deep in the heart

I just got back from eastern Texas and now all of my clothes smell like mesquite. I was staying in Beaumont but working in Orange County. Vidor is in Orange County, which is the one city in the USA where, according to Neil, the KKK is alive and well.

Anyway, here's a recipe. Its from the Moosewood Cookbook. Emily and I grilled corn the night before and put the kernels of two of the cobs in the batter of the corn bread. We also doubled the recipe and cooked it in a 12-inch cast iron pan instead of the square 8-inch pan the recipe calls for. The benefit of cooking corn bread in a cast iron pan is that you can get the sides and bottom really crispy. All you have to do is get the pan very hot and coat it with canola oil before you put in the batter. Then bake as normal. Here's the recipe:

Buttermilk Corn Bread

Materials

8-inch pan or 12-skillet (double recipe for this one)

1/4 C honey
1 C buttermilk
1 egg
1 C yellow corn meal
1 S unbleached white flour
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
3 T melted butter

Beat together egg, buttermilk and honey. Mix together all dry ingredients well. Combine all ingredients, including melted butter, and mix well. Spread into buttered pan and bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees.