Smokey Bacon and Cheddar Johnnycake

The other day, I was cleaning out my pantry and found a box of Jiffy Corn Muffin mix. It’s probably been there since around Thanksgiving when I make a corn-bread based stuffing (Chestnut and Cranberry Cornbread Stuffing). Every year, I make the cornbread base the day before Thanksgiving to give it time to thoroughly dry out before making the stuffing. And each year, I have to hide the base because little fingers come around pulling off little pieces to where I wind up with not enough of the base!

That got me to thinking, what if I make an actual cornbread with a similar technique to the stuffing base and just leave it at that stage? What if I add some extra flavor to it? Would it be good on its own?

This morning I began experimenting and I must say, the experiment has been a success. With what I had in the house, this is what the result was:

Smokey Bacon and Cheddar Johnnycake
1 box Jiffy Cornbread Muffin Mix
1 large egg
¾ cup low-sodium chicken stock
2 slices of thick center-cut bacon, browned and crumbled
~ 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
~ 1 tsp dried thyme
~ 1 Tbs chili powder

Preheat oven to 375 F.
Spray non-stick cooking spray in an 8x8 baking dish.
Put cornbread mix in a bowl. Add thyme and chili powder.
Add egg and chicken stock. Stir until combined.
Fold in bacon and cheese.
Pour into prepared baking dish and bake 20-25 minutes, until brown on top.

This is tasty on its own, or would be a great accompaniment to eggs or chili.
Enjoy!

For the Love of Food

It should come as no surprise in these tough economic times why the Comfort Food movement has been taking off. For many, food is so closely tied in with their memories it can become difficult to distinguish if it’s the memory you love or the food itself.

Do you have any foods you think of as "comfort food?" In my travels, I've seen just about everything be considered a Comfort Food: meatloaf, jellied fish, pancakes... but in all cases, a great comfort food experience encompasses all of the senses. Not just the act of eating.

Maybe when you were a kid, Mom would bake chocolate chip cookies after a particularly bad day. It’s not just the chocolate chip cookie you remember but the whole experience: The smell of the sugar caramelizing, the sounds of dishes clanking, watching the cookies spread and puff through the glass door on the oven, taking a cookie off the rack that’s probably just a bit too hot for your little fingers to touch but you can’t wait any longer to bite into the ooey gooey chocolaty goodness. And in that moment, you’re not thinking about the kid who was mean to you on the bus or the teacher who caught you passing notes in class. Just for that moment, you feel is how special you must be to have someone that loves you enough to do what she can to make you feel better.

Maybe for you it’s not cookies. Maybe it’s Grandma’s hot chocolate after playing in the snow. Or eating Aunt Linda’s crunchy fried chicken with your entire, loud family outside on the picnic table surrounded by freshly cut grass and blooming flowers.

Now that we’re grown, sometimes we have to take our comfort into our own hands. I was recently having a rough day. Just the typical woes: work getting you down, money troubles, the health of loved ones. I needed a pick-me-up in a big way. I needed to engage my senses. Here’s what I did:

Quick Marinara Sauce

1 (28 oz) can whole peeled Italian tomatoes

1 big clove garlic, minced

1 large shallot, finely diced

¼ cup dry white wine

Hefty pinch dried Basil

Half that pinch of dried Oregano and dried Thyme

I was feeling lazy and didn’t feel like cutting up the tomatoes so I pulled out the food processor and gave them a whirl. Then,

* Heat 1 Tbs olive oil in an enamel coated cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat.

* Add shallot and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic, stir and cook until you can smell the garlic.

* Add white wine and bring to a bubble. Add dried herbs and let wine cook for 1-2 minutes.

* Add pureed tomatoes and stir.

* Turn heat to low, cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

** Use right away as spaghetti sauce, pizza sauce, the base for a meat sauce, lasagna, for chicken parmesan or freeze it in (labeled!) zipper baggies for another day.

The house smelled fantastic and my mood lifted. Like getting a much needed hug.

Keep in mind the next time your child, brother, girlfriend, husband or friend is in need. It doesn’t have to be fancy or complicated. Taking a few extra moments to cater to someone’s senses is a great way to show them you care.