Knife Fights, Turkey Trunks and Old Lady Bathing Suits: Kicking off Holiday Season 2013

Posted on December 3, 2013 by chezsylvia

It’s not as exciting as the title may suggest.  I just wanted to pique your interest…

So, here is another reason why I need one of those Life Alert things:

oops!

Yup.  That is a knife, that flew out of my distracted hand, spun about a few times, and stabbed my floor.  It went all the way through that runner and into my bamboo flooring.  In fact, it took a pretty good tug to remove it from the floor!

Good thing it’s not the first time I dropped a knife.  I knew to not try to catch it and just step backwards to avoid stabbing myself.  Practice makes perfect?

I shouldn’t live alone….or I should stop watching TV while handling knives…especially shows like Scandal (what the what??) and Orange is the New Black (whaaaaat?  Why?)

I know I’ve been kind of quiet lately.  Not busy, just haven’t had much to say, or share (publically at least).  Hence the need for a fun blog title.

Thanksgiving Dinner

I hosted Thanksgiving at my place and kept it simple by sticking to dishes I knew and were easy.  Roasted veggies (cherry tomatoes, asparagus, butternut squash and sweet potatoes), mashed potatoes (regular and sweet…because one brother hates sweet potatoes and I love them), herb roasted turkey breast (which, unlike the recipe, I roasted at 400degF for 20 min then knocked it down to 350 deg for about an hour till it was 165deg.  And I learned how to break down a turkey trunk and next time I will buy split turkey breast, not a turkey trunk), broccoli & apple salad and sausage apple stuffing.  Some mac & cheese courtesy of my brother, Maple Apple Pie from Wobble Cafe and Carrot Cake made by me.  It was ample food for 5 people already stuffed from non-stop noshing all afternoon (which included a whole plate of deviled eggs).  A Thanksgiving much enjoyed.

Thanksgiving Dessert
Carrot Cake

I made another batch of those Bourbon Chocolate Chip Cookies.  I also found out that the flavor definitely intensifies a bit with age.  When bringing them to work, I had to be careful how long I kept the cover off.

I am still not running.  I am dealing with it surprisingly well.  Actually, it worries me how well I am taking it.  Have I fallen out of love with running and using this as an excuse? Will I never get back to the level I was at?  I’m too afraid to think about it, and even more afraid to get back out there to find out.

Thankfully, I have been able to replace running with swimming because, let’s face it, I have no willpower when it comes to food, especially during the holidays.  My suit is old and getting a bit baggy.  I finally ordered a new one, but till then, I feel like a little old lady in her little old lady swimsuit.  All I need is one of those swim caps with the under chin buckle and flower pattern!

My photography class is wrapping up soon!  I’m going to really miss the developing and darkroom fun, but at the same time, I’m a little antsy to reclaim my Thursday nights (and not have to hike back to my car at night down a rather dark and quiet street).  For the past 8 months I’ve had late night Thursdays.  I could use a breather!

Hopefully I’ll get back in the kitchen and try something worth sharing.  In the meantime, the holiday season is upon us and only two more weeks until the shortest day of the year!  Enjoy it!

Tree Ornament

Posted in Dinner, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Quickie Dinner: Roasted Mushroom Kale and Chicken with Buttermilk Biscuits

Posted on November 25, 2013 by chezsylvia

roasted mushroom kale chicken

My kitchen never stays clean for long.

I’m just having immediate family over for Thanksgiving.  Small informal affair.  But I still had to go on a massive cleaning spree on Sunday to make the apartment guest worthy (a perk of living alone which comes back to bite you).

Less than 24 hours later, my newly scrubbed down kitchen is again covered in flour and butter.  Such is the way of things.

I don’t know why I thought I was skilled enough at making biscuits to do it on the fly.  I am not.  However I am experienced enough to deal with super sticky dough and muscle through it to at least get an edible end product.  Pretty to look at, no.  Still very yummy, flakey and tender…yes.

I made these buttermilk biscuits from Smitten Kitchen.  I used three teaspoons of sugar and I used a powdered butter milk (3 tablespoons added to the dry ingredients, 3/4 cup of water added when it’s time to add the buttermilk at the end).  My dough came out super moist and hard to handle.  But I got through it (most likely overworking it a bit).  I punched out my biscuits, threw two into the oven, and the rest onto a sheet to freeze up in the freezer.  Those were for Thanksgiving.

Not wanting to have turned on my oven for just two biscuits, I also toasted up some walnuts (also for Thanksgiving…planning ahead!) and made my dinner.

In an 8×8 glass pan, I threw in a package of baby bella mushrooms (I bought a week ago, but never did anything with), along with two tablespoons of butter (1 tablespoon would have been enough), cubed and scattered among the mushrooms.  I also drizzled in a little olive oil, a splash of balsamic vinegar and seasoned with kosher salt, pepper and french thyme (it’s what I had sitting by the stove at the moment).  Into the oven it went.

After maybe 20 minutes (or when the mushrooms looked a bit darker and softer), I pulled out the dish and added a couple of handfuls of kale, mixed it around and added some leftover shredded poached chicken.

Yes, I am a weirdo who likes to poach a chicken on Sundays, shred up the meat and keep it in the fridge for quick weekday dinner additions like this.

Back in the oven it went for another 5-10 minutes to heat up the chicken and crisp up the kale.

Voila!  A dinner (not including the biscuits) that required no measuring spoons and just throwing stuff into a dish and into an oven.  Can’t get any simpler than that!

Happy Monday!

Posted in Bread, Dinner, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

ChezSylvia Travels: Outer Banks, North Carolina

Posted on November 15, 2013 by chezsylvia

Nags Head Pier - Sunrise

I hopped in my car and drove 10 hours South for three reasons.  To run the OBX Half Marathon, to visit a dear friend, and to experiment with solo travel.  Of the three, I accomplished two with much delight, and only failed at one.

Elizabethan Garden

In my 6+ years of always showing up at least 1 hour early to all of my races, and finishing every single one of them, I finally missed my first race.  And it was really for the best.  Still rocking that injury from the Westchester Half Marathon, running was not in the cards.  So, when we couldn’t figure out the shuttle system, and never made it to the start on time, I was disappointed, but not as upset as I would be.  For the best…if I plan on running till I’m 80, I better start playing this smart.

Seashells by the seashore

Bygones.  I was able to spend the weekend with my friend and her family, who I missed dearly and that made this whole trip worth it.

They left on Sunday to go back home.  I stayed in the Outer Banks for a few more days, bopping up and down from Corolla all the way down to Ocracoke Island, all by myself.

Stairs - Currituck Beach Lighthouse

I was apprehensive of how adventurous I’d be on my own.  Besides traveling for business, I never really traveled alone before.  I wasn’t sure if I would be brave enough to go explore and sight see on my own, or if I would resort to holing up in the cottage for most of the time catching up on reading.  I ended up exploring, and it was surprisingly a lot of fun.

My companions

My travel companions.

I was on the Outer Banks during the off season.  So, I was able to get around quite easily, and I had many of the sites to myself.

Manteo

I came and went as I pleased.  I took a long walk on beach during sunrise and watched the surf fishermen do their thing.

Sunrise fisherman

Beach sunrise

Sunrise at the Beach

Pier Shadows

On a whim, I took the drive all the way down Cape Hatteras to hop on a ferry to Ocracoke Island.

Ferry

Ocracoke Lighthouse

Hatteras - Ocracoke Ferry

Fishing Boats

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

The next day I drove North to Corolla to climb a light house right as the gale warnings were starting.  It’s windy on top of a lighthouse.

Currituck Beach Lighthouse

I paid hommage to the Wright Brothers. Their bravery and sheer intelligence allows me to make my dreams of traveling the world a reality.

Fourth Flight - Wright Bro Memorial

Wright Brothers Memorial

I explored some large sand dunes, which I had all to myself. It was eerie, just me, sand, sun and wind.

Leaving my mark on the dune - Jockey National Park

Selfie

On my last day, I drove over the sound and explored Manteo as the arctic cold front blanketed the Outer Banks and brought snow flurries.  I had dropped in for a class at Crossfit Outer Banks that morning.  They blamed me for bringing the cold with me.

Manteo

Elizabethan Garden

Elizabeth Garden

Manteo

Manteo

This was the trip I really needed.  I caught up with a friend I missed terribly, and I discovered I am capable of traveling alone, and how wonderful it really is.  Four years ago, I bought my DSLR hoping that it would give me a good reason to break out of my shell and explore more.  After four years, I can now say it has.

Nags Head Pier - Instagram

These were just some of my favorites from the trip, but remember to check out all of my photos on my Flickr Album.  I whittled it down to 147 photos, and that was an undertaking.

