Blogs / yum! / Fall 2009 / But you ain't never had my cornbread

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But you ain't never had my cornbread

I call it cornbread, and I like to slather it in real butter, but depending on how you make it (baking, frying, steaming) you might have skillet bread, hoecake, yankee cornbread, corn muffins, Indian pone, hot water cornbread, jonnycakes or hushpuppies.

Whatever it is for you, if make some AWESOME bread this week, you can win a pass to Soldier Mountain in Fairfield. The Sawtooth Botanical Garden’s Community Cornbread Contest is back! On Sunday, head over to the Harvest Festival and bring your best cornbread (or don’t–and enjoy everyone else’s!). I’m leaving town this weekend, so I won’t be around to whoop the competition with my Grandma’s famous cornbread. But if you’re looking for inspiration, here’s an alternative idea I whipped up recently: Damn Good Jalapeño Hushpuppies.

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Damn Good Jalapeño Hushpuppies

My Grandma’s cornbread is a little bit of heaven. I called her for the recipe, so I could share it with y’all, but it’s one of those “a-little-bit-of-this-and-a-little-bit-of that-mix-pour-and-bake varieties.” Besides, I’m not about to give away my family secret for the Festival Contest! Here is my update to the classic fried cornbread, the hushpuppy. This is one of my favorite creations and who knows about Grandma’s bread, maybe next year.

2 cups cornmeal
2 eggs, beaten
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 small can cream-style corn
3 jalapeno peppers, chopped
1 small onion, minced
buttermilk
pinch of baking soda
Oil for frying

Mix all ingredients. Use enough buttermilk to make consistency a little thicker than pancakes. (If hushpuppies turn out too bready, use more baking powder. If they are greasy and they break, try more flour).

Heat oil to 375 (I like to fry in electric skillets as it heats the oil more evenly and there seems to be less mess). Drop batter (spoonfuls) into hot oil and fry. Drain and cool on paper towels, and yum!