Cornbread

"The crisp little pieces of turkey skin called 'cracklings' were another annual Thanksgiving treat of mine. They reminded me of bacon, and I could never get enough. My buttermilk corn bread—which is sweet and savory, moist inside and crunchy outside—puts some real bacon into the feast." Start preparing this one day ahead.

Just about every book we've ever seen on southwest cooking includes a recipe for one of the spicy cornbreads of the region. Once you've tasted one, you'll know why — they are really delicious. This version is more of a pudding than a bread because it is quite moist and cheesy in texture. It makes a wonderful side dish to replace potatoes or rice, or it is quite satisfying eaten as a light entrée or lunch with a salad of fresh young greens.

Chef Susan Goss says that the secret here is in her cast-iron skillet. Nonstick pans produce anemic, soft corn bread. This recipe also works well with corn-stick or muffin molds, as long as they’re well-seasoned cast iron. If your pan is hot enough, the batter will immediately rise and start to cook around the edges. (The restaurant’s skillets rarely leave the oven.) At Zinfandel, the corn bread is served with a wonderful spread. To make it, combine 1 stick of softened unsalted butter with 2 tablespoons buckwheat honey (another honey or pure maple syrup can be substituted).

Serve any leftovers for breakfast or a late-afternoon snack.

Use to prepare Corn Bread and Chestnut Stuffing, or enjoy this on its own.

This recipe originally accompanied Smoked Chicken Salad on Toasted Corn Bread Triangles . The corn bread is great on its own, too.

This recipe was created to prepare Herb and Bacon Corn Bread Stuffing and Sausage, Cranberry and Corn Bread Stuffing .

Jalapeño chilies give this a nice spicy kick. An accompaniment to Chicken Chili Verde .

A classic duo adds an Italian accent to an American favorite.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Half of one of these loaves is enough for the croutons for the White Bean and Ham Hock Soup with Arugula.

Here's the traditional southern way to bake and serve corn bread: right in the skillet. Using shortening to grease the pan produces a nice, brown crust.

This corn bread is less moist than others, but it's perfectly delicious for eating, especially when spread with butter. Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 1 hr (includes cooling)

Make this bread, which is used in the Southwest Corn Bread Stuffing with Corn and Green Chilies and Southern Corn Bread Stuffing with Smoked Ham and Yams recipes, at least one day and up to two days ahead of time.