Yield not to temptation.
So I have never liked corn bread. Didn't like my momma's. Didn't like our southern relatives'. Didn't like it in any restaurant down South, southern Midwest, and certainly do not like on the northern West Coast. Down South, it was too dry. In the Midwest, lots of different kinds and none were good. On the northern West Coast, they make it sweet! Like cake! Ewww! It's like eating grainy cake! -- And that's part of the cornbread problem: the texture.
However, my family came from the South. I also lived in Mississippi for 3.5 years. I choose to live in the North West, and would not change that, but I want to embrace my southern roots. I have even, over the last couple years, embraced writing "y'all" and I would say "y'all," if I thought of it. Further, over some years, I have actually embraced, and I celebrate, some of the southern attitudes -- the sweet ones, anyway, not the other outmoded ones, of course.
I don't like most soul food with the exception of grits, which I love. Don't like collards. Don't like buttermilk. Don't like "greens." Don't like turnips unless they are raw. WON'T eat pig or use pig grease. (Not kosher, but also, think: Robert Pickton.) Won't eat catfish or crawfish (not kosher). Had some hushpuppies in Minnesota that I really liked. Anyway....
So I keep thinking, "I should like cornbread." I want to like cornbread! I mean I really want to. So I am set on this adventure to like it.
I bought two cast iron pans and treated them: a little pan divided for 8 sections of pie-shaped cornbread and a Dutch oven for cornbread and other foods. I followed the instructions for seasoning cast iron, but I am so unsure that they are treated correctly.
My reason? They both still have thick areas of the oil in the bottom. And when I scraped at them, the scraping raised red (!!) crumbly stuff. Yes, I scrubbed at them initially, because I read that when new, they are covered in a wax. I never saw wax: I just did what they said to do. Then I rubbed on peanut oil and put them in the oven at 450 degrees F for an hour. I let them cool completely then did it again twice more. Thought I was ready to bake in them -- but the red crumbly stuff....
I am thinking I will bake cornbread this Wednesday (tomorrow) anyway. We can throw away any parts of the crust that have red stuff, and maybe that will clean the pan finally.
Thinking that I will flavor the cornbread with taco seasoning, finely chopped onions and bell pepper, and some whole kernel corn. Thought I would put yogurt in it. Serve it with butter. Maybe I will like it then.
So I have never liked corn bread. Didn't like my momma's. Didn't like our southern relatives'. Didn't like it in any restaurant down South, southern Midwest, and certainly do not like on the northern West Coast. Down South, it was too dry. In the Midwest, lots of different kinds and none were good. On the northern West Coast, they make it sweet! Like cake! Ewww! It's like eating grainy cake! -- And that's part of the cornbread problem: the texture.
However, my family came from the South. I also lived in Mississippi for 3.5 years. I choose to live in the North West, and would not change that, but I want to embrace my southern roots. I have even, over the last couple years, embraced writing "y'all" and I would say "y'all," if I thought of it. Further, over some years, I have actually embraced, and I celebrate, some of the southern attitudes -- the sweet ones, anyway, not the other outmoded ones, of course.
I don't like most soul food with the exception of grits, which I love. Don't like collards. Don't like buttermilk. Don't like "greens." Don't like turnips unless they are raw. WON'T eat pig or use pig grease. (Not kosher, but also, think: Robert Pickton.) Won't eat catfish or crawfish (not kosher). Had some hushpuppies in Minnesota that I really liked. Anyway....
So I keep thinking, "I should like cornbread." I want to like cornbread! I mean I really want to. So I am set on this adventure to like it.
I bought two cast iron pans and treated them: a little pan divided for 8 sections of pie-shaped cornbread and a Dutch oven for cornbread and other foods. I followed the instructions for seasoning cast iron, but I am so unsure that they are treated correctly.
My reason? They both still have thick areas of the oil in the bottom. And when I scraped at them, the scraping raised red (!!) crumbly stuff. Yes, I scrubbed at them initially, because I read that when new, they are covered in a wax. I never saw wax: I just did what they said to do. Then I rubbed on peanut oil and put them in the oven at 450 degrees F for an hour. I let them cool completely then did it again twice more. Thought I was ready to bake in them -- but the red crumbly stuff....
I am thinking I will bake cornbread this Wednesday (tomorrow) anyway. We can throw away any parts of the crust that have red stuff, and maybe that will clean the pan finally.
Thinking that I will flavor the cornbread with taco seasoning, finely chopped onions and bell pepper, and some whole kernel corn. Thought I would put yogurt in it. Serve it with butter. Maybe I will like it then.
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