Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Bread

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I love Austin, Texas. The people are warm, the food is amazing, and the weather -- well, let's not talk about the weather. Let's stick with the people and the food. One morning while eating breakfast at an Austin eatery, I started chatting with a lovely elderly couple. The conversation quickly turned to food: we talked brisket, chili, Shiner bock (which they drink from the bottle), and cornbread. When I told the wife that I had never made corn bread in a skillet, she replied, in a dramatic affected Southern accent, "Well, dahlin', if it ain't made in a cast-iron skillet, then it ain't cornbread."

She shared how her skillet had been in her family for three generations and how she wouldn't dream of making cornbread in a regular metal pan or glass baking dish. I would love to have my own sentimental tale about a family cast-iron skillet, but the truth is that we don't have one. And while my mom did make cornbread, it usually came from a Jiffy box -- and I wasn't gonna tell that to the Texan with the third generation cast-iron skillet.

Although cornbread is a Southern staple, it comes in numerous regional variations. Some of the most memorable ones I've had include a New Mexican cornbread studded with fiery hatch chilies, a New Orleans cornbread laced with Cajun spices and Cheddar cheese, and a North Carolina cornbread made with buttermilk and bacon. My favorite, however, remains the one I ate when I was a kid in New England: dense, sweet cornbread toasted with butter and drizzled with honey.

There aren't too many people who don't love cornbread. It's easy, versatile, and satisfying. It's delicious on its own, dunked in a bowl of hot chili, or used as a mop for excess BBQ sauce on your plate. It can be simple and plain or chock full of add-ins such as bacon, corn kernels and peppers. There's a cornbread to suit just about any taste.

This was made in a 9- by 9-inch square baking dish, not a cast-iron skillet. Sure, I could go buy one, but to me, that's one of those things that should be passed down in a family. And since my grandmother and mother cared a lot more about making gravy and meatballs than cornbread, skillets didn't feature prominently in our house.

Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread

Makes 16 pieces.

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably coarsely ground

1/4 cup sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup canola oil

1 small jalapeno, finely chopped

1/2 cup corn kernels

1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped

1. Place rack in center of oven, and preheat to 425 F. Coat a 9- by 9-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add eggs, milk and oil. Beat with an electric mixer until just smooth, about 1 minute. Stir in jalapeno, corn, cheese and cilantro.

3. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

 

Susan Russo is a freelance food writer in San Diego. She publishes stories, recipes and photos on her cooking blog, Food Blogga. One for the Table is Amy Ephron's online magazine that specializes in food, politics, and love.

 

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