Eric Burkett

Cornbread

1 ¼ cup polenta or coarse grind cornmeal
¾ cups flour
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
3 tbsp butter
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne

Preheat oven to 400.

• Begin melting butter in iron skillet over a moderate flame.
• Combine polenta, flour, baking powder, salt, and cayenne in a large mixing bowl.
• In a smaller bowl, mix together buttermilk, eggs, and melted butter (When you’ve poured the butter from the skillet, return the skillet to the burner over a low flame. You want to keep the skillet hot.)
• Using a rubber spatula, stir liquid ingredients into the cornmeal mixture, stirring until dry ingredients are just moistened.
• Turn off the flame beneath the skillet and pour the batter in the pan; the batter should sizzle when it hits the skillet. Place filled skillet into the oven and bake for 25 minutes, or until bread is golden.
• When the bread is only just too hot to handle with your fingers comfortably, cut into pieces, and then split one piece open for yourself. Spread lavishly with butter and enjoy.

• Combine all the ingredients except for the rosemary, lemon juice, parsley, and salt and pepper,  in a large soup pot.
• Fill with enough water or chicken stock to cover ingredients by 2 inches.
• Add rosemary branch.
• Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer, cooking until potatoes and parsnips are tender.
• Add parsley and remove rosemary.
• With an immersion or standing blender, blend ingredients until smooth.
• Taste the soup; if it’s too sweet, add enough lemon juice to tone the sweetness down. Add salt and pepper to taste.