Good Morning - Instagram

Posted in Photography, Travel | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Looking for the Sun, Finding Pumpkin Corn Bread

Posted on November 3, 2013 by chezsylvia

Croton Reservoir Bridge

I had the two dogs for the night.  Not only did the fire alarm for the building go off in the middle of the night, forcing us to evacuate, I dragged them along with me in an attempt to view the solar eclipse that was supposed to happen at sunrise today.  Poor dogs.  If they weren’t fond of me before, they probably hate me now.

It was chilly out, and they had enough about 10 minutes upon arriving to the Croton Reservoir Bridge.  It’s an old rail bridge that the North County Trailway uses to cross the reservoir.  I have crossed it many times when I biked along the NCT, always stopping to soak in the view.

It was a very cloudy morning, as I saw in dismay while driving over.  Then there was the small mountain that was blocking the sun.  As I was walking to the bridge, two dogs in tow, the sinking feeling that it just wasn’t going to be visible started feeling real.

I should have really known.  I live in an area blessed with some jaw dropping sunsets.  Sunrises might be harder to come by…

Oh well, that early in the morning also meant I got the bridge all to myself.  A rare feat during daytime hours when the bridge is more populated.  So I tried to take advantage.

Croton Reservoir Bridge

Croton Reservoir Bridge

Sunrise over Croton Reservoir

Croton Reservoir Bridge

North County Trailway

Dogs throughly chilled, we headed home for some Pumpkin Cornbread for breakfast.

pumpkin cornbread

Pumpkin Corn Bread (adapted from Tastykitchen.com)

The only changes that I made from the original recipe was I used a coarser corn flour and amped up the spices (more cinnamon, and included ground ginger and all spice).  I also preheated my pan so I could get a crispier edge.

Gather:

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup corn flour (I used a stone ground yellow cornmeal)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground all spice
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup brown sugar (loosely packed)
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon butter

Directions:

Preheat the 400 degF

Mix together all the dry ingredients (flour, corn flour, baking soda, sugar and spices).

Mix together all the wet ingredients (eggs, oil and molasses)

Put the dry into the wet and fold until combined.

Put the pat of butter into an 8×8 baking pan and put into the oven for a few minutes until the butter is melted.

Carefully remove pan from oven, and using a brush, coat the sides of the pan with the melted butter.

Pour in the batter and carefully even it out.

Into the oven for about 30 minutes or until the test pick comes out clean (mine took less than 30 minutes).

Let it rest for 10 minutes then flip out and back over and let cool.  Best served warm, but yummy enough to eat at room temp.

pumpkin cornbread

Not sweet, but still flavorful due to the spices.  It had a coarse but moist crumb.  Goes perfectly with a good bowl of chili and can even be eaten as is for a snack or breakfast.

Posted in Bread, Photography, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Race Report: Westchester Half Marathon

Posted on November 2, 2013 by chezsylvia

Westchester Half Marathon

Westchester Half Marathon – October 13, 2013

I ran stupid and now I’m paying for it.  A painful reminder of how I am not as young as I used to be.

It was a beautiful, chilly and cloudy morning.  Perfect for running.  Although not so much for standing around outside waiting for the start.  My hip had been bothering me a bit for the past week.  Nothing major, just on the brink of feeling strained.  It usually worked itself out a couple a minutes into a run.

I wasn’t running this race alone.  My brother and his wife were in it (they were both training for the NYC marathon, his second marathon, her first marathon, and first half marathon race).  A family friend was running his first half marathon (only after starting running last year!).  A co-worker buddy who ran the Riverside 5K series with me was also running his first half.

The half marathon distance is my favorite, so I had a bit of pride on the line and there might have been a little trash talking involved.  My other brother also suggested an over/under bet, where I’d finish behind my co-worker by 3 minutes.  So, I had a 3 minute gap to either maintain or close.

So, instead of running my own race, I ran a stupid race.  I started out too fast, covering the first 7 miles at about an 8.30 minute/mile pace.  For reference, I ran my fastest 5K at about an 8.22 minute/mile pace.  After 7 miles, I broke down and those last 6 miles were miserable and beyond difficult both mentally and physically.

The race is run on the Bronx River Parkway between the Westchester County Center and Scarsdale Road.  It is rolling hills trending downhill to the turnaround, then it’s rolling hills trending uphill back.  Do-able, but not without a few good challenges (especially on the way back).

