Chili and cornbread are two of my favorite things to eat on crisp autumn or cold winter days. Not only do they fill you up, but they make you feel warm and toasty, transforming the icy winds into a welcome mealtime accompaniment. Sure the weather outside may be frightful, but in here honey, I got me some kick-ass chili and a hunk ‘o cornbread! Delightful indeed. I like to mix bits of cornbread into my chili.

Last weekend we received our first taste of ‘real’ winter weather when a snow storm hit Connecticut, canceling Sunday school to the jubilation of students everywhere. (Except for my students, who obviously were crushed by the thought of not seeing me.) I used the extra time to dabble in the kitchen and get ahead on school work, the result being a finished final paper, a steaming pot of Foggy Day Chili and a tray of Farm Stand Cornbread. Cornbread is one of those dishes that many people nostalgically associate with down-home American cooking, but in truth cornbread has its roots in Native American cooking. Native Americans roasted their corn and ground it into meal that was used to make cakes, breads and porridges, including something called “ash cake.” This last dish was exactly what its name implies - a corn cake, which was wrapped in leaves and then baked in the ashes of a fire.

Colonial settlers learned about cornmeal from the Native Americans, and the addition of corn-based dishes to their diets is what helped them survive the hardship of their initial years on the North American continent. Hence, while we imagine colonial wives happily serving cornbread in their kitchens, in reality they saw cornbread as the food of hardship. They were used to cooking with flour and lamented the coarse texture of cornmeal, not to mention its refusal to respond to yeast. No matter how they cooked their breads and cakes the results were a far cry from baked goods made with expensive wheat flour. But if anything colonial housewives were resourceful and innovative in the kitchen, so not long after they learned about cornmeal we find things like johnny-cakes, slapjacks, spoonbreads and grits popping up in journals and handwritten cookbooks. The colonial version of cornbread emerged here as a creative combination of meal, which was readily available, and flour, which was harder to come by. Eventually the colonial palate grew accustomed to corn, so that generations later we not only enjoy cornbread but also view it as a tasty throwback to colonial cooking. Funny how things work out huh? Hurray for cornbread! (And chili, which has a fascinating history all its own.)

The recipes featured in this post are from Food to Live By, by Myra Goodman. This past week I raffled off six copies of this book in the sidebar and the lucky winners were: Susan G (#19), jL (#6), Martha (#9), Karen (#14), Rachel (#18), and Megan (#20). Congrats everyone! The last book in my holiday giveaway is currently listed in the right-hand sidebar - check it out!

Foggy Day Chili
Reprinted with permission from Food to Live By, by Myra Goodman. Recipe has been slightly adapted.
Ingredients: Serves 6

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice (about 3/4 cup)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 1/2 lbs lean ground beef (I used fake meat, Yves is a good brand)
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1 can (15 oz) black beans, undrained
• 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, undrained
• 1 can (28 oz) crushed or diced tomatoes, with their juices
• 1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Dried red pepper flakes (optional, I didn’t use them)

I added:

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle powder (up to 1/2 tsp is fine, depending on tastes)
• Top with freshly grated cheddar cheese and/or sour cream if you like

Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until the onion and garlic are soft but not browned, about 1 minute longer. Add the beef or fake meat, and break up the meat with a wooden spoon.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add the cumin, chili powder, and oregano. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is browned and cooked through, about 7 minutes. If you are using fake meat, cook about 2 minutes, just until the ‘meat’ is heated.

Add the chipotle powder, tomato paste, black beans, pinto beans, and diced tomatoes, with their liquids, and bring the chili to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the chili simmer, gently stirring occasionally until thickened and the flavors are concentrated, about 45 minutes.

Add the salt, then taste for seasoning, adding more salt as needed, black pepper to taste, and red pepper flakes, if using. Serve the chili hot with bowls of grated cheese and sour cream on the side, if desired, and corn bread. If you are not planning on serving the chili at this time, let it cool to room temperature. It can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

Farm Stand Cornbread
Reprinted with permission from Food to Live By, by Myra Goodman.
Ingredients: Makes one 9×13 inch cornbread

• Butter for greasing pan
• 3 large eggs
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 1/2 cups half-and-half
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups fine yellow cornmeal
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels (from 2 ears); or 1 cup frozen, unthawed kernels; or well-drained canned corn kernels
• 3/4 cup freshly grated sharp cheddar cheese, or any other cheese you like

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Butter a 9×13 inch baking pan and set it aside.

