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The Gift of Good Taste Homemade fare becomes presentworthy in pretty, use-again packages.
A sweet and savory breakfast
WANT TO MAKE YOUR OWN ORANGE MARMALADE?
Go to countryliving .com/marmalade for the recipe.
Long after this from-scratch cornbread gets gobbled up, the cast-iron skillet will continue to please. Upgrade store-bought extras by transferring orange marmalade to a cute jar and flavoring butter with honey—then pack it all up in a basket. (Similar: skillet, $5.87; u-buyrite.com; jar, $2.99; containerstore.com; basket, $9.99; michaels.com for stores)
Makes three 6½-inch pans of bread Preheat oven to 375˚F. In a large bowl, stir together 1¾ cups medium grind yellow cornmeal, 1¼ cups all-purpose flour, 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon baking powder, and 2 teaspoons salt. In another bowl, mix 3 beaten eggs with 1¾ cups buttermilk. Add the wet mixture to the dry and stir. Fold in one 15-ounce can creamed corn, ½ cup diced jalapeños, and ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese, then stir in 6 tablespoons melted butter. Coat three 6½-inch seasoned cast-iron skillets with butter and bake 3 to 5 minutes. Remove and ladle batter into pans. Bake 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. HONEY BUTTER
Makes 3 logs Blend 3 sticks room-temperature butter and ½ cup honey in a food processor until smooth. Divide between 3 pieces waxed paper, roll into logs, and refrigerate.
64 . COU N T RY L I V I N G.C O M . SEPTEMBER 2010
PHOTOGRAPHS BY SARA REMINGTON
JALAPEÑO AND CHEDDAR SKILLET CORNBREAD
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A cinematic snack Dress up popcorn kernels with a reusable concessions-stand container, a stash of cheery polkadot napkins, and a supersimple coconut-curry topping. (Similar: plastic popcorn box, $16.95; ht-accessories.com; paper napkins, $3.49 for 24; stumpsparty.com; Masterpiece Studios tins, $13.90 for 12; amazon.com) COCONUT-CURRY POPCORN SEASONING
Makes 2 cups In a food processor, pulverize 1¾ cups sweetened shredded coconut. Add 7 tablespoons curry powder, 2 tablespoons kosher salt, 3½ teaspoons sugar, 1¾ teaspoons ground ginger, 1¾ teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Pulse to combine.
Flavorful grilling gear Show you really care with a bottle of homemade ketchup! Add a DIY dry rub, skewers, and a basting brush, and present it all on a cutting board, wrapped in cellophane and tied with a bow. (Similar: bottle, $4.49; containerstore.com; Masterpiece Studios tins, $13.90 for 12; amazon.com; KegWorks skewers, 95 cents each; amazon.com; basting brush, $10; surlatable.com; CentralChef bamboo cutting board, $8.99; amazon.com) HOMEMADE KETCHUP Makes three 8-ounce bottles
Puree one 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes in a blender. Transfer to a saucepan and set aside. Slice 1 medium yellow onion and sauté. Let cool. In blender, puree onion and 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained. Add ½ cup packed light-brown sugar and blend until smooth. Add the strained juices of 1 orange, ½ grapefruit, and ½ lemon, plus ¼ cup cider vinegar, 2½ teaspoons kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon ground pepper; blend. Transfer onion mix to saucepan and stir. Simmer over low heat until thick, about 1 hour. Using a funnel, pour into bottles. Refrigerate. BACKYARD BBQ RUB Makes 2½ cups
In a medium bowl, combine ½ cup kosher salt, ½ cup packed dark-brown sugar, 1/3 cup ground cumin, ¼ cup ground pepper, ¼ cup sweet paprika, ¼ cup dried thyme (crushed), ¼ cup chili powder, 2 tablespoons ground coriander, and 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon. Stir to blend.
66 . COU N T RY L I V I N G.C O M . SEPTEMBER 2010
Photos reprinted and recipes adapted from Gifts Cooks Love: Recipes for Giving. Copyright © 2010, by Diane Morgan and Sur la Table. Published by Andrews McMeel Publishing.