Learning to love cornbread…
As most of you readers are well, my ethnic background is South Korean, and I’ve spent most of my life growing up here in Australia. What that means is that my cooking and eating habits are a strange mish-mash of cultures - for example, I eat kimchi with almost anything, and I find it difficult to eat rich foods without its clean, sharp, spicy acidity to cut through the richness. While I love a good barbeque, alongside the sausages, lamb chops and coleslaw are galbi (sweet soy marinated short ribs), bulgogi and a variety of Korean sides and sauces. However, despite being open to trying new foods and cuisines, one thing that I’m very unfamiliar with is the American palate, particularly the Southern and Tex-Mex stuff which I’ve had absolutely no exposure to.
Nachos, fajitas, burritos, tacos, chili, refried beans, biscuits and gravy, the list of things that are new or unknown to me could go on for quite awhile. Accepted, this stuff is not for everyday eating as much of it counts as hearty but hardly healthy fare, but it’s still stuff that I’m eager to find out about, along with other cuisines that I don’t know very well. So, when I was approached with an offer to have a cornbread cookbook ‘The Cornbread Gospels‘ sent out to me to review, I was both confused and pleased. Confused, because as a Korean-Australian lass, I knew pretty much nothing about cornbread as it was, but pleased because I thought this would be a good opportunity to learn about a foodstuff that seems to be very much an American obsession.
I was, I have to admit, just a little bit hesitant when I tore open the package that had flown halfway across the world to me. Being a bit of a cookbook junkie, my bookshelf boasts an impressive collection of big, bold books with glossy pages and mouthwatering pictures, so this small little paperback number with the odd clipart image seemed different to me. And then, of course, there was the name of the author to contend with - Crescent Dragonwagon. With a little apprehension and an equal amount of curiosity, I sat down with the book and a pen and paper to take notes and prepared to read my way from front to back of this little curiosity I had received.
Well, it took me two days to work through, but by the time I’d reached the end, I was eager as all heck to roll up my sleeves and get my cornbread mojo on! Crescent is a wonderful writer, and all the recipes come with little anecdotes or notes, and the whole book is peppered with quotes and facts about cornbread, its history and just why it’s such a well-loved part of mealtimes in the U.S. Wonderfully organized and easy to read, it spells out the differences between Southern and Northern styles of cornbread, as well as providing possible menu ideas to serve particular cornbread recipes as a part of, and even a chapter dedicated to ‘tried, tested and true’ cornbread accompaniments, which I found extremely helpful!
During the course of my reading, I had earmarked 10 recipes that I definitely wanted to try (as well as another 5 that were probables), and proceeded to slowly work my way through them, at one stage madly emailing all my friends in the area to come and take some free cornbread as I had just tried three recipes in one day and there was only so much cornbread that one could eat at a time! As I tried the recipes in the book, I began to develop a fondness for the stuff - the dense, crumbly texture, the almost unbelievable moistness, the heft and texture that was unlike anything I’d ever had before. Sweet, savoury, breads, muffins, pancakes - who would’ve thought that something as innocent as cornbread could encompass ever so much?This book, while humble in appearance, hides an absolute wealth of information and gave me quite an education into the world of cornbread! So, if you’re a cornbread fan or just curious about it and would like to get your hands on all the cornbread information and recipes you could possibly need, I highly recommend that you give Crescent Dragonwagon’s ‘The Cornbread Gospels‘ a try!
FOR MY AUSTRALIAN READERSHIP:
As part of my trying out recipes for this review, I had to order some white cornmeal from the US, an ingredient that I could not track down here by any means! So, I ordered a spare bag and so now I’m offering up a free 5lb (2.27kg) bag of white cornmeal which I am going to randomly give away - I’ll pay for postage to anywhere in Australia! All you have to do is leave a comment and say you’d like to be in the draw and let me know of your experiences with cornbread (a memory, an experiment, a favourite recipe, anything at all!), and I’ll be putting all the names of people entering the draw into a hat and drawing it next Sunday, the 22nd of March. The winner will be contacted by email so that I can grab their details to mail out their giant bag of white cornmeal!
Recipes:
Dairy Hollow House Skillet-Sizzled Cornbread
Dairy Hollow House Skillet-Sizzled Cornbread
Cresent Dragonwagon declares this to be the recipe that started it all, the staple cornbread that was the single most requested recipe during the time that she ran the Dairy Hollow House b&b. Having served it to a (former) president and a princess (Bill Clinton and Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia), it seemed like a great recipe to start my journey into cornbread with - and I certainly wasn’t proven wrong! Dense, fluffy, moist and tender, it went marvelously when served with some hot chili, a dollop of (light) sour cream, some perfectly ripe avocadoes and a little diced onion! I’ve made this twice since the first time and each time I try it, it renews my love for this simple yet simply terrific breadstuff 
Dairy Hollow House Skillet-Sizzled Cornbread
(from ‘The Cornbread Gospels‘ by Crescent Dragonwagon)
Ingredients
Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 cup white all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal (finely ground polenta)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup mild vegetable oil
2 tbsp butter
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C and spray a 25cm (10″) cast iron skillet with oil and set it aside.
2. Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt into one bowl, and stir together the buttermilk and baking soda in a different bowl. Into the buttermilk, then whisk the sugar, egg and oil.
3. Put the oiled skillet over medium heat, add the butter and heat till it begins to sizzle, making sure to tilt the pan so you coat all the bottom and the sides.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together lightly and quickly till just combined. Scrape the batter into the skillet, then pop it into the preheated oven to bake for about 15-20 minutes, or till it’s golden. Once baked, remove from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes before slicing into wedges to serve.
I didn’t have a cast-iron skillet, but I just used a pie tin which worked pretty darn well!
Technorati Tags: cornbread, dragonwagon, chili con carne, Southern food, recipes, savoury
Mary Baird’s Johnny Cake
One thing I tried to do when testing recipes from the cookbook was to keep it varied. After all, I wasn’t about to make multiple batches of the same sort of cornbread in a row, having quite a few to try, I knew that in order to try and avoid OD’ing in the stuff, I’d need to keep it mixed up between the sweet and savoury and ‘not strictly cornbread’ recipes. My favourite plain sweet cornbread from the book was easily this very simple recipe which came extremely highly recommended. The source of the recipe is a woman named Mary Baird and passed on by her daughter Brinna, who Crescent Dragonwagon states has a “pedigree (in baking) by both blood and marriage”.
This was the recipe that actually prompted my mother to remember and share an element of her childhood with me, a part that she had never told me before. I’ve mentioned before that my mother grew up on a farm in a rather rural area, far from the city smoke, and her fellow students were the mostly farmer’s children, from families who were anything but rich. For those of you who are unaware, South Korea, though it is a democracy, is also an ‘occupied’ country, having an extremely strong American presence all over the country and it has been so since the Korean war (which technically isn’t over). Anyway, as I pulled this out of the oven and its sweet buttery smell filled the kitchen, my mother followed her nose in and her eyes lit up when she saw what it was that I’d baked. Apparently, since her school and district had been rather poor, the local US base would give bags of cornmeal to the school kitchens to bake into cornbread to feed the students with, and a piece of this fresh out of the oven, spread with a little scraping of butter and a dollop of jam brought back old memories for her.
Though best when fresh, this is also marvellous when split in half and toasted and spread with butter and jam, to be enjoyed with a glass of ice-cold milk, enjoy it in a similar way (though it is quite different) to a sweet scone!
Mary Baird’s Johnny Cake
(From ‘The Cornbread Gospels‘ by Crescent Dragonwagon)
Ingredients
Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 cup white all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal (finely ground polenta)
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 egg
1 cup milk
2/3 tbsp butter, melted
1. Preheat oven to 210 degrees C, and spray a square baking pain with oil and set aside.
2. Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl and set aside. Break the eggs into a seperate bowl and whisk together well, then add the milk and melted butter and whisk till well-combined.
3. Mix together the wet and dry ingredients till just combined, then transfer the mixture to the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20-25 min, or till golden brown.
4. Allow to cool slightly before cutting into squares, and serve warm with some butter and homemade jam!
Technorati Tags: cornbread, dragonwagon, chili con carne, Southern food, recipes, savoury
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Comments
I’m so glad you liked it! I’ve lived in the US (almost) all of my life, but I can’t remember eating cornbread until my early twenties. It’s definitely good stuff. I have made a recipe that I really didn’t like, and often I think cornbread is too dry, so I’m relieved that you tried out some recipes that were good.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen white cornmeal before. Here’s my cornmeal efforts. I’d love to be in the draw.http://winosandfoodies.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/01/vanilla_cake.html
I’ve never been overly big on cornbread, but the recipes you tried out look amazing. And the Cornbread Gospels book looks exactly like the kind of cookbook I love - lots of food lore!Belle
Mmmm, I love almost any type of cornbread with whipped honey butter. I use to love to make cornbread, but I seemed to be the only one.
I can’t believe no one has mentioned it yet, but Crescent Dragonwagon?!?!?! LMAO!! I sound so cruel, but it is a funny name :)I’ve never had cornbread before, but all these photos really makes me want to have a taste.
