Honey Cornbread Muffin Recipe

Honey Cornbread Muffins

 
1 1/2 cup cornmeal (regular, fine, or coarse grind)
1 cup of whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup honey
2 eggs
1 cup milk (I used goat milk)
1/2 stick of softened butter (1/4 cup)



Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Combine cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder.  Add honey, eggs, milk, and butter.  Beat until smooth (about 1 minute - do not overbeat).

Portion out into a standard muffin pan which has been lined with paper cups.  These muffins do not rise a lot, so you can fill the cups more than other muffin recipes.

Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Makes approximately 12 muffins.

I developed this recipe by combining a couple of recipes.  I like my cornbread to be slightly sweet, so I created a recipe with a good bit of honey.  They turned out perfectly sweet with a soft texture.


If you would like a muffin that is less sweet, use only 1 Tbsp of honey and eliminate one of the eggs.


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Honey-Citrus Butter Recipe

This afternoon is my last class for Women and Reproductive Rights, and everyone is bringing food.  I decided to bring my Honey Cornbread Muffins, but I concluded that I needed to zest it up a little bit and bring some flavored butter.  I came up with this recipe.

Ingredients
3/4 cup of butter (1 + 1/2 sticks) softened or cut into small chunks
4 Tbsp honey
Zest of one lemon
Juice of one lemon
Zest of one orange

Using a fork smush the butter.

Add honey and stir well.

Add the zest of the lemon and orange and stir well.

Add the lemon juice and stir again.  While you are stirring, try to make it as smooth as possible.  If you are using cold butter, this is going to take more smushing.

Pop the concoction into the microwave for 30 seconds, and enjoy some delicious orange quarters while you wait (no sense in letting them go to waste).

After 30 seconds in the microwave, the butter should be mostly melted.  Stir (and smush) to encourage those final chunks to melt.  The key is to get it to melt without separating, so if you need to microwave it again, microwave for only a few seconds at a time.

Cover and allow to chill in the refrigerator or drizzle it over pancakes, waffles, toast, or honey cornbread muffins.

Enjoy!



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Why I Don't Want to Eat at Hell's Kitchen

With a PCI alumnus competing in the new season of Hell's Kitchen, I spent some time catching up on the old episodes of the show.  While watching the show, I have been thinking about what it would be like to eat at this iconic eatery.  I ended up arriving at the conclusion that I would not like to eat there.  Here are my top 12 reasons why.

1) "Would you like some earplugs with your meal?"  When Gordon Ramsay isn't yelling at the cooks, the cooks are yelling at each other.  I have been to restaurants where I have heard yelling coming from the kitchen, it made the dining experience uncomfortable and weird.  I used to think that the insults pouring from Ramsay were creative and amusing, but after watching most of the series, it's just repetitive.  Women are cows, men are donkeys, and everything is the wrong temperature.  Shut it down!!

2) Meat with a side of seafood garnished with meat.  There is a lack of vegetarian options on the menu.  All of the entrees are either seafood or meat, and even the seemingly vegetarian risotto is made with chicken stock (admittedly, this is pretty standard).  Every once and a while, a vegetarian does go into Hell's Kitchen, but I doubt they leave feeling very satisfied.

3) This food is made with blood, sweat, and tears... literally.  I understand that some bodily fluids might end up in my food - these are real people making real food - but virtually every episode has somebody dripping some fluid into a saucepan.  I like to live my life in denial; I know that it happens, but I don't want to see it happen.  Also, don't they require hair restraints (baseball caps, skull caps, or hair nets) in California?  I'm surprised that more food doesn't come back after being garnished with hair.  Yes, the heat will kill most germs, but still, ew....

4) That handwashing rule is optional, right? When I briefly worked in the industry, and when I got my ServSafe certification, I learned that when you walk into the kitchen, you're supposed to wash your hands before touching anything.  I have never seen a contestant wash their hands.  I'm not even sure there are handwashing sinks in the kitchen.

5) You're also supposed to wash your hands after touching your face, nose, mouth, or hair.... Seriously, this happens in nearly every episode.  Watch carefully.

6) Double dipping.  Tasting the food is a great idea before it is sent out to the customer.  In fact, it's recommended, but when the spoon goes into the pan, into the mouth, and then back into the pan, it's a bit disgusting.  Ramsay is as guilty of this as any of the contestants, but usually he just taps the excess from the spoon into the pan before placing it into its basin.

7) Raw food.  Most of my meals consist of raw food.  In fact, nothing that I ate today was cooked, but I'm a vegetarian and eat tons of raw veggies.  Raw chicken, pork, and lamb are not appetizing.