The course is quiet since it isn’t very spectator friendly.  The only gripe I have is how the finish line is placed.  In the last maybe 200 meters, you have to make a sharp U-turn before being able to sprint through the finish chute.  It just robs you of any momentum from a finishing kick.

Nevertheless, I ran out of gas at mile 7, and pushed myself through to the finish.  I did manage to finish in under 2 hours, which was something I haven’t done since I PR’ed on the same course in 2009.  That makes up for finishing 3 minutes and 34 seconds behind my co-worker.

So, congrats to my newly minted half marathoner friends!!  I hope to see more of you around the circuit come spring time!!  Keep running!

Posted in Running, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

ChezSylvia Travels: Singapore via Hong Kong

Posted on October 26, 2013 by chezsylvia

To Singapore!

Took the camera out for another spin halfway around the world again!  This time, I visited Singapore with a stopover in Hong Kong.

A few quick notes:

I forgot to reset my camera settings from food photography.  I didn’t realize this until I made it to the Singapore Botanic Gardens, which would explain the vividness in color in some of my earlier shots.

Singapore is hot.  I didn’t fully realize how close it was to the equator until I started sweating profusely and started rethinking my philosophy on walking everywhere.  However, the food centers…not air conditioned at all, but strangely enough, I was comfortable in there.  Maybe it was due to being so focused on the food.

In Hong Kong, I actually nixed my trusty Nikon and went old school with a film camera.  I definitely slowed down a bit and really started thinking more about my shots.  A good exercise, which hopefully produces a few good prints.  I had class on the Thursday I came back and was able to make a contact sheet.  Looks promising!

Other than that, below are a selection of my absolute favorites (as per my 3am jet lagged self).  It was really hard to whittle it down from the hundreds of photos I took to the 97 I put in the Flickr album.  It was even harder to narrow that down to the 20 I posted here.  So, I highly recommend a visit the album in Flickr for all the great photos (including the food) that made the initial cut.

Marina Bay Sands - Laser Show

S'pore - Chinatown laterns

Singapore Botanic Gardens

Directions at the SBG

Singapore Botanic Gardens

Singapore Botanic Gardens

Singapore Botanic Gardens

Art Science Museum - Lily Pad

Esplanade

Maxwell Food Center

Marina Bay Panoramic

Kopi

Dog Parking

Early AM Star Ferry

Australia Diary Company

Bone - Stanley

Marina Bay Sands walkway

Boats - Stanley

Night light, Ascott Singapore

Till we travel again Gillbert….

Time to Go home Gillbert

Posted in Photography, Travel, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Toasting in Mayo = Awesome

Posted on October 8, 2013 by chezsylvia

Is it weird that I actually find Men’s magazines more interesting than Women’s magazines?  Maybe it’s because I eat real food in real portions and workout more like a guy?  I mean, you wouldn’t find an article about lifting heavy to run faster in Glamour.  Instead you’ll find this little gem about how to alter your workouts to fit whatever stage you are in with your cycle.    I like the first one much more (cause it’s something I find is true).  I don’t even know what to think about the second one (really?  What?  Wow…).

Regardless, this latest article from Men’s Journal caught my eye. It was about building the Superior Sandwich.  I like sandwiches.  In it, Michael Voltaggio (one of my favorite Top Chef winners, from my favorite Top Chef seasons) mentions using mayo not butter when toasting the bread.

Seriously guys…I could not wait till dinner time to test this out.

Tonight, I made myself a sandwich.

First, I made some sweet and sour onions by slicing up a small red onion, sauteeing in a pat of butter and drizzle of olive oil for 5 minutes, adding a teaspoon or so of brown sugar, then five minutes later a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and three minutes later, done.

Then I assembled my sandwich.  I used some sourdough bread slices.  Spread a good layer of mayo on the outsides, then carefully layered up some slices of munster cheese, very thinly sliced heirloom tomato, turkey, another layer of munster then the sweet and sour onions.

Toasted on the pan, mayo sides down till golden brown and crispy.

Slice in half and eat.

IMG_20131008_183834

I am now always going to toast my sandwiches with mayo.  It has this awesome crispyness and butteryness, and every so slight mayo tang.  Making the onions is worth the effort since it really lends that extra flavor profile to what otherwise would be kind of a drab lunch box sandwich (apart from the toasting).

Can’t wait till the next sandwich for dinner tomorrow night!

