A Cornbread Quartet, Sparkling WIne, and Many Salads Welcome Spring 2011

For the first Cornbread Supper of spring, 2011 -- and probably it was our second anniversary doing Cornbread Suppers, though we thought of this a bit late -- we opened with the official Cornbread Supper bubbly, J. Roget Extra Dry, and kept rolling right through some fabulous salads and savory dishes, all supported by a quartet of Cornbreads. We had Traditional Kentucky Black Skillet cornbread in the REAL traditional format (pork drippings) as well as vegetarian. We also had peppery cornbreads, laced with 2010 jalapeños from the Campsie garden (and freezer), in both porky and veggie variations.

And...

Chleb (Czech Peasant Bread)
Veg Medley: Potatoes, Asparagus, Bellpep, Onion, Garlic, Rosemary, Thyme
Vegetarian Curry (Tofu)
Basmati Rice
Kalamata Gorgonzola Spread (Garlic, olive oil, pecans)
Roasted Beet Salad w/Cocoa Vinaigrette: Goat cheese, cocoa, cocoa nibs, oranges; some lettuces are from Berea College

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Boone Tavern Spoon Bread, the 1950s recipe

We have tried spoonbreads (soft, luscious, buttery—described by James Beard as a "heavy, dense soufflé") as Cornbread Supper mainstays before, and used great recipes, but the spoonbreads always did what spoonbreads (and soufflés) do: deflate. Through serendipity, and thanks to a Cornbread Supperian, I lucked into the old Boone Tavern (Berea College) recipe for spoonbread, and it is far less droopy. Perhaps Boone Tavern developed an approach to spoonbread that preserves all its goodness while still working for a busy restaurant. In any case, with thanks to Kentucky food and foodways author and guru John van Willigen, here's an excellent recipe for that can be doubled, tripled, and quadrupled to feed spoonbread to a crowd. It did just that on Monday, February 25, 2013. From Richard T. Hougen. Look No Further: A cookbook of favorite recipes from Boone Tavern Hotel, Berea College, Kentucky. New York: Abingdon Press. 1955. Southern Spoon Bread 1955 Ingredients 3 c...

We remember Vicky Schankula, 1947–2016

Vicky Schankula, at right, in purple One of life's most gracious and delightful people, Victoria Fairbanks Schankula, found Cornbread Suppers early on, and took joy in the weekly gatherings. She came to Cornbread Supper faithfully, bringing beautiful food, laughter, a camera for her "picture of the day," a lovely British accent, a commitment to helping clean up, and a constant interest in each other person in the room. When Vicky entered the house on Monday nights carrying a particular large round plate, children (and a few adults) trailed her to the dessert table to see what she had brought. The favorites: lemon bars, brownies and her mother's most unusual, delicious carrot cake. Vicky graciously shared and allowed us to publish recipes for Lemon Bars and Isabel Fairbairns's (Gangy's) Carrot Cake on this site. Gangy's Carrot Cake on Vicky Schankula's special dessert plate When illness prevented Vicky from returning to Cornbread Supper...

Cornbread Supper now is resting

For all the Cornbreadians and would-be Cornbreadians -- it was a good run. A bit more than nine years. You came on Mondays. Conviviality ensued. You made community. Gratitude to all. It was a gift to us.

Cornbread Supper

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