Thursday 29 September
We set out to walk home from the office at 7 PM, but the sky in the north looked livid and ominous. As soon as we got to Dixmyth Ave., we were hit by a wind so stiff our umbrellas flew inside-out and Holt had to hang onto Barbara's arm to keep her from blowing away. Then a pelting rain soaked us to the skin, the street flooded, and we looked like drowned rats (VERY interesting to Dora) when we finally got in the door.
After we'd squished upstairs, changed, and warmed up with a little red wine, Sunday's chili went onto the stove to reheat and lose some of its extra liquid; also we threw in a few roasted green peppers we had in the fridge, just to give it body.
And to get even warmer, Holt whipped up a batch of cornbread muffins from this recipe in New Joy.
Northern Cornbread
While the oven preheats to 425º, grease two six-muffin pans (and from now on, don't use the black one - it sticks, no matter how much Crisco you use).
In a large bowl, mix thoroughly:
1 1/4 cups stoneground cornmeal
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1 to 4 Tbsps. sugar (be sparing)
2 tsps. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt.
In another bowl, whisk up:
2 large eggs
2/3 cup milk
2/3 cup buttermilk.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Fold in:
2 or 3 Tbsps. warm melted butter
Pour the batter into the tins until each is evenly filled with space to rise in. Bake 10-12 minutes, until a toothpick stuck into the center of one comes out clean.
Let's hope Holt's family doesn't disown him for making such a Yankee cornbread. But this, as well as the southern version, will Rise Again.
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