I love cornbread but I realised how little I know of that deep south American cuisine after talking to an American friend who really misses that sort of food. But I do love my mexicale pie with cornmeal dumplings on top and never fails (just in case you are put off by Kris’ bad experiences - I recommend you try this!) and I am eager to bake the pumpkin cornmeal bread that cassie at veggie meal plans made recently - sounds excellent - I love cornmeal with soup or chilli non carne. I have to admit I am not fussy and usually just use polenta so you can give the cornmeal to someone who really wants it - but am glad to hear you are on the cornbread wagon
Wow–what a great review!
I used to love a batch of sweet cornbread with a bowl of chili or bar-b-qued beef and onions. Now that I’m avoiding sugar and flour, cornmeal is returning to my life in the forms of polenta and grits.
My southern husband actually dislikes cornbread–go figure–but while living in the U.S. South I learned how to make it well. Now I know that any cornbread that is sweet is called ‘Yankee Cornbread,’ and unsweetened it’s just regular cornbread. At least to folks in Georgia! I also learned how to make it quickly–a pour of cornmeal, a dollop of mayonnaise, a splash of milk and voila! Cornbread. It can be baked or even fried. Delicious, especially with some chopped jalapeno peppers inside–yum!
Oooh cornbread brings back good memories.
I lived for 2 and a half years in the states when I was a kid and cornbread was a distinct memory for me. I haven’t had it since (24 now) but I think about it every now and again. I used to have it with just butter and it was beaaaaautiful.
I’m not sure what the difference between white cornmeal and normal polenta (which I know where to get) is, but I wouldn’t mind taking that bag of cornmeal off your hands. Also I have a cast iron skillet so woohoo it’ll go great! Also I have to really recommend getting a cast iron skillet because it makes food taste so much better. Get the Lodge Logic brand when it goes on sale (which it does every now and again) from Harris Scarfe. Also, I’ll be in Melbourne visiting the family over the Easter weekend so if you do the draw on Sunday, I can drive down and pick it up myself 
Cornbread helps round out those middle-of-the-week lame meals that result from throwing something together when the groceries start running low. :-) I have my seasoned cast-iron pan, and I start the cornbread on top of the stove (melt the shortening, add batter, cook for a couple of minutes, then put in the oven). Take it out of the oven and flip it onto a plate.
I like to mix molasses and butter to put on top.
Pinto beans are wonderful with cornbread. A traditional Southern meal (for my family) was beans, greens (colllards/mustard/turnip or kale), cornbread, and mashed potatoes. Ham goes nicely with it, too, but I think usually the greens were flavored with the leftover ham bone. The South was very poor for many decades, so people learned to eat very cheaply.
I never thought of South Korea as an occupied country…wow.
I finally found an amazing store-bought kimchi here in Florida. YUM
I love the cornbread muffins from Allrecipes. That’s about all in my cornbread repertoire. Like you said, it’s hard to find white cornmeal so I just make do with polenta which I grind myself to try and make it less gritty. So, I’d love to be in the draw.
Hey there, you told me to come by and say that I want in on the draw! Being a Melbournian, if I win, I would also be happy to do a pickup anywhere you’d like to save you postage!
Some of my favourite experiences with cornbread involve my grandma’s house and growing up in the Southern US. She makes cornbread in an old (older than my dad!) cast-iron skillet and whips up a batch in less than 20 minutes. We’d go over and have beans, collard greens and cornbread and my grandpa would always have his cornbread crumbled up in a glass of ice cold buttermilk. Not sure if that’s mentioned in your cookbook, but it’s a southern ‘delicacy’ almost - fresh baked cornbread that’s left to cool and then a slice is crumbled up in a glass of buttermilk. I’ve always thought it was gross, but the ‘oldies’ in my family loved it!
I have a cantonese background, and much like you, everything that is on the Western palate is new to me. It wasn’t until I went to New York a year ago, that I first tasted cornbread in a diner. I ate it with a bowl of chili and I could feel my ass growing. I too, have been making do with polenta, so I would love to be in the draw.
My only experience with cornbread has been a Blue Corn Jalapeno Cornbread from a box mix that mum brought back from America… it was slightly too spicy, odd in color (blueish grey tinges!) and I was surprised to find that it was quite sweet.Nevertheless, i can see exactly why people eat it, and I am looking forward to making some more for a few of my American friends that miss home…so i’d love to be in the draw too!
Kris - First in the draw And yup, the cookbook recommended the chili + cornbread pairing so I gave it a try and fell in love 
Don’t think my hips were so pleased though!
Bridget - I have to admit that the grittiness to a little getting used to, but I’ve since developed a bit of a liking for it, though the richer varieties are a bit much for me
Barbara - It’s something I had no luck tracking down here, so I had to import it from the US Next time, I’m getting some red and blue cornmeal too!
Muse - Lots of food lore sums up the cookbook nicely
Norajeans - I’ve heard a lot about this whipped honey butter, am gonna have to fix me up some of that!
