The Gritty,Wonderful Truth About Cornmeal

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Serve the pieces of chicken (or rabbit) on top of—or beside—the polenta, layer on plenty of sauce, and enjoy!

CORN BREAD

I hope you have a well-used iron skillet to bake this in. If not, make a note to acquire one ... and in the meantime, cook this southern-style (sugarless) corn bread in a well-greased 8 X 8 baking pan.

1 cup of coarse, yellow cornmeal
1 cup of flour (white or whole wheat)
2 to 3 tablespoons of powdered milk
4 teaspooms of baking powder
1 -1 /2 teaspoons of salt
1 cup of milk or buttermilk
1 egg
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 to 3 tablespoons of wheat germ

If you're using a well-greased baking pan, preheat the oven to 425° while you sift together all the dry ingredients except the wheat germ (which won't go through the sifter too well), or simply stir all the dry ingredients together thoroughly in a bowl. Then stir in the remaining items—milk, egg, vegetable oil, and wheat germ—and mix until you have a uniformly moist mass. Finally, scrape the batter into the baking pan, smooth it down into the corners, and bake 20 to 25 minutes until the loaf is golden brown.

If you're using an iron skillet (good for you!), put the skillet—containing the vegetable oil-in the oven and let it warm while the oven preheats to 425°. Prepare the batter (minus oil) as above, then—when the corn bread mix is ready and the skillet hot—take the frying pan out of the oven, tilt it back and forth to spread the oil over its surface, pour the excess oil into the batter, stir, and quickly pour the mix into the hot skillet. In 20 to 25 minutes, you'll have a delicious, piping-hot corn bread with a wonderful, brown bottom crust.

CHILI CORN BREAD

Serve this hearty bread with a green salad, and you'll have a filling supper for 6 to 8 people.

6 tablespoons of butter
4-ounce can of whole green chilis (look for the words "roasted and peeled" on the label)
4-ounce jar or can of red pimentos
2 eggs
3/4 cup of milk
1 cup of white or yellow cornmeal
8-ounce can of cream-style corn (or 1 cup of fresh-cut corn kernels)
1/2 pound of cheddar or jack cheese, grated
1-1/2 teaspoons of salt

Preheat the oven to 400°. Cut the butter into chunks, place them in a heavy casserole, then slip the baking dish into the oven. (Caution: You want the butter to melt, but not scorch . . . so keep an eye on it.) Next, chop the chilis and pimentos. Place the eggs and milk in a large mixing bowl, and stir in the cornmeal, corn, chilis, pimentos, and grated cheese. Add the salt and most of the melted butter from the casserole. (Do leave a little butter in the casserole's bottom at this point, and swirl it around to grease the container's sides.)

Now pour the corn bread mix into the hot casserole, and smooth the top of the batter with a spoon. Bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out dry. Serve hot or at room temperature ... it's delectable either way!

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