Buttermilk Corn Bread

My church serves a dinner for hungry people in our community every Sunday. I am on the team that serves dinner on the second Sunday of every month, and our assigned meal is always chili with corn bread and salad. We have dedicated cooks who make vats of chili every month, and I usually volunteer to bring corn bread. Over the past year I have made a few different recipes, changing this and that and the other thing, and I think I finally found the one I like the best. I like this recipe because it's sweet with a little tang; however, you should be aware that my dinner team captain thinks it's a little too sweet, so it's possible that you will want to reduce the amount of sugar. I make this in a big batch (we feed 60 people), so it's also possible you might want to halve the recipe and use a smaller pan.

Ingredients:
1 C. (two sticks) butter
1 1/3 C. sugar
4 eggs
2 C. buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda
2 C. corn meal
2C. flour
1 tsp. salt
Butter to grease a 9 x 13" pan

In a small mixing bowl, combine the corn meal, flour and salt, set aside. Put the baking soda in the buttermilk separately, and set that aside for a moment. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then in a large bowl, whisk the melted butter and sugar until they are thoroughly beaten together. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar and keep whisking. Pour in the buttermilk mixture, and whisk thoroughly. Use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to mix in the flour and cornmeal mixture until it's all thoroughly wet. Pour into a buttered 9 x 13" baking dish. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. Let it cool for at least 20 minutes before you cut into squares.

This is how to do Mac and Cheese

I once had a very excellent friend whose comfort food was mac 'n' cheese from a box. Not mom's apple pie, or Nana's chicken soup; no--when she felt bad, when things were going wrong, she wanted Kraft. It's a long story abut why that was so, and it's not mine to tell. However, I think that her deriving comfort from the strange collection of powders and coloring that is Kraft mac 'n' cheese is not altogether strange for our generation. Before the all-natural-whole-grain-locally-grown-grass-fed-humanely-raised-more-veggies-than-breads movement--our parents and grandparents were fans of the "easy fast prep" kind of foods. Using canned, boxed, and processed foods as part of recipes was promoted by cook books and newspapers, and I think when our parents and families made these recipes for us it marked my generation's taste buds indelibly with a taste for MSG, corn syrup, and malodextrin.

I think of my friend's passion for mac 'n' cheese every time I make my own favorite and very comforting mac 'n' cheese, largely because one of the ingredients is "processed cheese food product." While I am no Michael Polan, I'm always a little embarrassed to be seen buying a "food product" at Fairway.

Ingredients:
1 Pound macaroni elbows
1/2 C (1 Stick) butter
2 C. of shredded cheese--I usually use equal parts sharp cheddar, mild cheddar, and jalapeno jack
8 Ounces processed cheese food product, cubed
3/4 C. cream
3/4 C. milk
2 Eggs, beaten
Pepper to taste

Boil your pasta according to the instructions on the label, then drain and return to the pot. Put the butter in and stir until it's melted. Stir in the shredded cheeses, cheese food product, cream, milk and eggs. Add pepper to taste. (You can add salt, too, but remember you've got cheese product in there, so you might not need so much salt.) Transfer into a 2.5-liter baking casserole, and bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 35 minutes. Let it rest for about 10 or 15 minutes before serving.