Buttermilk Cornbread -- Yes You Can!

Is it just me or is it freezing outside?! No. Really. It's cold. Like too cold to go to the grocery store for the sour cream I forgot. However, with a spare minute to catch up on blog posts, I give you Buttermilk Cornbread!

This is not only for those of you who I know appreciate it (and like the biscuits, actually make and email me!) but for those who emailed me about how horrible biscuits are for you -- especially with lard. Shame on me for posting? Nah, shame on you for not just eating one, just one, slathered in butter and jam...Lard be damned. Moderation is the key.

The cornbread is lard free but not buttermilk free -- buttermilk really makes it sing as I found out recently when I made a batch with the regular milk/vinegar substitution. They were not the luscious, buttery goodness they usually feature. (Sorry Erin.) Cornbread purists from north and south will also take note of the sugar content. This was southern for my family -- but most will say this is the Yankee version. True southerners like a little more sugar in theirs. I ate my most recent batch with Chef Cindy Hawkins' green tomato marmalade. Fantastic -- a little squeeze of lemon and this jam sings. So, here it is -- just in time for the coldest winter this decade:

Buttermilk Cornbread

1 cup flour
3/4 cup white or yellow corn meal
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
2 tbsp sugar
1 3/4 cups buttermilk
1 stick butter

First, melt the stick of butter in a pan. Then in a bowl mix the egg and sugar. Alternately add dry ingredients and buttermilk. Pour the melted stick of butter in a pan, then pour in batter and bake until brown. (My mother's note says: Preheat over 10 minutes to 425, then reduce to 375. Bake about 30 minutes.) I like it golden brown on top. The sides will pull away from the pan, and the crust will be the best buttery goodness ever.

Great with beef stew, beans, ham, chili or winter dish of your choice.

Friday Miscellany: Sonic, Cinnamon Rolls and COOL.

Lots going on what with a few openings (Hmmm. Tavern at the Temple perhaps?) and closings (another City Market vendor bites the dust). The press seems to be in full swing as well with end of year trends stories, hot ideas for next year, and the ongoing push for Sunday alcohol and cold beer sales. (Hello, Muncie!) In the spirit of wrapping up the week, check out these bits and pieces you might find of interest in the food world.

Rumors of Sonic's Demise May Be Premature: Peter Romeo at Nation's Restaurant News wants you to know that it was inappropriate for John McCain to call out Oklahoma-based Sonic as victim of the economic meltdown in a recent email to supporters:

In covering companies with financial problems—something Nation’s Restaurant News is doing with increasing frequency these days—we’re painstakingly careful not to suggest that a concern could be going under, unless of course it’s actually filed for bankruptcy. At the hint of a business failing, suppliers might deny credit, loans could be called, prospective franchisees could pass on a contract, landlords could choose another tenant, and new hires might decide to work elsewhere. It’s the business equivalent of declaring someone a criminal because suspicions have been raised.

More at The Scoop.

I Want These: Brioche Cinnamon Rolls -- just in time for cool weekend mornings. From What Geeks Eat.

Country of Origin Labeling: Chicago's COOL law went into effect this week requiring supermarkets to ensure that the source country of many foods including produce and meat is included on the label. It's an interesting idea but excludes the biggest possible offenders -- processed foods and butchers. Me? I want to know where my meat is coming from. More at The Stew.

Three Latest and Best

Buttermilk Cornbread in the Edge Pan: Any recipe that says "first, melt one stick of butter" is OK with me. And that's exactly how my mother's buttermilk cornbread recipe starts. The lovely thing is that the melted butter goes in the pan before the batter and becomes the outside of an incredible, brown, buttery crust. Just perfect for the edge brownie pan. Cooking times needed a little adjustment, but otherwise, wow, so many edges!

Ingredient of the Week -- Brussel Sprouts: Yes, I know brussel sprouts are seriously old school (and some consider them seriously gross) but it's coming up on fall and holiday time and, well, maybe it's the Anglo Saxon in me, but I always crave these little round balls of cabbage-y goodness. Plus, I love the way they grow on a tall stalk. My favorite way to cook them lately? Cleaned, then sauteed in butter, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg, then cut in half and steamed all the way through. Mmmm. Brussel sprouty goodness.

