For someone that dabbles in the culinary arts, the one thing I dread the most, even more than creating a food order, washing dishes, or peeling potatoes, is WRITING RECIPES.
“Cooking is one of the oldest art forms. It’s about how you feel. Sometimes I may feel spicy and other days I may feel sweet. Maybe one day you want something salty and the next, something crunchy. Culinary Arts, is just that, it’s self-expression. It’s not set in stone.”
Every time I start a cooking class, whether it is for my middle school students or adults at a couples event, I recite these words. So when you have to write up a recipe that you decided to tweak the other day because you ran out of an ingredient or if you wanted to try something different, I don’t enjoy having to write it down in order to replicate it the next time around. Trying to get the measurements right because your audience needs a guide when you’ve eyeballed everything until it tasted right is definitely a bee-eye-tee-see-aytch. However, don’t assume we wouldn’t share one with you. I complain about having to write it down or blog about, but listen, if you ask, kindly at that, you shall almost always receive it.
At last night’s third Chef Showdown hosted by friends and professional event designers & creators, Jabber Al-Bihani of Komeeda & Helena Wong of Peatix (plug, plug!), a young woman, fellow foodie, and guest did just that.
“I just want to let you know that your cornbread was so deeeeelicious. I wish I can make it but it’s not like you’d give me the recipe.” (what I took from the statement…haha)
I immediately responded, shockingly, offering to send it to her. Then, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut long enough and committed to posting the cornbread recipe up on our blog. I wanted to change the misnomer that chefs do not like to share their recipes. Well guess what, I can’t speak for everyone, but if you like something I made, you can most definitely have the recipe. Why not? It’s a testament that you just created something amazing and now it will be shared and reveled about for ages. Unless they make millions from it, then you really have nothing to fear. In that case, save all records of communication. LOL.
So here it is, the cornbread recipe that caused me to post my first blog on EEMAS CUISINE. I served it smothered in a Pumpkin & Mushroom Bolognese and a Sage truffle Oil drizzle, a Serve M.E. Now Fall dish favorite.
To the beautiful young woman who asked for this recipe because she wanted to make it for her man friend this weekend, enjoy and good luck!
HAPPY COOKING & DELICIOUS EATING!
…btw, if you’re looking for pics, well then good luck trying to find them. you’re already hella lucky you got me to blog the recipe. why don’t you try this recipe out and post it to social media. tag @eemascuisine and #lisasultimatecornbread. then, we’ll have those pics you wanted…
LISA’S BOMB CORNBREAD | Serves about 8 depending how hungry y’all are | Vegetarian
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Butter, unsalted
2/3 cup Granulated Sugar
2 Eggs, whole
1 cup Buttermilk
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 cup Cornmeal (I like coarse ground over a finer grind)
1 cup AP Flour (‘AP’ is for Al-Puporse, just in case)
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
Spray Oil for cooking
Mise En Place* & Directions
*”Put in Place”: I want you to put your mise en place together by pulling out all your ingredients to make sure you have everything you need and follow the instructions below.
– Preheat your oven to 375ºF.
– Measure your butter, set aside.
– Measure your sugar, set aside.
– Crack your eggs into a small bowl, set aside, You want to make sure you have a bright yellow yolk and there are no discolorations or blood. Plus, you can make sure you don’t have added crunch via eggshells.
– Combine baking soda and buttermilk. Mix and send aside.
– Measure, sift, and combine your dry ingredients: cornmeal, flour, and salt.
– Spray your 8″ square pan.
1. Melt butter in a large skillet on low to medium heat. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and whisk until well blended.
3. Add the buttermilk-baking soda mixture and stir into the butter-sugar-egg mixture. Then, stir in your dry ingredients until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick interred in the center comes out clean. Enjoy! 🙂
CHEF FLO’S NOTES:
~ NON-DAIRY: Substitute butter with Earth’s Balance Spread and buttermilk with an alternative milk such as almond, soy, coconut, hemp, or oat milks.
– GLUTEN-FREE: Substitute ap flour with a GF AP Flour or Rice Flour.