

Background: It's nice to have lots and lots of folks around for a large Thanksgiving feast. But sometimes, when there's a fractured toe involved that makes grocery procurement difficult, it's nice to do a more intimate and small scale dinner.    The items that finally made the cut this year:

Apps:

Shrimp cocktail with cilantro chutney aioli

Cranberry pecan sourdough bread with rosemary butter 

Cornbread with chipotle apricot preserves

(Had tried making an artichoke soup but was a failure so I didn't serve it...)

Sides:

Garlic and scallion roasted asparagus

Modern Esquites--chili lime corn with queso fresco (which of course, I forgot to put out...)

Chestnut and leek cornbread stuffing (used Trader Joe's cornbread stuffing mix for this part...would use it again, but not use the season packet...and/or would cut it down)

Mashed potatoes (http://theoceanwaves.blogspot.com/2011/11/new-method-of-mashed-potatoesintrigued.html)

Truffled mashed potatoes

Main:

Slow roasted salmon with tarragon, thyme, and cumin grapefruit sauce

Dessert:

Pumpkin flan (would make again)  http://theoceanwaves.blogspot.com/2011/11/next-up-pumpkin-caramel-flan.html

French apple tart (would not make filling again) http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/French-Apple-Tart-363307

Pie crust from Moosewood (would make again)

Green Onion Jalapeno Cornbread

Green Onion Jalapeno Cornbread
(Bon Appetit and Epicurious)


I doubled the recipe.  I only had three stalks of green onion so I used what I had on hand.  I did not measure the jalapeno chile with seeds...Trader Joe's only sold them by the box.  I used three, as part of the doubled recipe.  I also did not reference the directions at the time...so... I melted the butter in a pyrex bowl in the microwave, whisked in then the buttermilk and eggs (opposite order).  




3/4 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 teaspoons minced jalapeño chile with seeds
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, cooled

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Whisk flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in large bowl to blend. Stir in green onions and jalapeño. Whisk buttermilk and eggs in medium bowl to blend, then whisk in melted butter. Add buttermilk mixture to dry ingredients and stir just until blended (do not overmix). Transfer batter to prepared pan (batter will come only about 3/4 inch up sides of pan).

Bake cornbread until lightly browned on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Transfer pan to rack and cool cornbread completely in pan. (Cornbread can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover tightly with foil and store at room temperature.)

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Green-Onion-Jalapeno-Cornbread-231072#ixzz16AxRcjZI

Results: Mediocre...I'm not sure I would make the recipe again...we'll see if it's any better grilled with queso...