Saturday, December 20, 2008

Care for Cornbread? Using Russian Ingredients (Part 3)

Oh yeah Cowboys and Cowgirls. . . we've got our cornbread. Our fine efforts with dry ingredients in Part 1 and all the rest in Part 2 and how nice to enjoy the results. It's really pretty good. I tried a piece . . . or two. . . or so. . . and called it lunch. Here's the little corner piece. Oh yum!

Care for some?



Took the rest to church: Friday evenings 7:00 we have singing practice. And folks come there hungry from classes and work. So pre-YAT-nova ap-pe-TEE-ta, dear friends!


All I said was, please pose with the cornbread and please act like you're enjoying it, because it's for my dear Blog Readers.

What a bunch of introverts. So shy, so timid around the camera. So self-conscious about posing.


Let's try this again. Let's be our most dignified this time. Okay, one. Two. Three.

Okay, slightly more normal, less manic, in a way. It must be those ingredients in the cornbread that's doing this. I promise, there's no trauma, turmoil or flies in there in place of the flour. . . just lots of TLC for some favorite fiends. . . friends, rather. =)


Let's talk ingredients. Here's Russian baking powder for you. See, it's in little packets and that helps keep it fresh. It would be translated, loosener of dough. But the way I discovered it was through our sister Nina. Several years ago, we were making waffles at church with the kiddos and I was explaining about baking powder that we have in the US, that it's baking soda plus acid (cream of tartar - and how to say that in Russian)! . And that I wasn't finding it here. And Nina, who is quite an experienced cook said, Oh we do have it. It's . . . and she come up with this big long word (as below). She wrote it down for me, I found it at the supermarket then brought it back home and then looked it up in the dictionary.



Next is the corn grains or whatever. That, if nothing else is available, can be ground up to make corn meal. Except oopsie. I ended up with polished millet instead of corn. But it looks pretty much the same.

So, anybody want the recipe? Found this on the internet several years back. Source is MasterCook and it's called Corn Bread Loaf. Because one batch bakes in a loaf pan. But we made a double batch.

Corn Bread Loaf

Oven: 350 F, or 4.5 of you have a Soviet-style oven!
Pan: loaf pan for single recipe or 9 by 13-inch pan for double batch.
Or, muffins: single batch makes 12. Get pans oiled and prepped.

Dry ingredients: Get these measured out and into a large bowl.
1 1/2 cups flour (3 cups, for a double batch)
1 1/4 cups cornmeal (2 1/2 cups doubled)
3/4 cup sugar (1 1/2 cup doubled) - I'd recommend cutting back on the sugar a bit
1/2 teaspoon baking powder (1 teaspoon doubled)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (1 tsp)
1/2 teaspoon salt (1 tsp)

Liquid ingredients: Measure into a medium-sized bowl or container.
2 large eggs (4 eggs)
1/2 cup vegetable oil (1 cup)
1/2 cup milk (1 cup)
1/2 cup buttermilk (1 cup)
or use regular milk plus a bit of vinegar, allow to set for 10-15 minutes or so. . .
1 cup corn (2 cups) - a small can works fine

Mix dry ingredients. Separately mix liquid ingredients. Add the liquid to the dry. Stir only until dry ingredients are all moistened. Pour batter into prepared pans. Loaf pan needs an hour in the oven: check after 45 minutes. Same with the 9 by 13-inch pan. Muffins usually need around 35 minutes. Cool on a rack for 35-45 minutes. . . or so.

Congratulations - Genuine Cowboy Bread!

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Mmm... I LOVE cornbread! Looks great!

Kelsey said...

That looks very tasty! I miss cornbread.

By the way, as both a fellow expat and a half-Russian, I find your blog very interesting. Mind if I add you to my blogroll?

- Driftingfocus

~~anna~~ said...

I used your recipe and have a pan in the oven ehre in the Dominican Republic! (I follow your blog from Charity Wright's) Mine is http://chinychon.blogspot.com/ if you care to visit....

Hope you have a very Merry Christmas!

~~anna~~ said...

me again! I just used your recipe and made the most incredible corn bread ever! DELICIOUS!
I doubled the recipe, except for sugar. I used 1 cup. Made mine in a glass pan, and set oven for 325*. It was done in 43 minutes! I couldn't resist and only let it cool 5 minutes. Oh my!!! this is so-o-o-o-o good!
Hubby and I found large cans of Campbells New England Clam Chowder the other week. So, for lunch we are having that with *your* cornbread.
Thanks so much for the recipe. it's definitely a keeper!

Eileen said...

Hey Tammy, Thank you for stopping by =). Think your buds there in Zhitomer area would love cornbread with their borshch?

Kelsey ~ Neat! I would be honored for your to include my blog on your blogroll. I stopped by your blog for a quick look (will definitely want to swing by for longer) and it looks nice. Best wishes in. . . Korea!?

Anna - Oh boy that cornbread with your clam chowder sounds wonderful for a winter's dinner. Thanks for the info about the sugar and the glass pan. Oh. . . oh. . . but it's summer where YOU live, right? Thanks so much for your visit. Neat we met through Charity! =)

Kelsey said...

Thanks! I'll add you. Feel free to add back, though you don't have to.

Yeah, I'm in Korea. I'd rather be where you are though.

Anonymous said...

Hi! I am so glad my roommate found your blog - I was thinking about posting in more detail about what I cook and how, but I thought the audience might be a little small - I think I was wrong. But I also couldn't imagine doing a better job than this! Love the photography and the helpful translations. Will definitely be back!

Rose said...

Eileen,
Loved the 3-part cornbread blog. Today we had our traditional New Years Eve meal. Black-eyed peas, collard greens, ham, and CORNBREAD. We spoke with my son and he reminded us that were should have included Kraut and sausage. I made my cornbread with my grandmother's recipe.
Heat oven at 400 degrees. Place butter-flavored Crisco into old round iron skillet and place into the hot oven. Mix cornmeal mix, which already has right amount of soda, with tart buttermilk. Pour hot shortening into mix, and return skillet to oven. Stir mix, buttermilk and shortening until it looks "right" ( a southern grandmother measurement ) Add buttermilk until you can hear your grandmother's memory whisper in your ear, "that's right honey". Pour mixture into sizzling hot skillet and return to hot oven. Temp up to 450 degrees. Check bread a few times over the next 20 minutes or so , or until you have the table set, drinks poured, and the crowd moving toward the kitchen. Bread is ready when it is slightly domed and a lovely golden brown. Cut into pie shapes, slice and butter. Bless the bread and meal and EAT.

Eileen said...

Hey Rose, you know what - I'm thinking this might be the way your dad, the legend himself, makes cornbread too. Maybe? Once I was there and and he used the hot, cast iron skillet for the batter and the texture was extra special, like crunchier at the edges. Oh I LOVED it. So now I know how to do that. All I need is a cast iron skillet and some corn bread mix! ;) THANK YOU FOR THE RECIPE! And for stopping by - Happy New Year to you and yours!

Andy and Ana said...

Happy New Year 2009!...I'm on a comment-roll(all new & fun)...Love cornbread-my favorite...recipe looks great! Hopefully, will try it soon, maybe for next potluck-day in one accord...at my son's house. It seems to be a hit and everyone love it. The pictures look great,too. Thanks for sharing your joy with us...your sister in Christ...Nana ana

Anonymous said...

Thank you for teaching me what baking powder in Russia looks like, and where to find it! At last, an end to my quest...thoroughly useful and much appreciated.

Being English and an inexperienced cook, I'll be using the magic powder to create scones rather than cornbread. I must say though, the photo of your finished product looks DELICIOUS.

Vsevo dobrovo,
M from Kazan

Laura said...

Hi Neighbor! Wonderful recipe, and love your friends. Thanks for discovering the secret of Russian baking powder. Every time I had asked a Russian about baking ingredients, they gave me recipes for unfluffy, undelicious Russian cakes. I could never interest anyone in helping me make American recipes. Love the blog!

Laura, Krasnodar