Posted in Sandwich | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Falling Apart for Fall: Apple Cider Pancakes

Posted on October 5, 2013 by chezsylvia

Apple Cider Pancakes

6AM is not a time to be competitive.

What was supposed to be an active recovery WOD at CrossFit on Thursday turned into a WOD that forced me to take a couple of true rest days.

It was a simple WOD.  I row 175M then run 500M and repeat 5 times with a 2 minute rest in between. Being a runner, this was actually something I can do.

It was a small class that morning. After the row, I found myself first off the rowers and out the door.  That never happens.  Then I ran, and I found myself first in the door.  That really never happens.  Then it all got to my head.

I ignored the fact that my back didn’t feel right during warm up.  I ignored my back as the pain got worse and worse with each round of the running.  I was finishing in front, with the boys, I had to keep it up!  It was also my last CF class for the next two months as I was taking time off to tackle two half marathons and two long distance trips all within a month of each other.  So I was going out with a bang.

Literally.  By the last 500M run, I was hurting bad enough to finally slow it down. I went to work and I was in pain.  I started thinking about calling around the office to see if I could bum some Advil off anyone.  One person was nice enough to get some Tylenol from our Health and Safety department so I was able to shuffle over like a little old lady to Target to grab a small container of Advil.

Lesson here kids…don’t get caught up in the moment.  Your body is the boss, listen to it otherwise it will make your life very unpleasant.

So body…can I offer up these Apple Cider Pancakes as a truce?

Apple Cider Pancakes

Apple Cider Pancakes (Adapted from www.cherryteacakes.com)

1 Cup Flour
1 Tablespoon vanilla sugar (or 1 Tablespoon sugar + 1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons powdered buttermilk
2 really good handfuls of chopped walnuts

3/4 cup apple cider
1 egg
1/2 cup melted butter

Combine all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, walnuts and buttermilk).

In a separate, large bowl, combine the wet ingredients (cider, egg, butter)

Pour the dry into the wet and fold together until just combined.

I melted my butter in the skillet I was going to cook my pancakes in.  It helps pre-butter up the pan for the first batch, plus it starts the warm up process.

Throw a small pat of butter in a skillet and heat until butter is melted and slightly crackling.  Scoop out some batter into the pan and cook until the edges are set and the batter is kinda starting to bubble a bit.  Flip and cook until other side is golden brown.

Repeat with remaining batter.

This yielded four large pancakes for me.  Two for now, two for later (or all for now)!

Apple Cider Pancakes

For some extra apple goodness, I sliced up an apple and tossed with 1 1/2 tablespoons of brown sugar + 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon + a few good pinches of nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger and let it sit until all the pancakes were done.  Then using the hot pan, added another good pat of butter and cooked down the apple slices until they were soft and added on top of the pancakes.

The cooked apples added a good apple flavor.  The pancakes themselves were really good and had a good apple cider tang to them.  With some good maple syrup, it was a delectable fall breakfast.

Apple Cider Pancakes

Hearty, warm and very yummy.

So, body…we’re good now?  Cause we have a 10 mile run tomorrow….half marathon 1 of 2 is just right around the corner!

Posted in Breakfast, CrossFit, Running | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Race Report: Sarah Bishop Bushwhack 10K Trail Race

Posted on September 29, 2013 by chezsylvia

Sarah Bishop Bushwack

Sarah Bishop Bushwhack 10K Trail Race – September 29, 2013

When a race course brings you to the highest point in Westchester, you are pretty much guaranteed more than a few really good uphill climbs.

Touted as harder than the Leatherman, my interest was piqued.  I never ran the Leatherman for one reason and another, so I figured, this would be a good way to see what I was missing.

The race field is small.  Despite not starting on time, the warm sunshine and good vibe of the crowd kept us all in good spirits.  Everyone seemed to know each other and were there for a good time.  In other words, friendly, relaxed and laid back.  My kind of crowd!

For a first time, the race was well organized.  The trail was well marked for the most part.  At one point I saw one of the organizers running down the road with a package of toilet paper to restock the porta potties.  Now, that’s service.

With two half marathons coming up, I wasn’t interested in any turned ankles or tripping accidents.  My game plan?  Take it slow and steady.  Just another Sunday run, through the woods enjoying the absolutely perfect fall weather we were blessed with that morning.