Break the eggs into a medium-size bowl and whisk until just combined. Add the butter, half-and-half, and cream and whisk well.

Place the cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a large bowl and whisk to combine well.

Add the egg mixture to the cornmeal mixture and stir with a rubber spatula until partially combined. Add the corn kernels and cheese and stir until just combined. Do not over mix the batter or the corn bread will be tough. Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the surface (the batter, will be very thick).

Bake the cornbread until it is lightly golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 35 minutes. Serve warm. The corn bread tastes best the day it’s made, but if necessary, it can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days. Reheat it in a microwave for about 20-30 seconds or in a preheat 350 degree F oven for 5 to 10 minutes.

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Food to Live By, by Myra Goodman, features over 260 organic recipes that will make you reconsider, in a good way, what it means to eat healthfully. From sweet dishes like ‘Sarah’s Chocolate Souffles with Raspberry Sauce’ and ‘Earthbound Farm Ginger Snaps,’ to savory options like ‘Creamy Potato Gratin’ and ‘Ziti with Ratatouille,’ this book proves how healthy eating can have a rich variety of flavors. I especially loved Goodman’s recipe for ‘Farm Stand Cornbread,’ which includes cream, fresh corn and cheese among its ingredients: the ratio of these indulgent tidbits isn’t high enough to offset the hearty character of the bread, but it is just enough to produce an irresistible taste and texture. Goodman recommends serving the cornbread along with a bowl of her ‘Foggy Day Chili,’ which is another recipe I enjoyed, though I did add a bit of chipotle powder to kick the heat up a notch, and used ‘fake meat’ instead of ground beef. With the exception of ‘Foggy Day Chili,’ I didn’t try any of the meat recipes, but the vegetarian and baking recipes were satisfying. Many recipes include helpful kitchen tips that teach you about, for example, the differences between fresh, crystallized and ground ginger, or how to extract artichoke hearts effortlessly. Nearly every recipe is accompanied by an eye-catching photo - speaking of which, the image accompanying Goodman’s recipe for ‘Mexican Albondigas Soup’ made me long for my pre-vegetarian days. It sure looked good!

Chapters include: It All Began with Raspberries (all raspberry recipes in this section); Soups; Leafy Green Salads; Meat and Poultry Main Dishes; Fish and Shellfish; Pasta and Vegetarian Main Dishes; Side Dishes; Breakfast and Lunch; Desserts; and a Basics section that has recipes for homemade stocks, sauces, vinegars and other kitchen staples.

Though I’ve been on the East Coast for almost ten years now, every so often I find myself missing the warm southern California weather I grew up with. As a child I spent late December splashing through the ocean, early January running around green fields with my dogs. “Winter” really never existed until I moved out here, and boy what an adjustment that was! I don’t think about it too often, but then 21 degree fahrenheit mornings (like the one we had today) jog the memory.

And yet… I have to admit, there are some things about the colder months I would miss if I moved back to the West Coast. I’d miss all those stunning colors that appear as the leaves embrace Fall, the majestic beauty of a snow covered landscape, and the crisp smell of cold nights. I’d also miss winter comfort food. Sure I could make these dishes on a sunny afternoon but it just wouldn’t be the same. There’s a certain something about drinking a cup of hot mulled cider when it’s freezing outside. Especially if it’s snowing. I especially like to sit by the window and watch the snow fall while holding a cup of hot chocolate in my hands. What do you love to eat or drink when it’s chilly out?

In addition to drinks, one of my favorite things to eat when it’s frosty outside is soup.

Jamie Oliver’s Early Autumn Minestrone

Food historians estimate that soup has been a part of our diet for about 5,000 years. It was around this time that people began making earthenware and animal skin containers in which water could be boiled and, being an inventive race, we soon began throwing things in with the water to see what happened. The nutritional benefits of eating soup - not to mention its delicious flavor - soon made it a popular dish among both sedentary and nomadic cultures. No matter where you were, all you had to do was boil some water, throw in whatever you had available, and in an hour’s time you had a great meal on your hands. Medieval Magyar warriors had a kind of portable soup that they carried with them during wartime, and in the late 1700’s an American physicist named Count Rumford invented a “pocket soup” that was carried by colonial travelers. In both cases a dehydrated soup base was added to boiling water and - voila! - dinner.

The word “soup” originates from the word “suppa,” which refers to a Medieval dish consisting of a thick stew poured over slices of bread, called “sop.” The bread was then used to soak up the liquid, an important task since this meal was often served to the poorer classes who needed to maximize the nutritional value of their meal. Minestrone - from the Latin word “minestrare,” meaning “to serve or dish up” - is an Italian soup made with fresh seasonal vegetables. Rice or pasta are often added to the mix and the result is a hearty and satisfying meal. The Roman army is said to have marched on minestrone and pasta fagioli. It is interesting to note that tomatoes, now considered a staple ingredient in minestrone, were not added to the dish until the introduction of new ingredients from the Americas.

The recipe for this dish is from Jamie Oliver’s new book, “Jamie’s Italy.” When I want a good minestrone soup I generally go for my Moosewood recipe, but as I was browsing through this book the photo of “Minestrone D’Inizio Autumno” (Early Autumn Soup) caught my eye. I’m happy to report that we were pleased with the results: the soup has a satisfying earthy flavor to it, each spoonful wrapped in the aroma of fresh herbs. I’ve included the original recipe below but I should mention that I made two modifications when I made it. First, I omitted the smoked pancetta/ bacon that he uses to make the soffrito. Second, I used canned cannellini beans instead of cooking dry beans for an hour with a bay leaf, a tomato and one small potato. I made this last change both for convenience and because Jamie tells you to toss the bay leaf, tomato and potato when the beans are done, which struck my frugal student self as a bit wasteful. Nevertheless, the finished product was absolutely fantastic. I loved the combination of red wine, fennel, spinach and zucchini - not to mention all the other fresh ingredients!

Early Autumn Minestrone
Adapted from “Jamie’s Italy”

• 7oz. cannellini or borlotti beans, fresh or dried and soaked overnight
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tomato, squashed
• 1 small potato, peeled
• sea salt and ground pepper
• olive oil
• 4 slices smoked pancetta or bacon, chopped (we skipped this part)
• 2 small red onions, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 sticks of celery, trimmed and chopped
• 1/2 a head of fennel, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• a small bunch of fresh basil, leaves and stems separated
• 2 14-oz cans of good-quality plum tomatoes
• 2 small zucchini, quartered and sliced
• a glass of red wine (I used 1 cups worth)
• 1/2 Swiss chard or spinach, washed and roughly sliced (I used baby spinach, roughly sliced)
• 2 cups chicken, ham or vegetable stock
• 2 oz dried pasta
• extra virgin olive oil
• a block of Parmesan cheese, to serve

Add your fresh or dried and soaked beans to a pan of water with the bay leaf, squashed tomato, and potato - this will help to flavor the beans and soften their skins. Cook until tender - check by tasting. They must be soft. Dried beans can take up to an hour, but check fresh ones after 25 minutes. Drain (reserving about half a glass of the cooking water), and discard the bay leaf, tomato and potato. Now season with salt, pepper and a splash of olive oil.

While the beans are cooking, make your soffrito. Heat a good splash of olive oil in a saucepan and add the chopped pancetta or bacon, onions, carrots, celery, fennel, garlic and the finely sliced basil stems. Sweat very slowly on a low heat, with the lid just ajar, for around 15 to 20 minutes until soft, but not brown. Add the plum tomatoes, zucchini, and red wine and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

Now add the chard or spinach, stock and beans. Put the dried pasta into a plastic bag, squeeze all the air out, and tie the end up. Bash gently with a rolling pin to break the pasta into pieces. Snip the end off the bag and empty the contents into the soup. Stir and continue to simmer until the pasta is cooked.

If you think the soup is looking too thick, add a little more stock or some of the reserved cooking water to thin it down a bit. Then taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve sprinkled with the torn-up basil leaves and with some extra virgin olive oil drizzled over the top. Put a block of Parmesan and a grater on the table for everyone to help themselves. Heaven!