Chaine Dinner at the Columbia Club: Sunday night, had a very lovely, black-tie dinner from executive chef Doug Knopp who came to CC from the late Restaurant du Soliel at the Conrad (post-Jonathan Wright). It was a well thought out dinner and Chef Knopp is clearly a well-trained and highly-skilled professional. (One rarely sees classic techniques anymore more such as the tiny-dice, brunoise.) As a layman, I can only imagine doing 8 courses for a group of serious foodies, industry professionals, and chefs is a little stressful. There were a few execution problems (like the consomme with small diced root vegetables in a glass too narrow for the soup spoons we were given) and a couple of dishes that needed work (like the too-intense, foie gras mousse in a soft cream puff pastry and the roasted endive too bitter for the tuna tartare riding along), but overall the result was delicious. There were flashes of brilliance in the subtlety of the fish course (citrus marinated salmon, sliced scallops, and caviar in aioli) and the formal white-glove service. While the perfectly crispy tempura manchego with a thick, sweet balsamic reduction was the best of the starters, the espresso powder and cocoa-crusted veal tenderloin was the best dish of the meal. Fantastic, perfectly cooked, and so tender, you didn't need a knife. My other favorites of the evening? The Oregon Sunset Bay goat cheese (star of the cheese course), and the five spice ice cream (although mine was melty) with a perfect pairing of a semi-sparkling Malvasio. My favorite wine of the night? Tyrrell's Rufus Stone Heathcote Shiraz 2002. Overall, a very successful -- and delicious -- evening.

Two Minute Warning: I don't know why I do this to myself. I *know* the food ends up disappointing me every time I have brunch at Scholar's Inn, but somehow I always get sucked in by the drink specials -- and brunches feature half-price champagne cocktails (although Mimosas are full price.) I know this popular downtown restaurant is a favorite spot for lot of brunchers, but all I can say is "why"? I always just feel suckered in and mad at myself any time I actually *eat* there. Plus, the scary seafood brunch specials always make me think of leftovers from Tony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential. (I know, I know, stick to the benedicts and pancakes.) This week what did I try? The Chicken "Pot Pie" which was really baby carrots from a bag, peas, a little celery, cubed cooked chicken and a generic cream sauce in a bowl topped with a square of puff pastry. I'm not sure how it was actually cooked or assembled but it looked thrown together on the spot, and it was cold instantly. My friend was smart and stuck with an eggs benedict although it looked like the potatoes had been waiting for a while. Add that to a 10 minute wait for a reserved table when lots of empties were in clear view, people standing around complaining tables weren't cleared when they just didn't do it themselves, long waits for servers, only one kind of bread left ... you get the idea. And in what world do canned mandarin oranges belong on any plate as fruit? Apparently, only in the world of Scholar's Inn. Thank goodness they always have some kind of cheap half-price drink special going. A champagne buzz can cover a multitude of sins.

Simple, Fool Proof Pizza Dough

No clever names here, just something that works for me. I'm not much of a baker, so I'm sure there are improvements on this, but this pizza dough is quick, easy, and most importantly tastes good -- rolled thin, on a stone. (Thanks for my dear and old friend Sara Chapman who passed this on to me many moons ago.)

3/4 cup warm water
1 tsp honey

1 yeast packet (leftover yeast packets can keep in the freezer)

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup semolina (or use 1 cup cornmeal total)

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp olive oil

1. Combine water, honey, and yeast in a small bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes until frothy.

2. Preheat your pizza stones (if using) to 450.

3. Combine dry ingredients, olive oil, and yeast mixture. Knead until blended. Let rise (optional).

4. Divide into 8 pieces. On a floured cutting board, roll each individual piece of dough into a ball, then roll the ball out with a rolling pin for a circle about 1/8 inch thick and 7-9 inches wide.

I am such a cheat and use a tablespoon or so of whatever jarred pasta sauce is in the fridge. (Or pesto, or even an easy cheesy white sauce.) Either way, smear about 1 tablespoon around on the dough. Then you can pile on mozzarella, and add fresh mushrooms, basil, purple onion, and even pepperoni. It's also easy to add Italian sausage, green or red peppers, olives, and even fresh tomato slices. Or, you can skip the heavy white cheese, and use tomato slices, freshly grated parm, and some basil.

Bake at 450 for 10-12 minutes.
Makes 8 individual pizzas. Leftover dough can be frozen.

Pizza and PIE!

Hey, kids! Work, real life, excuses, excuses. But you know I'm climbing out of the bunker when I have what I had for dinner last night -- Mo's wedge salad with *extra* bacon!