8) A towel is a towel is a towel.  How many of the contestants have been caught wiping their face with their side towel before wiping down a cutting board or pan?  Now consider how many haven't been caught.  Yeah...

9) I thought cross-contamination was a bad thing.  I might be getting a little nit-picky here, but I thought that you weren't supposed to use the same cutting board for meats and vegetables.

10) If service starts at 6:00 and there's only one seating, shouldn't everyone be served before 10:00?  I'm a pretty patient person.  If the food is good, I have no problem waiting, but sometimes guests wait hours to get their appetizers.

11) The pizza shop down the street must be raking in the cash.  Sometimes the chefs do so badly that Chef Ramsay closes down the kitchen before his guests are served.  I understand having standards, but after waiting three hours, I would hope that I would get something aside from bread.

12) I probably couldn't get an invitation anyway.  *sigh*


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Royally Delicious Pastries - Review

A couple of weeks ago, shortly before a trip to Wisconsin, I was invited to a dessert party.  It was scheduled for the day that I returned from my trip, and I knew that I wouldn't have time to prepare something on my own.  I also knew that I could turn to Royally Delicious Pastries in Beaver, PA to help me out.  I contacted the owner and set up delivery. 

Fast forward to the day of the dessert party.  I arrive at my apartment and the desserts are not there.  It was by no means the fault of Royally Delicious pastries.  There was a misunderstanding with the leasing office for my apartment building and my delicious treats were trapped behind the locked office door for the weekend.  Saddened by this turn of events, I ran to the grocery store, picked up something called "Magic Bars", and sped off to the party.  As I drove, I was disappointed that I wouldn't be able to share those trapped treats with some great people, but I was also happy because it meant that I would have enough delicious desserts to last for weeks.  

The next day, I went to the leasing office to pick up my package, eager to try the treats inside.  I was not disappointed.  Royally Delicious Pastries sent me a few dozen chocolate chip cookies and a batch of brownies.  Everything was exactly as advertised: delicious.  It was obvious that the chef believes that quality products handled with loving care is the only way to make quality desserts.  

The cookies were crunchy but delicate, even after their long weekend in the leasing office.  The brownies were fudgy, soft, and chewy.  Being only one person, I had to put everything in the freezer to keep it as fresh as possible.  Even straight out of the freezer, the brownies maintained their perfect texture.  I couldn't have been happier.

Now, as a side note, you may or may not know that I am on a diet and have been on a diet for some time.  I believe that the key to diet success is gradual weight loss and avoiding needless deprivation.  That said, I have been eating approximately three cookies every day since I picked them up from the leasing office a week ago.  I don't want to suggest that the cookies from Royally Delicious Pastries have some magical properties which melt away fat, but I did lose five pounds in the past week. 



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Apocalypse Cakes - Book Review

Those who know me know that I have a preoccupation with the end of the world.  This interest is not based on any particular belief that the world is going to end soon, rather it is centered mostly on a fascination with what other people believe about the end of the world.  I read about the apocalypse, watch films about the apocalypse, and even have a collection of works stored on my Kindle which are recommended as preparation for the zombie apocalypse.reading

Needless to say, I was delighted when a friend recently gave me Apocalypse Cakes: Recipes for the End by Shannon O'Malley.

This book recognizes that even during the end of days, we may need a treat.  Some recipes require limited ingredients (e.g. The Seismic Haitian Mud Cake needs only mud, shortening, and salt) while other require some... um... specialty ingredients (e.g. virgin's blood and a sacrificial knife are optional ingredients for the Hail the Devil's Food Cake).  Even among these less practical recipes, there are some pastries that seem absolutely delicious (e.g. The Swarm of Locusts Grasshopper Pie).

While I prefer improvisation over following recipes, I genuinely want to try some of these recipes soon.  The book itself is whimsical, but many of the recipes seem solid.  I hope that they will be as delicious as they seem (minus the virgin's blood).  Each recipe is accompanied by a photograph and a delightful description.  It is a unique book which will look great in anyone's post-apocalyptic kitchen.


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Mad Mex: A Good Review

Last time I was in Pittsburgh, I went to the Mad Mex in Oakland.  As you may remember from my previous Mad Mex review, this particular Mad Mex is a bit of a train wreck when it comes to ambiance and service.  The food is always delicious (although, it does occasionally arrive cold), but the cramped location and surly front-of-house staff consistently detract from what could be an exquisite eating experience.

At least, that was the trend until I visited the Oakland location two weeks ago.

On this particular Sunday, I was craving Mad Mex but couldn't be bothered to go to one of the other locations, so I just went to the closest.  I knew that they would have excellent food, and for me, excellent food can eclipse most annoyances.

