Shel_B

The pig sty Safeway stores around here have higher prices than the local Whole Foods that I sometimes shop at. And one small, local chain in the area has higher prices on many items.

Thanks for the Jerusalem link. I don't participate in Facebook in any way.

How much water and how much cornmeal do you use? Is there a need to adjust the amount of wet ingredients in the recipe when you hydrate the cornmeal?

Thanks for all the ideas. The friends who got me the sumac (and other spices) will be coming to dinner in a couple of weeks, and I want to include some of the spices they brought back.

Just doesn't do a thing for me ... sorry.

I forgot about rendering bacon fat in water - probably because I very rarely eat or use bacon. Some people loved the cornbread and some were indifferent. I somewhat expected that based on what some of the people usually eat - lots of prepared foods.

Trader Joe's has bacon pieces - never tried 'em though.

How do you cool an angel food cake upside down? Why is it necessary? Did the cake taste OK?

It's great to see a nice, simple, traditional 4th of July BBQ plate. Thanks for posting the pic.

I will, and maybe I'll pick up a few slices of bacon when I get the lard, make two cornbreads, and compare the results. I could render the bacon fat in the oven, which I wasn't thinking about when I posted earlier. That's much more satisfactory and acceptable than rendering in the skillet.

I just called The Local Butcher Shop (http://thelocalbutchershop.com/) and they carry lard. I think I'll try some with my next cornbread instead of bacon fat. The idea of having to cook bacon and render the fat is not appealing to me.

Me, too.

I made Andie's recipe tonight and here's a Q&D pic of the results: I did make a few adjustments out of necessity. Since I had no bacon or bacon fat, I greased the skillet with grape seed oil and added 2 Tbs of butter to the batter. And, because the people I'm making this for might not appreciate a bare-bones southern-style cornbread, I added 15-grams (2 Tbs) of AP flour, and because they were sitting on the counter when mixing the batter, some thawed, frozen corn kernels for a little extra hit. In addition, I added 1-tsp of sugar as there was a slight bitterness in the bread I made yesterday with cornmeal from the same package. I believe the guests at our little party would appreciate them. I'm excited to see how this turns out. I baked for 26-minutes, the tester came out clean, but the top isn't quite as brown as the one in Andie's pic on her web site. Still, it's an improvement over the cornbread I made yesterday, although I used a different, and unsatisfactory, recipe.

Was bacon from the late 19th and early 20th centuries substantially different than what we generally buy in the supermarket these days? Was it cured differently, perhaps without nitrates/nitrites, made by smoking it more, or were different cures used? Thanks!

Maybe someone has a suggestion for transporting a skillet-baked cornbread. I plan to make one Saturday morning and will have to transport it and wait at least four hours before eating it. My concern is preserving the crispiness of the bottom crust. Any tips on minimizing possible softening of the crust? Or might it not be much of a problem? Thanks

Hello, Mauricio ...Bem-vindo ao nosso fórum para cozinhar. I like your idea to try to come up with modernist approach into traditional Asian cuisine. Perhaps you can start a discussion in our cooking section. It's possible that others have the same idea, and some may even have tried it.

I may try your recipe this evening, if not, I will definitely give it ago in the next week. It looks perfect for an everyday cornbread,and so easy to make. I need something like that in my repertoire.

Thanks for your comments, Franci. I'll try Bob's, since I already have it and see how it works out. If I don't like it, I'll try another recipe and then, if still unsatisfactory, I'll try another brand.

I bought some Bob's yesterday. Not knowing what I wanted, I bought all three grinds. I'll keep your comments about the heirloom cornmeal in mind. Thanks!

Around these parts I see plenty of yellow cornmeal, not so much white. I agree, cornbread looks better in yellow. I've never seen an "albino" cornbread.

I'll be making a couple of skillet cornbreads this weekend. Never made it from scratch. I noticed several grinds of stone ground cornmeal in the stores, and none of the recipes I want to try stipulate whether the meal should be fine, medium, or coarse ground. Any suggestions, but, more important, what are the pros and cons of using the different grinds? Thanks for any suggestions and help.

Am I missing something: If you cook the pork shank first, why cook it again on the rotisserie?

Found this on the local PBS web site. Thought some folks here might enjoy it. http://www.chefsteps.com/activities/vanilla-bean-ice-cream

Take a look at Adega ... we enjoyed it quite a bit several months ago on a short trip to the area. An old friend from Nova Scotia recommended it. If you go, let me know how you liked it.

http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/recipe-of-the-day-recipes/slideshow/one-bite-appetizers#one-bite-appetizers/?slide=1&_suid=140428464595202730200852239904 http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/cooking-tips/article/8-new-one-bite-appetizer-recipes-i-e-8-reasons-to-throw-a-party-this-weekend