Honey Cornbread Muffins, and My Thanksgiving Meal

I am sure this post will find most of you in full-force preparation for the big Thanksgiving Day feast - maybe you are doing last minute shopping, fine-tuning your menu with new dishes, or arguing with Aunt Sarah about who's stuffing recipe is better.  Or maybe you aren't a planner, and are just counting down the days and dreaming of golden brown turkeys covered with rich gravy, gooey sweet potatoes with marshmallows, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream.  Either way, I feel pretty certain that you are awaiting the big day with major anticipation.   

Me?  I am doing none of the above, because I already had my big Thanksgiving meal this past weekend.  Since I wasn't able to head home to be with my family this year, I knew I had to gather together with my San Diego family to eat, drink, and be merry.  For me, Thanksgiving really isn't Thanksgiving unless I am seated at a table, surrounded by people I love, laughing and smiling while I eat warm, filling food.  

My friends were more than happy to accept my invitation for dinner, and for many of them, it would the the first of two Thanksgivings.  Knowing they would be able to have turkey again took some of the pressure off as far as cooking goes, but anyone who knows me, will tell you that I can't help but go all out.  So I brought a little fall spirit inside with festive table decorations, I made the most of the space in my tiny apartment, and I cooked up a storm.  I even got a special Turkey Day Feast meal for my favorite little puppy.  We crowded as many people as could possibly fit around my table, and we dug into the feast.

Here was my Thanksgiving Menu: 

My Mom's Easiest Chicken Barley Chili

So I know it might appear as though I am posting this chili recipe because the Superbowl is upon us.  But lets be honest, if I actually wanted you to make this chili for the big game day, I probably should have posted this days ago so that you could get prepared, buy the necessary ingredients, and plan ahead how much time you would need for prep and cooking.  Right?  


Wrong.  Because this chili requires virtually no prep time, most of the ingredients are canned (gasp!  Yes, I said canned!), and the whole thing is done in 45 minutes total, you could decide to make this chili on a whim any day... including Superbowl Sunday.  


Growing up, I remember my mom used to make a traditional chili several weekends a month during football season; when I say traditional chili, I mean the hearty, meaty, deep-red stuff that is best enjoyed alongside a cold beer, a bowl of chips, and a healthy serving of masculinity.  It was the stuff that real men enjoy, and my dad loved it.  That chili had beef, lots of it, and sometimes beans (although chili purists think beans are the devil) and it was always spicy and rich.  However, about 5 years ago my mom started making this Chicken Barley Chili recipe, and she has never looked back.  This chili is a little bit different...ok, it is a lot different.

For starters, this chili is healthy.  It has chicken instead of beef, which automatically reduces the artery-clogging properties of traditional chili.  It has several forms of protein: chicken, black beans, and barley; the barley is also a whole grain and a good source of fiber.  Add in the antioxidants from the tomatoes and a vegetable source from the corn, and you have a shockingly healthy meal.

Thomas Keller's Sweet Creamed Corn

So I had a totally different recipe to share with you for my regular Monday post. But then, it just so happens that I was sitting at home on Saturday night (Boo. Life is not always exciting.) with a splitting migrane (Double Boo. Pain is never fun.) and flipping through the copy of Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home that I had just picked up from the library (Yay! Cookbooks are exciting and always fun!).  This cookbook is just filled to the brim with amazing recipes, but when I happened upon this creamed corn I knew with utter certainty that I needed to temporarily abandon those earlier plans and share this recipe with you instead.  I hadn't even made it yet, but I just knew that it would be a winner and that I would be typing this post today to tell you about it.   

I think I felt so certain for three main reasons.  First, I have been feeling a little low on inspiration lately, and for whatever reason (probably because Thomas Keller is amazing?), reading through Ad Hoc at Home chased away all of those lackluster feelings.  Second, the growing season for sweet corn has literally hit its own "sweet spot" which makes the taste simple and sublime.  Plus, corn seems to be the quintessential late-summer vegetable that we all eat in order to take a bite of those last rays of summer sunshine.  And don't let me forget, thirdly, I was so certain that I would share this recipe with you because it is from Thomas Keller.  And can anyone argue that is food is wonderful?        

Cheesy Jalapeno Cornbread, and a Beach Picnic

Do you have a little sweet spot in your heart for cornbread?  I know I do, and I am not sure if it is because I grew up in the Midwest or just because I like corn.  Tell me, is cornbread a best-loved food in the New England states, or the Pacific Northwest, or even in Europe?  (Maybe I am showing a little foodie ignorance here, but I really don't know, and I think googling isn't going to give me the answer I want.)  Whatever your current preference, I think you should consider developing a little adoration for this slightly sweet treat.        

I know for sure that some San Diegians are eating the delicious cornbread that is served at Bud's Louisiana Cafe.  Oh, their cornbread muffins are delicious little bites of heaven that are flecked with sweet corn... and also some other sweet flavor that I can't seem to put my finger (or tastebud) on.  And, you can get a cornbread muffin at Bud's for the bargain price of 50 cents!  So if you have a few quarters in your pocket and you live in So Cal, just cruise on over to Bud's and get yourself a muffin or two.      

Or, if you don't live in San Diego, you can whip up a batch of cornbread for yourself in a jiffy with this recipe.  This cornbread is sweet, and moist, and definitely spicy, and the golden cheesy topping really takes it just over the top. If you want it a little less spicy, just decrease the amount of jalapenos or omit the whole jalapenos from the top.  Don't want cheese?  Just leave it out!