Hominy

Reinforce the southwestern theme with accompaniments like corn bread and a spinach salad with grapefruit segments and toasted pine nuts. For dessert, stir some cinnamon into sweetened whipped cream to dress up slices of chocolate pound cake. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

"Here is a simple dish I came up with that is especially good during the cold months, as the chipotle chiles can be pretty fiery," says B. Fairbrother of Chicago, Illinois. "My Mexican neighbors were the inspiration."

For an attractive presentation, mound the salad on shredded lettuce and garnish with tortilla chips. Warm corn muffins and thickly sliced beefsteak tomatoes round out this substantial menu, and sliced fresh peaches and brown sugar wafers make a nice light dessert.

Serve this dish with cornbread and a mixed green salad for a hearty supper.

Cilantro, sour cream, grated cheddar or Jack cheese, chopped red or green onion and salsa would be great toppings. Look for chorizo in the refrigerated meat or deli case.

Hominy was as common on the table when I was growing up as rice is today. It is not used too much anymore but is still readily available in some regions, particularly in the south. You can buy it in cans or loose, sold in bulk, and sometimes you can find it in health-food stores and packaged alongside the other grains in the supermarket. The brand I buy is Monte Blanco or Goya. I have found that Spanish brands are more tasty. After you have opened the can, wash the hominy 3 or more times with cold water and drain well. This removes the taste of the liquid it soaked in. Hominy is dried, hulled whole kernels of corn; grits are finely ground hominy. Usually hominy is boiled and served hot for breakfast, plain or with gravy. Because I think it is a little like tiny dumplings, I like to cook it with sautéed chicken so that the juices from the chicken and the vegetables can mingle with the hominy.

To complete this meatless supper, have Italian bread and mesclun salad with pine nuts. End the meal with any type of winter fruit tart from the bakery.

The tortilla strips need to dry overnight, so begin making this one day ahead.

A one-dish meal with all the earthy flavors of the Southwest.

A gift from Native American cooks, hominy is dried, hulled corn kernels. Sold rehydrated in cans, it also makes a great addition to soups, stews, and casseroles.

Pozole Blanco con Salsa de Chile de Árbol This dish is similar to the original white pozole that was created in the 18th century. Some regions now specialize in red and green versions. If you don't have a Mexican market nearby, you may have to order the pigs' feet and pork neck bones from your butcher up to one week before you plan to make this (ask the butcher to split the pigs' feet). If substituting pork neck bones for pigs' feet, you'll need a total of 4 1/2 pounds of neck bones for the soup.

A form of the classic Mexican stew, white pozole is made without chiles, letting the meatiness of the broth and sweetness of the hominy shine.

This extra-savory take on the Southern classic might be our favorite excuse to buy corn out of season.

We like toasting the canned hominy to concentrate and develop its flavor, but if that’s one step too many, it will still be awesome!

Feeding a smaller crowd? All of the ingredients can be cut in half, and feel free to use whatever sturdy greens you favor.

This recipe comes from the November 1989 issue and is part of our Thanksgiving Hall of Fame series. Pork and pumpkin plus spicy chorizo sausage, hominy and jalapeño make this stew a standout. Freshly toasted and ground cumin adds fragrance and flavor.