Buttermilk Cornbread
(Serves 8)

1 T oil, shortening, or bacon grease
2 C yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 C flour
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
2 C buttermilk or regular milk
1/4 C butter (melted)

Preheat oven to 425. Coat bottom and sides of a 10” cast-iron skillet with oil, shortening, or bacon grease. Place skillet on the oven’s center rack to heat.

In a large bowl, combine the next 5 dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat eggs; stir in milk and melted butter. Add milk and eggs to flour mixture, stirring to blend till you get a pancake-batter consistency.

Drop a tiny bit of batter into the hot oiled skillet—it should sizzle.* If it does, add all the batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, till a toothpick comes out clean.

* If it the skillet doesn’t sizzle, return it to the oven. (if the skillet isn’t hot enough, the cornbread will stick).

Tips & Glossary: Southern

Basic southern cuisine differs from its Cajun, Creole, and Southwestern cousins in its lack of hot spices. As a result, it's rich but mild—the ultimate in comfort food!

Most of the seasonings and spices you're probably familiar with and already have in your cupboard. You might want to check for freshness.

• Crabmeat:  meat from the body, legs or claws of numerous varieties of crab.  Most prized is jumbo lump from the hind leg.  But for crab cakes and casseroles, use regular lump, as well as finback from the body.  Claw meat is brown and stronger flavored, though also good for crab recipes.  Buy it fresh if you can. 

• Greens:  typically collard leaves (in the cabbage family), but also kale, turnip and mustard leaves.  A staple in Southern cooking, they're usually served with black-eyed peas, accompanied by cornbread.

• Grits:  another staple of Southern cooking: coarsely ground corn, cooked as porridge. Once cooked, grits are served plain, baked in a casserole, fried or deep-fried as a fritter. (Think polenta.)

• Yams:  a type of sweet potato with an elongated shape and deep orange flesh.  A true yam is grown in Africa and Asia is actually quite different from what Americans call yams.