The course was technical, but not so much so that a novice to trail running couldn’t navigate it.  Lots of rocks (big rocks, small rocks and my favorite, those that blended in with the fallen leaves), tree roots, slipy slidey mud spots and loose footing to pick through.  Lots of uphills, some steep enough to slow everyone to a single file march (especially in the first couple of miles).   The downhills weren’t as steep, but there were a few that required some extra care.  I can bound uphill with no problem, but when it comes to descending, I tend to slow down quite a bit.

At around the halfway point, you climb uphill and are greeted by a small easy to miss sign that indicates the highest point in Westchester.  We made it!  Although, this does not mean the next three miles were downhills.  Not at all.

At around the 4 mile mark, there is a rather wicked gradual uphill section along a road before re-entering the trail again.  It is long, but completely runnable.  I used it to make up some time and proceeded to pass a few people.  Only for them to all catch up once we entered the trails again and I continued tripping my way through, constantly reminding myself (outloud) to pick up my feet.

The last half of the race was pretty flat and easy relatively speaking.

At one point I found myself alone.  I lost sight of the pack ahead of me, and I put enough distance between the people behind me, thanks to a good uphill section I decided to run up instead of walk.

There was only a faint hint of a trail from the packs that ran through ahead of me.  I was surrounded by trees and the only sound was the sound of my feet pounding along the soft dirt and leaves lining the ground.  I was feeling great, and felt so free.  Free from all the rumblings on my mind, free from what I needed to do, to be the rest of the day or week or month.  It was just me, the trees, the leaves, the sunshine and cool fall air.  It was moments like these that I run.

For whatever reason, I kept veering off course in the last mile.  The people behind me started catching up, but finally, the finish was right ahead.  I picked up the pace and finished feeling good and relaxed.  Proud of myself for staying upright, and thankful to my ankles for holding up.

My race per my watch (my auto pause kicked in a couple of times).

A beautiful Sunday morning run through the woods.

Sarah Bishop Bushwhack

Posted in Running, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Fall = Football = Fresh Corn Cornbread

Posted on September 29, 2013 by chezsylvia

Fresh Corn Cornbread

Football season is here.

While I can’t say I don’t watch football, I’ll enjoy a game if it happens to be on.  I don’t always know what’s going on, and who is who and whatnot, but I do know enough to be able to watch a game and have a general understanding.

I joined a survivor football thing, which just means I’m watching with interest.  Let me tell you, $10 is enough to start yelling at the TV.  This is my second year in this pool.  Last year I was out the first week.  This year I made it into three weeks before dropping out (Darn you Vikings!).  Improvement right?  Maybe next year I’ll try for 5 weeks!

Football also means it’s time for chili.  And to me, chili means cornbread.

I found a cornbread recipe that I think is perfect for this time of year.  A bit more labor intensive, but totally worth it if you love corn.  And I love corn.

Fresh Corn Cornbread

Fresh Corn Cornbread (from Cook’s Illustrated, July/August 2013 issue)

1 1/3 cup (6 2/3 oz) stone ground cornmeal
1 cup (5oz) all purpose flour (at the time of this writing, I cannot remember if I ever added this)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
3 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (cut into tablespoons pieces)
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk.

Preheat oven to 400 degF.

Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda and salt together.

In a food processor, puree the corn kernels until smooth.  Pour into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until thick and deep yellow (5-8 minutes).

Take off the heat and add 5 tablespoons of butter and whisk until incorporated.  I use a nonstick pan, so at this point, pour this mixture into a large bowl.

Add eggs and egg yolk into that bowl and whisk until incorporated.

Add in the cornmeal mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until combined.

I don’t have a skillet, so I added the last tablespoon of butter into a 9″ cake pan and threw it in the oven for about 3 minutes, until the butter was melted and the pan was hot.

Take the pan out of the oven, and swirl the melted butter around and pour the batter into the pan, and return to the oven.

Bake for about 23 minutes and start checking with that toothpick (done when clean).

Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack for 5 minutes before flipping out (and back over again) and letting it cool for another 20 before digging in and topping with chili.

Now, I can’t seem to remember if I ever added the flour when I made this.  I don’t think I did, or at least I really can’t remember ever doing so.  If I didn’t then, it came out really well without having any flour in it.

Fresh Corn Cornbread

I really like it.  You can really taste the corn.  It’s moist without being gummy, and there is still that lovely cornmeal texture and crumb without being so crumbly that it starts to fall apart the moment you touch it.  It goes great with chili, a bit plain on it’s own.

Good luck to everyone with their pools, fantasy leagues and whatnot this year!!

Posted in Bread, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment