How to make cornmeal anything taste better

I made johnnycakes for breakfast this morning--a common move for me if I forgot or was too lazy to start sourdough waffles the night before. I know I mentioned this some time ago, but I'm still astounded at the increase in flavor after I started adding a portion of stone-ground whole grain medium grind cornmeal to the mix.

There's really no comparison to run-of-the-mill cornmeal. (Now there's an interesting question: the phrase, "run-of-the-mill." I know the definition, but what does it really mean?)

I've tried the whole grain meal in cornbread, too, with similar results. Just adding a cup or less does the trick.

I made johnnycakes for breakfast this morning--a common move for me if I forgot or was too lazy to start sourdough waffles the night before. I know I mentioned this some time ago, but I'm still astounded at the increase in flavor after I started adding a portion of stone-ground whole grain medium grind cornmeal to the mix.

There's really no comparison to run-of-the-mill cornmeal. (Now there's an interesting question: the phrase, "run-of-the-mill." I know the definition, but what does it really mean?)

I've tried the whole grain meal in cornbread, too, with similar results. Just adding a cup or less does the trick.

Here's an interesting link, Larry:

http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.p ... e=20010508

I'm not that much into baking, so I'm not ashamed to admit using mixes. Often with chili I like to make corn bread and use the Jiffy (R) brand mix. However, I like to substitute some of the liquid ingredients with a can of creamed corn (it's the only thing I use creamed corn for). Then I spoon the batter on top of the chili and bake it.

Thanks for the link, Aaron.

And, Howie, the Better Homes & Garden Cookbook recipe for cornbread is the best and easiest I've ever used. And it doesn't take much longer than pouring a mix out of a box. The longest part is that I have to walk down some stairs to get my cornmeal.

What is your recipe for johnnycakes? I bought johnnycake "mix" at a small country store in Rhode Island a few months back, and I made some this weekend. I'm not 100% sure that I made them correctly, as I am not sure I have ever had a proper one to compare. What I got was not entirely unlike a grilled polenta cake.

It turns out the mix was just ground flint cornmeal, and the intructions mainly involed a little water and some butter. That said, the meal itself was amazing quality, so I was very happy to eat my grilled polenta! With lesser materials, this would not have worked at all.

If you haven't seen their products, seek out anything from Anson Mills:

http://www.ansonmills.com/

They are making super quality polenta, grits, masa and more from heirloom corn. It isn't cheap, and the cooking is old-school (grits take about 3 hours), but you will never look at the products the same way again. I use the grits anywhere soft polenta would work and people are amazed.

...And, Howie, the Better Homes & Garden Cookbook recipe for cornbread is the best and easiest I've ever used.

Thanks, Larry - I have the cookbook, so I'll check it out!

Throw in some whole grain cornmeal for extra extra flavor.

What is your recipe for johnnycakes? .

With my memory, I don't know if I posted this before or not, but here goes:

Johnnycakes

1 Tbs sugar
1 tsp salt
1 Tbs butter
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup boiling water
1/4 cup milk.

Add 1st 4 ingredients to bowl; pour over water and mix well; add milk and mix. Adjust viscosity to your liking. Drop spoonfuls of batter onto hot, greased griddle til browned, then flip over and brown other side.

Goes great with maple or corncob syrup.