Linda - I had EXACTLY the same reaction
Johanna - Cornbread wagon indeed, thankfully only one Dragon involved
Mrs W - Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Evane - I hear that the white cornmeal is less ‘corny’ than the yellow variety, but frankly its much the same to me And thanks for the tip on the cast iron skillet, I’ll keep an eye out for it!
Beth - Oooh, molasses butter! I wonder if I could do the same with our golden syrup! I’m glad you find a place to buy kimchi from that makes it decently
Sarah - You’re a far more patient person than I am, I’ve not the patience to grind polenta myself 
Hedda - Indeed I did Heh, if you win the draw and drive out, I’ll make sure there’s some extra goodies in the parcel for you
Jess - I’m so envious! I’ve only had it since I made it myself but I’d love the chance to try it as made by a native
Stuart - Ahh, the great thing about homemade is that you can regulate the heat and sweetness to suit your tastes!
Kat - The avocado was great, helped to add a little different texture and flavour to the mix
I’m confused about why you think Mexican food is not healthy.
Traditional Southern food is not so healthy - lots of lard and butter
are used - but traditional Mexican food has loads of sweet and hot
peppers, onions, tomatoes, tomatillos and avocadoes. In fact, the
nightshade family originated in South America - peppers, tomatoes,
tomatillos, eggplant. They were unknown in the rest of the world until
after the 15th century. And cheese and sour cream are not traditional
accompaniments - they were added later by Europeans.
It’s interesting, being from the US, I guess I’ve taken both cornmeal and cornbread for granted! Cornbread in the summer is a FABULOUS addition to any BBQ. I like to add corn, red pepper and some cheddar cheese for a real fatty experience. If you have leftover cornmeal, you can try to make my sopes and top them w/ anything you’d like. You could totally use white cornmeal instead of yellow. This is a traditional Mexican dish, and it isn’t ridiculously fattening.http://www.weareneverfull.com/shredded-chicken-sopes-with-tomatillo-avocado-salsa/But good job, Ellie. I give you credit for making sure you got the right ingredients and paying some money for it! -amy @ We Are Never Full
Kim - Where exactly do I say that Mexican food is unhealthy? I believe I said that Southern & Tex-Mex cuisine is less than healthy, and from the recipes I’ve been looking at, I’d say I have some grounds to say so.
Amy - Isn’t masa flour a lot finer than cornmeal? I wouldn’t have thought the two were interchangeable.
That sounds like just a terrific book Ellie.The recipes you choose look fabulous. But then I grew up with cornmeal and cook with it often. Really like the blue corn meal.That a little funny that you had to order it to do any recipes.
Your cornbread looks terrific especially the tower of deliciousness with avocado, cornbread and chili!
I love savory cornbread, a little coarse and a little dry. It is great hot out of the oven with butter of course, but I’m also a big fan of crumbling it up in a glass, topping it off with some cold milk and black pepper. Mmmmm….
Hey Ellie, great site! Have you heard of this restaurant called Kenny Rogers Roasters? Its owned by Kenny Rogers (duh) and serves roast chooks. I dont believe they have it in Australia but there are heaps of branches in southeast asia (Malaysia, Singapore etc). They serve these yummy buttery little corn breads shaped like muffins to go with their roasted chickens and sides. Give it a try when you are ever in SE Asia! I’d love to try and find the recipe and make them. Mmm. Thinking about them makes my mouth water.
Hi, Ellie. You said that "Nachos, fajitas, burritos, tacos, chili,
refried beans" are "not for everyday eating as much of it counts as
hearty but hardly healthy fare." Several of those items are traditional
Mexican dishes. Like baked potatoes, they’re basically healthy food
until they’re smothered with sour cream and cheese
I meant to say yesterday, your photos are gorgeous. I live in the South
now, but I grew up in Michigan, so I’m one of those Northerners who
prefers sweet cornbread
Mmm, I love me some cornbread. My family are from Kentucky and Indiana, so I’m guessing our recipe is based more on the Northern tradition. I’ve successfully converted my Aussie husband to a Cornbread Evangelist. My favorite way to eat it is with Chili Con Carne. Once your Tex-Mex Food Adventure wends its way to the land of Chili, just put a big hunk in the bottom of your bowl and ladle your chili on top. It’s delicious. Then whatever’s left over gets eaten at work the next day with butter and nothing else. YUM. (This is just a roundabout way of saying I’d LOVE that bag of cornmeal!)WAIT! My other tabs with your recipes just loaded… and I see now that you’ve already discovered the perfect harmony of Chili-Cornbread. Well done. I tried Nigella Lawson’s recipe recently where you actually bake the cornbread on TOP of the chili, but it didn’t turn out that well. Somehow it went too hard and dry. I’ll stick to making them separately…