I have a loooooong list of places that I want to visit (read: eat at) when I someday travel around the country. I could go on, but a few places include:
- The Pancake Pantry (Nashville, TN)
- The Griddle Cafe (Hollywood, CA)
- Clinton Street Baking Company (NY, NY, after reading a rave review about their pancakes)
- Momofuku Milk Bar (NY, NY. Yes, I really haven’t been there yet.)
But here’s another one for the books: Tupelo Honey Cafe. They’re in Asheville, NC and Knoxville, TN. Um, when am I going to get over there? Probably never. Which is a shame because they’re all about marrying Southern tradition (hello, TEXAS!) and “vibrant, refashioned flavors” which means hello TOFU wings! deep fried grits and veggie melts with fried green tomatoes and caramelized onions and brown butter pecan pie! Get me there now.
They’re also having a recipe contest. And I want you to win.
They’re looking for festive holiday fare that will impress Tupelo’s top chef, Brian Sonoskus. You can submit holiday-inspired recipes to three categories: sides, desserts and leftovers. One winner will be chosen for each category.
Here are the deets:
Who: YOU!
What: A recipe contest featuring your best holiday-inspired recipes that are either sides, desserts or leftovers. All entries will be judged by Chef Brian Sonoskus and his hungry team of taste-testers!
When: October 1-November 16
Where: Your kitchen!
Why: Three winners (announced 12/3), will receive a $200 gift card to the Tupelo Honey Cafe Online Store or at one of their restaurants. Plus, for each week of the contest, one lucky participant will randomly win a copy of their cookbook: Tupelo Honey Cafe: Spirited Recipes from Asheville’s New South Kitchen.
I am a bit tardy in telling you about this, and for that I apologize. But hey, procrastination breeds winners, they say 🙂 You can find more details and updates on the weekly winners on Facebook! Tupelo Cafe sounds like the cutest place ever. For realz.
You know what I’ll be making!
Cornbreadpancakesgoat cheese grits pancakesfried green tomato cornbreaddeep fried honey glazed pancakesquinoa sweet potato home friesfried okra-stuffed cupcakesblack-eyed-pea and chickpea brownies…
…or do you?
Okay, it’s time to talk to you about the photos I’ve been bombarding you with–that yellow thing? It’s not cornbread. It’s a cornBAKE! And that is because this is a recipe by Christina Tosi of Momofuku geniusness. So of course, it’s more cake-like than cornbread-like. It’s dense. As in, I tried to swing it out of the oven single-handedly and my wrist almost gave out. It wasn’t light and crumbly like the vegan cornbread I’d taken out of the oven two minutes before–it’s heavy because it’s suuuuper moist. But it also has a fairly airy crumb that just sinks in onto itself when you delve in with a fork. It’s unabashedly buttery and speckled with bright, sweet pops of corn.
It’s “smooth” and “just luscious” according to my boyfriend (who was a fan). We ate chunks of it alongside sweet potato veggie burgers and salad, for breakfast, standing up and leaning over the sink to catch the crumbs, and I took it for work to make my Tuesday that much better.
Um, you wanna talk about motivation to enter this recipe contest? MAKE THIS!
Notes
Tosi recommends you make it in a 10″ cast-iron skillet and I have no doubt it would be better that way, but I’m here to tell you that a regular old cake pan will also work. I made this in a 10″ cake pan and it was a LOT of cornbake. If the measurements look funny to you, it’s because I two-thirds-ed the recipe. And I think it was a totally sufficient amount of cornbake, but definitely feel free to follow the original recipe (linked below). What to do with the tiny bit of creamed corn and canned corn that you’ll have left after making this? Make the companion recipe that I devised–an incredibly crumbly but light vegan cornbread. Coming soon!
The original recipe called for sour cream; I used plain Greek yogurt since as a rule, I never use sour cream or mayo if I can help it. I just don’t like them, even if I can’t taste them. If you like, I think you could sub in all white whole wheat flour.
Lastly, this cornbake is so rich, I think it could stand to have a little less butter or yogurt. The next time I make it, I am cutting out at least a tablespoon or two of butter and maybe yogurt and we’ll see how that turns out!
Christina Tosi’s Cornbake
Adapted from Country Living
1/3 + 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/3 cup white whole wheat flour
2/3 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2/3 teaspoon baking soda
2/3 can (14-ounce) cream-style corn (1/2 cup + 1/3 cup)
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 Egg, lightly beaten
2 Egg Yolks, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon Honey, plus more for drizzling
2/3 tablespoon buttermilk (I used almond breeze + a tiny splash vinegar)
2/3 cup canned, frozen or fresh corn kernels
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
sea salt, for finishing
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl, combine first 7 ingredients through baking soda. In a medium bowl, combine cream-style corn, yogurt, egg, egg yolks, honey, and buttermilk. Stir in corn kernels and butter. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Pour batter into a greased 10-inch cast-iron skillet or a 9″ cake pan. Bake until golden brown, 30 minutes. Drizzle with honey and sprinkle on sea salt.
