January 10, 2013
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Cornbread…..the food of life!!
HEAVENLY CORNBREAD
Being raised in the deep south, I went straight from mama’s bosom spigots to cornbread. This wonderful food has been a part of my lineage for generations. My great grand mother healed my grand dad of a rabid squirrel bite by feeding him cornbread and butter milk everyday for a week. My own mother recovered from anorexia by consuming large quantities of pinto beans and skillet fried cornbread. Personally, I know for a fact, that I would have turned out brain ignorant if it had not been for a lifetime of collard greens cooked in ham hocks and served along side stacks of cornbread squares.
There is so much to say about this wondrous food, that I’m afraid to say too much, else Obama might just tax it. All same, I have used my unignorant brain and done some reading in the matter. There is a great misconception in the Bible, (caused by anorexic Greek translators), that in the Book of Exodus, God fed the children of Israel with manna from heaven. It has now been disputed and according to researchers at Sorghum University in Alabama, it was cornbread that the kitchen angels tossed down to those starving folks wandering around lost in that desert. Once they got their belly’s full, they were finally smart enough to read a map and find Canaan, the land of buttermilk, honey and cornbread.
This is what I serve along with my homemade vegetable soup. On a chilly day the combination tastes wonderful….even on a hot muggy day it still taste good.
Start with 1 box ‘Jiffy’ corn muffin mix, 8.5oz. (or your own mix that makes 6 muffins), then add;
1/3 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup cooked corn (mushed)
2 tbsp chopped chives
1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/3 cup oil
12 pieces of cream cheese (each the size of a garbanzo bean).
1/2 cup melted butter
1 12oz bottle of beer
Use a metal 12 muffin pan. Put ½ teaspoon of oil in each section. Then put the pan into the oven and set it for 400F to preheat. If your stove is set for Celsius, then most likely they don’t sell cornmeal in your neck of the woods anyway, so never mind. Prepare the basic cornbread batter recipe and then mix in all the listed ingredients except for cream cheese and butter. Pull out the ‘hot’ muffin pan and quickly fill all sections 1/3 full. Then push down a small piece of cream cheese into the center of each section until almost covered with batter. Return pan to oven and bake at 400 degrees for about 12-15 minutes while you drink the beer. Oven temps may vary according to how crappy your oven is. When you take out the muffins, brush the tops with a lot of melted butter and serve right away before attracting flies. The 12 muffins will be about an inch high with a crunchy bottom and buttery top. Look at the pic of yesterday‘s batch. Hope you enjoy.
Charlie
Comments (7)
I shall try your recipe…..but I’m frightened! Cream Cheese??!!! I can’t talk as I make mine with buttermilk….
I used to work with this good ol’ boy on swing shift in the oil patch. We would make our rounds, and meet up back at the office to do paperwork. He would bring the cornbread, I would bring the buttermilk. I never knew the two went hand in hand.
I remember in grammar school, growing up in the South too, mine being South L.A., and I would get the cornbread from kids’ school lunches because they were tired of it from home. Not me! I never had it at home. And damn, did the cafeteria lady know just how to make it. Thanks for the memories. Onion?
ooh — that sounds delicious!
Ack! No egg?
@galadrial - one egg when you make the batter……..then add the other stuff.
@UncCharlie - Ok…these sound wicked good…sort of like buttery hush puppies.
I should admit to using TWO eggs…it gives a more “cake” like texture…but with your creamy corn, you might not need it!
i just might try this. sounds great