Corn Bread

via NY Times

This was oh-so-easy and so good and probably what we would call "a cheat" around here.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons butter, olive oil, lard or bacon drippings (I used butter, yumyumyum).
• 1 1/2 cups medium-grind cornmeal
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups milk, more if needed

Method

• 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put fat in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or in an 8-inch square baking pan. Place pan in oven.
• 2. Meanwhile, combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix eggs into milk, then stir this mixture into dry ingredients, combining with a few swift strokes. If mixture seems dry, add another tablespoon or two of milk.
• 3. When fat and oven are hot, remove skillet or pan from oven, pour batter into it and smooth out top. Return pan to oven. Bake about 30 minutes, until top is lightly browned and sides have pulled away from pan; a toothpick inserted into center will come out clean. Serve hot or warm.

Spicy Oil and Vinegar Bread Dip

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2/3 cup aged balsamic vinegar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

In a bottle with a lid, mix the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, kosher salt, and pepper. Seal bottle, and refrigerate mixture 8 hours, or overnight. Shake well before serving. Store in the refrigerator.