Pizza pizza: I've owned several of the individual size pizza stones for *years* and can I say how much I still love them? They're stained and blackened from drips of oil and sauce. They're sometimes crusty after use and I scrape them and soak in plain water. But no matter how they look after years of use, they still work perfectly, giving pizzas a perfectly crisp crust every time. I like thin crusts and I use a lot of cornmeal (all helping with the crispy factor), but my little pizza stones continually preheat well, hold heat, and in general get the job done. On Sunday night, had a (mostly) delightful evening on a friend's deck with pizzas and all my favorite fixins! Perfect! (It helps, too, to have an easy and foolproof crust recipe.)

"Any day is a good day for PIE!" Favorite Pulp Fiction quotes aside, today is pie day at Dine magazine! We'll be tasting and judging pies all afternoon and I'm hoping for some great fruit pies celebrating summer! Cherry, blueberry, strawberry-rhubarb! And don't forget the cream pies -- chocolate and coconut cream (with the ever important whipped cream versus meringue debate). And there will be the Indiana favorites, I'm sure -- buttermilk and sugar cream pies. If anyone needs me later in the day, I'll be home in a sugar coma.

Three Latest and Best

Even with the heat, what's best about this time of year? The long evenings where everyone seems ready to cram in the best of summer the week before the kids go back to school. Most of us think of August as "the hot month", but even the weather seemed to take a back seat in the past few days as we enjoy the best the sunsets have to offer. Welcome to Three Latest and Best: Long Summer Nights edition.

Dinner at Ruth's Chris: What do I love most about being a grown up? Nights like four of us had on Saturday when an impromptu dinner (after a day at the pool) turned into a leisurely supper of cocktails, snacks, steaks, and fine wine. The filets were great (all ordered differently prepared -- hint: get the roasted sweet peppers), the mashed potatoes hit the spot, and the noble bread pudding that arrived swimming in sauce was the perfect end. The wine? A 2004 Caymus Cabernet -- Napa cab goodness.

Bread from Jungle Jim's: The weekend found me in Cincinnati for a quick commando raid on Jungle Jim's. (We didn't have much time.) It seems like I try something new every time I go there and this was the first time we'd raided the bakery. And oh, what a raid it was! The bread was so delicious looking, we opened it in the car! The best? The olive rosemary and the cheddar jalapeno. Tip -- have them slice it for you fresh before they bag your loaf.

Sunday Night at Bella Vita: I'm not a regular at Bella Vita by any means, but as far as restaurants on lakes go, this one can be pretty darn good. The food? Expensive but edible. The service? Surprisingly efficient although it wasn't crowded. And the deck? Perfectly suited for watching the comings and goings of life on Geist. It was pleasantly uncrowded which we attributed to weather, school starting, and the algae scare, but we enjoyed it immensely! Say what you will about the bars and "beach" (and those oh-so-tacky neon lighted palm trees), but we had a blast. (Yes, I did play corn hole. Try not to faint.) Here's a special shout-out to Jim Arnold and his lovely wife (and their entire party) who looked terrific in their summer whites! After dinner, we piled back in the boat and headed out to the lake to watch the spectacular sunset. Hail to long summer nights!

Three Latest and Best

Yellow Curry at Jasmine Thai: "Which strip mall?" Only on 96th Street do you find yourself wondering which generic strip mall contains the restaurant you're eating in. This one happens to be in the same strip mall as Moon Dog Tavern. But having had some really awful experiences at other Thai restaurants in the past, I was pleasantly surprised when our curries where quite tasty. My green curry had green beans in it (strange) but tasted good. My friend's yellow curry, however, was sublime. It doesn't displace Sawasdee for me, but provides another northside option.

Pastries from Rene's Bakery: O, dearest chocolate bourbon pecan pie, how do I love thee? I love thee almost as much as I love the lemony blueberry bread pudding with its crusty sugar coated top. I love thee almost as much as the rich ganache-covered chocolate torte. OK, no way do I love you as much as that chocolate torte from Rene's in Broad Ripple, but still, I like you. Really, I like you a lot.

Food of the Week: Guacamole! When I stumbled across that Costco bag of perfectly ripe avocados last weekend, I didn't know what I was getting myself into. OK, I knew, but I went for it anyway. Four days and five batches of guacamole later, I'm ready for summer! How do I make it? Ripe avocados, tangy tomatillos, juicy tomato, chopped cilantro, and lots of lime and sea salt. Everything chunky and mixed just enough. With fresh, crunchy chips, nothing could be better!