Shopping Around the World

 This month we are highlighting items that you are known for.   This is easy.  Mom is *known* for her cornbread.  Here in the south, cornbread is an important side to any meal.  And some of you friends have asked how mom does her cornbread.  So without further ado, here it goes 🙂 – take it away mom!

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The ingredients to my cornbread are very simple.  In the south, you will find several different versions of cornbread – some with sugar, some with corn, some with jalapenos – the list goes on.  You can make it anything you want in a cornbread.  We often serve cornbread with chili, soups or good old Sunday dinner.  This is a recipe that I tweaked from my family that is so simple.  Here is what you will need:

Two large eggs ($0.26); three strips of bacon ($1.00); a cup of milk ($0.40); a cup of cornmeal ($0.40); and melted butter ($0.20) = total $2.26

AND if you have one (being in the south we have several in different sizes), you need a small iron skillet.

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Turn on your over to 350 degrees to preheat.  Take the 3 strips of bacon and cut them in small pieces (sometimes we use more – depends on who you are making it for).  Put your iron skillet on the stove on medium and fry the bacon.  Once the bacon is done, remove the bacon to the side and put in your butter.  Let all of this melt together – the butter and the bacon grease.  Trust me, you will love the taste of this when the cornbread is finished.

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Now, take your milk and eggs and mix them together.  Slowly merge together the flour with salt/pepper and add the cooked crumbled up bacon.  The batter is going to be in a thick consistency – that is what you are looking for.  Now, take your batter and pour it into your HOT skillet.  You should hear a sizzle.  That is the sound you want to hear.  Once the batter is in your HOT skillet, place your skillet in the oven and set the timer for 30 minutes.

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At 30 minutes, take your skillet out and your cornbread should pop right out of your skillet into a plate.  Serve slathered in butter or crumble up in your soups/chili.  The inside will be moist and hot.  And while you are eating, you will enjoy the buttery bacon taste.  Please try one and let me know what you think.

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Here in the south, we even take a cold glass of buttermilk and crumble our cornbread in it for a meal.