I arrived at the Oakland location at about 5:15.  I figured that if I arrived early enough, it wouldn't be too cramped.  I was right.  The restaurant was only about half full.  When I walked in the door, I was greeted almost instantly by a cheerful hostess and was shown to my seat.  Already, this was an improvement on my last Mad Mex experience and all of my visits to the Oakland location.

One reason why I love Mad Mex is their effort to source local and seasonal ingredients.  In the summer, they have fresh, local corn on the menu.  I knew before I arrived that I would be having grilled corn for dinner; however, I had yet to decide what else I was going to have.  As I perused the menu, the server arrived at my table, took my drink order, reviewed the specials, and asked if I had any questions.   She was both polite and even made me laugh at one point.  I started to wonder if I had been transported to an alternate universe.

As my in the restaurant continued, I knew that it was only a matter of time before the whole thing disintegrated.  I was wrong.  The service was perfect, and while waiting for my meal, the server stopped at my table regularly to check on my progress and to fill my water glass.  When the food arrived, it arrived hot and in a timely manner.  My starter of corn on the cob with chipotle aioli was delicious, and my mains of Pennsyltucky Fried Fofu was crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside (and it wasn't missing any of the components - a problem that I have had in the past).

I was there for less than an hour, and even though I took my time eating, I never felt rushed, nor did I feel like a nuisance who was intent on interrupting the serving process by my presence.  It wasn't just a good experience on the Mad Mex Oakland sliding scale, it was an extraordinary dining experience by any standard. 

I had a lovely time, and if they can keep up this level of service, I may just have a new favorite Mad Mex location.



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Pittsburgh Popcorn Company

One of the places that I love to visit when I'm in Pittsburgh is The Strip District.  The Strip District is a neighborhood in Pittsburgh which is known for its plethora of ethnic food stores, restaurants, bars, and coffee shops.  On the weekends, the streets buzz with street vendors, but that was only a secondary reason for my visit to The Strip on Sunday, July 3.  On that day, I was there for the popcorn.

Pittsburgh Popcorn Company has three locations - Oakland, Downtown, and The Strip - and I would have been happy to visit any one of them if they had what I was looking for.  On this particular Sunday, only one of the three locations did, so on this lovely Sunday morning, I found myself wandering down Penn Avenue searching for dill pickle popcorn.

I first tried PPC's dill pickle popcorn about a year ago when I was working across the street from their Downtown location, and I have been obsessed with it ever since.  PPC has a set menu of flavors and a rotating weekly menu of specialty flavors.  Every time I visit Pittsburgh, I check the menu to see if they are offering my beloved dill pickle popcorn, but for the last few months, I have missed it every time it was available (usually by only one day).  On July 3, the planets aligned and finally I was in the right place at the right time.  I bought the second largest bag they offer.

A friend, upon trying it for the first time, described it as tasting like the pickles on a Big Mac.  To me, it just takes like pickles and popcorn.  It is a well balanced combination of vinegar, salt, and dill on a crispy vehicle of naturally sweet popcorn.

PPC offers other delightful flavors which are all eclipsed in my mind by the magnificent dilliness of the dill pickle flavor, but I suppose I should talk about some of the other flavors as well.

The Wisconsin Cheddar is pretty standard; although, sometimes they don't mix it properly and there are lumps of cheddar powder which I refer to as "cheddar bombs".  Overall, when not mixed properly, it can be a little overpowering, but the cheddar flavor tastes great in moderation.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Popcorn is one of their signature flavors.  It is my sister April's favorite flavor.  It is standard popcorn which has been unevenly coated with what tastes like a melted Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.  The uneven coating is very important in this case as it offers a welcome break from the richness of the chocolate and peanut butter.  I find that when I hit a pocket of popcorn which hasn't been coated, it helps me to enjoy the coated popcorn all the more.

Nutella is quite similar to the Reese's and Peanut Butter Cup, but with hazelnut instead of peanut butter.  Like the dill pickle popcorn, it is one of the specialty flavors.

Smacker Jacks is much like the snack with the "coincidentally" similar name (*wink, wink*).  It is standard caramel popcorn with peanuts, but honestly, that combination has always been a bit sweet for my tastes even when it shares its storage container with a mystery prize.

Finally, I have also tried the Buttery Movie Style.  It was pretty standard, but instead of the flavored trans-fats that most movie theaters call "buttery topping", it is topped with actual butter.

If you are in the far flung reaches of the United States, it is important to note that the Pittsburgh Popcorn Company does ship nationally.  Unfortunately, they do not ship their specialty flavors, so you have to trek to Pittsburgh to indulge in Nutella, Dill Pickle, Cajun, or Watermelon flavored popcorn, but in my opinion it is completely worth the trip.