Sunday, February 03, 2008

'Tis an ill cook that cannot lick her own fingers


Our friend Johnieb not only has his blog "Here Still Running" up and running, he's joined the food porn movement.

OK, newbies, here's the deal. Food porn is the description of food that gets foodies excited. Not that way, you pervs. You've been hanging out with that other nutter of a priest too much.

I'm talking about when most of my friends in the SF East Bay spoke of food and about when Jane R, the Cunning Runt, Johnieb, and others start rhapsodizing about excellent fresh ingredients, loving preparation, and delicious eating. Ah. And don't forget Dennis and wine.

Yesterday's lunch post at Johnieb's includes not just talk; he offers a recipe. He natters on about leg of lamb, carrots and shallots, chard and lemon. Just lovely.

Cornbread, meanwhile, evolves at Little Bang Theory.

And just get Jane R talking about food. Better yet, have her whip you up an omelette.

I simply wish to encourage this sort of blogging. And to give Johnieb (another "One of Godde's Odd Chillun with a blog") lots of hits so his new venture in blogland is adequately encouraged.
--the BB

7 comments:

Jane R said...

Bless your heart, sweetheart. I wish you were here so I could whip you up an omelette. (Whew, that sounded kinky.) Thanks for the plug. (And for plugging our bud JohnieB and his excellent recipe, and that food star the Cunning Runt and his amazing photos, oh my.) I'm back from the latest emergency pastoral call and about to go to bath and bed, but will get up early to make the batter for Tuesday's crêpes party and stick it in the fridge. Will make the crêpes after it has had time to sit. Tales to come. Hugs to you.

And that clock of yours is on Mountain Time, out here it's really 1 a.m. Yaaaawn.

Paul said...

Get thee to bed, child. Rest well. Have a fabulous Shrove Tuesday.

mwah! mwah! (both cheeks, of course, though dans le Midi we did three.

Fran said...

Oh my- after visiting Johnieb I am craving chard for breakfast!

susan s. said...

Paul, I just have to make my comments on this cornbread thing. I read your recipe from the other post and have a couple of opinions that might make it even better! ;-)

Cornbread should always be cooked in a well seasoned cast iron skillet. I would never use olive oil(I saw that in the comments at jane r's blog, it adds a flavor not consistent with the other ingredients(as far as I am concerned, anyway). I use canola oil. I used to use corn oil, but have heard bad things about it since.
And the skillet should be heated up in the oven. Do not mix the wet with the dry ingredients until the skillet is hot and sitting on the stove waiting with at least 1 tablespoon oil(over and above what has been mixed in) almost to the smoking point. Quickly mix ingredients. Sprinkle a little cornmeal into the skillet and immediately pour in the batter and stick it into the oven. Cook til golden brown and crunchy looking around the edges. When you turn the cornbread over in the skilled it will be a lovely brown.

My grandmother used to make cornbread that she called egg bread because of the egg! It had cornmeal of course but no flour in it at all and was made with buttermilk. Also good, but you must use soda because of the buttermilk.

Ramble, Ramble, Ramble. More that you need to know, but I love to talk about cornbread, even if it is incoherent by the time I get through!

Paul said...

Susan S., I have not tried it in the cast iron skillet, though all your reasons for it make perfect sense. As you can see from the recipe, we do heat the pan ahead of time for that wonderful browning and crunch.

Ugh. Olive oil? Of course not. Wonderful for so many things and soooooo wrong for cornbread. The sprinkling of cornmeal before pouring in batter is new to me. Mixing just before putting in for cooking is standard, of course.

I will have to give it a try next time around. Thanks.

The Cunning Runt said...

Again with the Linky-Love! Father Forgive Me, I've been slackin' and missed this 'till just now.

I have to say, as a Non-Baker, I followed your recipe ( a first in itself) without any sense of the finer points and it was fabulous! Can't wait to tweak it à la Susan!

And for my tastes, the bacon grease was very complementary to the flavor of the cornbread.

Paul said...

I cannot imagine bacon grease not being perfect for cornbread. I just had none to hand. And I am a butter-holic. Glad it led to a good experience.