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The Teenage Taste
I need to start keeping a list of all of the food places I want to go…and I am definitely going to add the Pancake Pantry to that list. I just looked up their menu and their blinzes sound sooooooo good!
erika
Right?? And their wild blueberry compote and water ground cornmeal pancakes….mmmmm makes me want to go right now!!
girlinafoodfrenzy
Delicious! I’m totally putting Momofuku milk bar and Ssäm on my NY list too. Although I live about 26 hrs away by flight so I think it’s fair to say you’ll get there first! Your cornbread looks truly fantastic 🙂
erika
Haha oh man, when you put it like that, I guess I do feel like Momofuku is pretty close within my reach! Thanks so much 🙂
Leah
This looks and sounds awesome but… I have to ask, where is the post on quinoa sweet potato home fries? That sounds SO GOOD – I must see this creation!
erika
Oh hahaha…that post doesn’t actually exist! I was just naming the most ridiculous twists on Southern things I could think of off the top of my head…but you’re right, those do sound good! I might have to work on some!
Laura Dembowski (@piesandplots)
I didn’t know Christina Tosi had a cornbread recipe. Um . . . totally bookmarked. I’ve never been to NYC either. If you’re willing to splurge a little, mail order from Milk Bar. It’s less than going to NYC and so amazing. I’ve ordered twice and definitely will again.
erika
Right?? When I found out, I was like GREATEST DAY OF MY LIFE!
And that is GENIUS! Omg I am totally doing that now, thanks for the great idea!! (But too bad they can’t ship soft serve…I really want to try cereal milk!!)
Also. I saw that they do wedding cake tastings…for $25 you can sample 9-10 flavors of their cake. That kind of makes me want to get married asap, just saying..(also, how would they know if you weren’t actually getting married??)
Rhyann
I love Tupelo Honey. My hometown is about an hour from Asheville and two hours from Knoxville so I’ve been a few times. I had their sweet potato pancakes, which I am certain you’d love. I just got so excited when I saw about the recipe contest – I can’t wait to submit something tasty!
Your corn bake looks super tasty, by the way. I was wondering how you get such good light. Do you just shoot during the day or do you use something to help you out?
erika
Oh YAY I’m so glad you’ve been and that you’re going to submit!!! I bet it’ll be mind-blowing 🙂 Thanks for the recommendation–I do love my sweet potatoes, especially in pancakes 🙂
And THANKS! Yes, I just shoot during the day. I wish I had something to help me out because daylight isn’t always the most convenient! (read: after work. The worst.) This page of links has helped me out a ton with photography tips: http://jenncuisine.com/resources/tutorial-collection/ Good luck!!
Bailey Bakes
Lol, picturing you trying to get the cornbake out of the oven one-handed makes me laugh, I’m sorry. Only because I do that too often myself. Can you say smashed cupcakes on the floor? Oh yeah, it happened.
erika
Lol oh no!!! That sounds so sad. I hope they weren’t the beautiful purple-frosting-ed ones you posted a few weeks ago (those were GORGEOUS!)
But yes, I learned my lesson about one-handedness (no, I probably actually haven’t). On another note, I totally burned my fingers the other day when I absentmindedly tried to pick up a pan that had JUST COME OUT OF THE OVEN! Worst. Ever.
checy16
This cornbread looks amazing! I will definitely be trying it out soon! I went to NYC earlier this summer and went to Momofuku Noodle Bar, but didn’t go to Momofuku Milk Bar. 🙁 I’ve heard about amazing things about Clinton St. Baking Co. too, which is also on my list of places to visit.
erika
Aw thanks! Ooooh what did you get at the Noodle Bar? Was it mind-blowing??? I really need to make it to NYC someday soon!!
Mich - Piece of Cake
This cornbake looks delicious! Too bad I live on the other side of the world…
erika
Aww man! Too bad indeed. I would love to see what you would have come up with!!
petit4chocolatier
Triple yummy!!! Love the cornbake : )
erika
Thanks 🙂 The creamed + regular corn was definitely the best part!
Choc Chip Uru
Mmmm loving this cornbread my friend 😀
And what an awesome competition! Damn these km 😉
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
erika
Awww is “km” meaning distance? I forgot you are on a different hemisphere!! (I think.) Boo. But thanks 🙂
Kayle (The Cooking Actress)
This cornbread looks fab!
I live in NY and still haven’t been to the milk bar. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?! I knoooow
erika
Thanks! and OMG please go immediately!!!!!!!! Cereal milk soft serve!!! Cornflake marshmallow cookies!! Crack pie!! Pretzel milk! Seriously, it’s like I feel a magnetic draw to this place. If you did a blog post just on your visit to Momofuku, I would be so down. Ob.sessed.