The Gospel According to Kristin

A couple of weeks ago, I won something on Farmgirl Fare. And I didn't even have to do anything hard, like when I pointed out all the mistakes on Sparkerly. Or when I composed a clever rant on Evil Chef Mom.* Nope, all I had to do was leave a comment about cornbread. I would do that even if I wouldn't win anything as a result. But I did leave a comment, along with about 200 other people. And my name was randomly chosen. My luck was in that day. If only I had bought a lottery ticket . . .

BUT ANYWAY.

What I won was a copy of a book called "The Cornbread Gospels," by Crescent Dragonwagon. First, I must acknowledge what may be the coolest author's name EVER. And then I must admit that I would never have bought this book for myself, because it's so specific. I gravitate more towards the multi-use cookbooks. But this is a very entertaining book, I must say. I like to sit down and read cookbooks like novels, and this is eminently readable. Also educational. For example, I have learned that while I cook cornbread like a Northerner (using flour in addition to cornmeal and adding sugar), I cut it like a Southerner (in wedges).

I am truly a citizen of the world.

The author makes much of the fact that when she was writing the book and told people she was working on a book about cornbread, every person would exclaim about how much they love cornbread. Well, yeah. I think this is true of any kind of freshly baked, homemade bread. But since I am not a baker and am unwilling to deal with yeast in any form, quick breads like biscuits and cornbread are my kind of breads.

So I made some cornbread. I started with the first recipe in the book, because it was pretty straightforward and I felt I should dip a toe in the cornbread waters (fields?) before progressing to anything that requires creamed corn. AND, I screwed up my courage and made it in a cast iron pan. I know very well that is how cornbread is traditionally made, but my mom never made it that way. The couple of times I tried it, there was a distinct taste of rust. But that was when I was using my own, relatively new cast iron pan. But NOW, here at Blackrock, I have the use of A.'s grandmother's cast iron pans. They were a gift when she got married in 1928. Almost a hundred years of frying with lard have had a good seasoning effect. And behold, they created an extra-crispy browned crust, with no taste of rust.

That cut piece went straight down my gullet as soon as this photo was taken.

While I will eat cornbread of many kinds, I have some preferences. I like cakey, slightly sweet cornbread, and I like to eat it with a gluttonous quantity of butter and honey. I suspect I am not alone in that, however.

I have no snappy ending for this post, so just consider the topic of the day to be cornbread, and go to town in the comments. Over and out.

* I seem to win things a lot online. I may try online casinos next.