Corn

Southern Cornmeal Pancakes

May 17, 2010 by Charles 4 Comments

When I first started my blog, my goals were modest to say the least. I hoped a few dozen people would visit my blog each day. I hoped my blog could be featured within the first few pages of a Google search. And above all, I hoped that someone I didn’t already know might leave an encouraging comment.

I’ve met each of my first two goals. According to the blog administrator, my blog receives over a hundred page views each day. The administrator also lists the search terms and hyperlinks that direct these individuals to the pages within my blog. When I keyed some of these terms into Google, sure enough, there was my blog – and on the first page no less!

I’ve also met my third goal – and in exciting fashion. For many months now, …

Blue Corn Posole

May 4, 2010 by Charles 2 Comments

When Caitlin and I were in Santa Fe, several of the restaurants offered a bowl of posole as we waited.

Posole is a thick soup or stew, made from nixtamalized corn (corn that has been treated or soaked with lime and water, or calcium hydroxide). The nixtamalizing process improves the flavor and aroma of the corn, increases its nutritional value, and makes the corn easier to grind. Nixtamalized corn is also referred to as hominy. You may be able to find it in a local grocery store, though I went to a special Latin American grocery store to find mine. (where it was called pozole). It’s also available online.

Because corn was a sacred plant …

Yogurt and Blue Corn Cornbread

May 3, 2010 by Charles 6 Comments

A few weeks back, Caitlin and I went to Santa Fe for her Spring Break.

Driving into Santa Fe, we were greeted by breathtaking scenery, snow-capped mountains rising in the distance, with parched tracts of desert-land and spotted cacti dotting the roadside. The city itself encapsulated this sense of beauty and wonder. The entire city burst with color. Every building in Santa Fe was built in the adobe style, and the pink hues created a stark contrast with the cloudless blue sky. Dragon-red chili peppers hung from nearly every veranda, tempting both your visual and olfactory senses. The city teemed with art – from the Georgia O’Keefe Museum to the record number of galleries to the Native American artists selling their craft in the open-air downtown square.

The cuisine was yet another form of art available in Santa Fe. New Mexico is justifiably famous…

Sour Cream & Honey Cornbread

February 11, 2010 by Charles 2 Comments

Despite its relative utility, chemistry never held much sway. Instead of chemical compounds and balanced equations, I preferred studying the subjunctive tense for être and avoir, or drawing the shape of parabolic curves, or studying the machinations of medieval European princes. Even looking at plant cells seemed more interesting than mixing chemicals.

Admittedly, some of my classmates saw things differently. Walk into a French, Algebra, or History classroom, and the setting is sedate and similar: rows of desks, facing a blackboard. Walk into a chemistry classroom, and the mood is one of potential and excitement: Bunsen burners, microscopes, lab coats, test tubes, fire extinguishers, and an emergency chemical-bath. As one of the Chemistry teachers liked to boast, “You can’t die in English class.”

And yet, all I could muster up was a stifled yawn. Chemistry …

English Cheddar Cornbread

November 30, 2009 by Charles 4 Comments

In addition to cranberry sauce, cornbread and turkey just seem like one of those perfect pairings.

Cornbread is a so-called quick bread, because it doesn’t contain yeast, and doesn’t require any rising or kneading. These traits make it perfect for Thanksgiving, when the number of dishes and burners going at once can be overwhelming. Beyond being quick and easy to prepare, its hearty, yet uncomplicated – requiring basic pantry staples.

Another advantage to cornbread is its adaptability. Cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt are a given, but beyond that, …