My wife looked me in the eye this afternoon and told me she had something to say to me.
I braced myself for both the worst and the best.
In an instant, I imagined her telling me:
"I've been cheating on you all along."
or, "After having your penis, I'm ruined for any other man."
or, "What did I ever see in you?"
or, "Do you think a tramp stamp on a 60 year old woman would be sexy?"
or, "Would you be okay if my mother moved in with us?"
It was something much more mundane. She told me that, even though she really isn't fond of cornbread, she likes mine.
I was momentarily stunned, but quickly collected myself...and said, well...of course you do. Because I make it right.
I make it the southern way...not the western way. Cornbread is meant to be savory, not a cake. It's not supposed to be sweet...it's supposed to be crisp and buttery and...well, like cornbread.
You don't make it from a mix, and if Marie Callenders or Jiffy is your idea and your experience with cornbread...no wonder you don't think much of it.
Cornbread is so simple to make, that anyone who buys cornbread mix should feel ashamed of themselves.
All you need is cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, an egg, some milk and a bit of sugar. Did I say a bit?
Yes...a scant 1/4 cup. You're not making cupcakes here...you're making cornbread,
Oh...and you need a cast iron skillet. Sure...you can make it in a pyrex 8 X 8 dish...but it won't come out just right. You need an iron skillet, a deep one...and you melt lalf a stick of butter in it before you pour the batter in. Let the skillet get good and hot, and the butter start to brown...and then turn the batter in and put it in the oven for 25 minutes.
That's good cornbread And it isn't too sweet.
1 cup corn meal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg, lightly beaten
PREHEAT oven to 400°F. heat 1/2 stick butter in 12 inch cast iron skillet till bubbly
COMBINE meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Combine milk, oil and egg in small bowl; mix well. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; stir just until blended. Pour into skillet.
BAKE for 20 to 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Serve warm.
It's the basic recipe on the Albers bag...and it is good. And not sweet like so much of the crap you find in restaurants that they pass off as cornbread.