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Congratulations...
to the winners of the Lodge cast-iron skillets, randomly selected from our e-mail list of subscribers. Ann Abadie of Oxford, Mississippi, won the 9-inch Lodge Logic Cast Iron skillet. "Lodge skillets are terrific," Ann writes, "and I am happy to have another one, which will occupy an important place with the small one that I use frequently." Ann is associate director of the Center for the Study of Southern Culture and a founding member of the Southern Foodways Alliance. "Thanks for the skillet," she adds, "and for The Zenchilada.com."  Jay Pierce of Greensboro, North Carolina, won the Lodge Logic Double Play Cast Iron Grill/Griddle. He is the executive chef at Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen in Greensboro.
"I am interested in foodways from an anthropological perspective," Jay writes, "and am optimistic about changing the world. I want my kids to feel great about where their food comes from and to know that they are not only what they eat, but they are what is eaten by what they eat."
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 See You in September
The next edition of TheZenchilada.com will
post in late September. The issue opens by exploring the deceptively simple question, "Which came first-the chicken or the
egg?" Then we delve into the many ways the ubiquitous bird and its illustrious
ovum appear in art, literature, music and spiritual traditions, as well as on the
table. Renowned African-American food writer-scholar
Jessica Harris explores the ritual use of chicken and egg in
African-influenced spiritual traditions, while artist Beth Surdut reveals how
she uses eggs to lure ravens to her yard. We'll have bar eggs, yard
birds and at least one eggs-istential conversation. More than two dozen
writers, poets and artists will be delving into the likes of northern New Mexico cascarones, the fundamentals of fried chicken,
the specs on the Coop de Ville, the history of "city chicken" and
the mystery of deviled eggs. Our recipes will span the globe and include African, Vietnamese, Arabic, Southwestern, Californian and Carolinian ways with chickens and their eggs. Did we mention the egg
cocktails? See you in September!  |
After the harvest
The cornfields may be picked bare by now, but the July 2010 edition of TheZenchilada.com is still online. Take another taste-or send it to a friend hungry for good food writing.
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A last word about corn
In honor of the Lodge skillet giveaway winners-and to squeeze in a few more thoughts about corn before we move on to another subject-we offer TheZenchilada.com's readers a recipe for cornbread the way mountain mamas, and some daddies, have been making it for centuries. We also preview a new book of photos shot over the course of a year on the Navajo Nation, where the ritual planting of corn is still an important part of community life.
Real Cornbread
4 tablespoons drippings
2 cups finely ground white cornmeal
1 teaspoon salt
˝ teaspoon baking soda
˝ teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg
1 ˝ cups buttermilk
First, a word about drippings. Like most country cooks, my mother kept a coffee can with bacon grease in it at the back of the stove, She used it to sauté and season food on a daily basis. I use mine less frequently, so keep it in the refrigerator. It is, bar none, the best fat to use to season cornbread. In the days when I did not eat meat, however, I used butter. It is second. If you are trying to cut down on saturated fat, I recommend adding just a bit of bacon grease or butter to a plain-tasting oil, such as canola. If you are avoiding both meat and dairy, use a flavorful corn or peanut oil.
Turn the oven to 450 degrees. Put the drippings in a 9-inch cast iron skillet. Place the skillet in the oven and let the drippings heat to sizzling (but not smoking) while you prepare the batter.
In a big bowl, mix cornmeal, salt, soda and baking powder. Break the egg into the middle and pop the yolk with a big wooden spoon. Add buttermilk and stir until just blended. (If your buttermilk is good and thick or your cornmeal especially dry, you may want to add a little more liquid. You want the batter to be pourable, but not thin/runny.)
The drippings should be good and hot by now. Take the pan out of the oven and gently swirl them to coat the bottom and the sides, then pour the rest into the batter. Talk about your snap, crackle and pop! (If your drippings aren't quite hot enough to "talk," don't worry, just leave them in the oven a tiny bit longer next time.)
Mix lightly just to blend and then pour the batter into the hot, well-greased skillet and pop it back in the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the bread is set in the middle and the edges are crisp and browned. Serve hot, cut in wedges straight from the pan, or turn pan upside-down over plate and, if it's seasoned well, the golden crispy cornbread will slide right out.
Some folks like to split open a piece and slather butter in the middle, but my family never did since the drippings give it all the flavor it needs.
You will note that the pone this recipe makes is thin, not puffy. The secret to real southern mountain cornbread is in its crisp crust-to-creamy center ratio, heavy on the crust. The cornbread skillet given by Lodge (a Cumberland Mountain-based company) is divided into wedges to maximize the crust even more. If you are using this kind of skillet, divide drippings equally into each of the compartments and heat as directed above. (It should take a shorter amount of time for the drippings to sizzle, so keep an eye on them.)
-Ronni Lundy, Editor in Chief
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One Nation, One Year
July 9, 2008 at 10:07 a.m.: According to Navajo tradition, only females can plant corn-it needs a woman's touch. That's Urina Bitcinnie's summer job. With the money she earns, Urina plans to buy an iPod, so she doesn't have to borrow her friend's anymore.  |
In June, a young bride's family bedecks her in silver and
turquoise as she prepares for a blessing of her marriage.
In August, a neon-lit Battle of the Bands marks Dine
College's 40th year of cultural independence.
In October, a woman prepares tortillas and cubed canned meat
on an open-fire grill for riders taking part in a community horseback trip from
Kayenta, Arizona to Shiprock, New Mexico.
In January, a firefighter stands proudly in front of a
shining red fire engine.
For one year, starting in February 2008, photographer Don
James traveled from one side of the Navajo Nation to the other-in cars and
trucks, on horseback and foot, using his thumb when necessary-to document the
traditions and daily activities of the people who occupy the more than 25,000
square miles that form the Navajo Nation.
One Nation, One Year, released in the summer of 2010, captures James' journey. Perhaps
because he, too, is Navajo, James' images offer glimpses of places and a people
largely unknown to the outside world. Text by Navajo writer Karyth Becenti
helps us understand more about what we see in the beautifully composed and
revealing photos.
-Pat West-Barker, Executive Editor
 One Nation, One Year (128 pages, 213 color photographs) is published by Rio Grande Books in
collaboration with Albuquerque The Magazine.
It can be purchased through Amazon.com or directly through the publisher's
website: www.nmsantos.com.
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