Author: Sanura

Orange Cornbread with Greek Yogurt and Blackberry Sauce

Sanura
Orange Cornbread with Greek Yogurt and Blackberry Sauce
Buttermilk Cornbread with Greek Yogurt and Blackberry Sauce

The other day, a girlfriend and I were talking about cornbread. Northerns, influenced by a commercial brand, prefer cornbread to be a sweet cake. Southerns prefer their cornbread to be less sweet, and the further deep in the country one goes, the recipe doesn’t have sugar in it at all. It’s usually paired with collard greens that are naturally sweet from being picked after the first frost of the year. Growing up, I wasn’t partial to my father’s sugarless cornbread. The older I get, less sugar is added to my Buttermilk Cornbread recipe as well. To prove everyone’s taste is personal, apparently, the boyfriend wants more sugar in his slice. Damn, Yankee.

Cathy’s glazed cornbread recipe at www.NoblePig.com is a sweet idea. She adds lemon flavors to make her version shine. Being influenced by her idea, the recipe is adjusted to a less sugary personal taste, and oranges replace the lemons. Instead of layering a sugary glaze, a dollop of Greek yogurt is substituted as a healthier option. It makes a lovely Saturday morning breakfast served with unsweetened red chai tea.

Recipe adapted from www.NoblePig.com’s Lemon Cornmeal Cake with Lemon Glaze and Crushed-Blueberry Sauce recipe. She makes a sweeter version that’s delicious. Read more →

A Pantry Staple Salad: Black-eye Pea and Chickpea Salad

Sanura
Black-eye and Chickpea Pea Salad
Black-eye and Chickpea Pea Salad

The sun played with us this past weekend. When it hid behind the clouds, the temperature would drop to a slight chill. When it decided to become the center of the world, we basked in its warmth. What can one say to the sun, us being mere mortals? Alas, the survival of the fittest adapts to change. Wearing a sundress and sandals, a scarf and a jacket were stuffed into a bag. It was a lovely time that started on a Friday. Despite all the weekend activities, Sunday evening arrived slowly. With little time to cook a traditional Sunday meal, a few pantry staples of lemons, canned beans, cornmeal and milk were placed on the counter. A Black-eye pea and Chickpea salad was made with tomatoes, mint and cilantro. Salmon, brought earlier in the morning, was steamed with the juice and zest of a lime, onions, garlic, butter, olive oil, salt and pepper. Milk was turned into buttermilk by adding one tablespoon of white vinegar to one cup of room temperature milk* to make cornbread. It was a nice dinner that ended a chill weekend.

…FYI, the salad and the cornbread is a great lunch, and it makes a nice breakfast with cheddar cheese eggs, scrambled or in an omelet.

*Let “buttermilk” curdle for 15 minutes.

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Amanda Walker, Owner of “A Perfume Organic” Talks Herbs, Scents and Food

Sanura
A Perfume Organic: (from left to right) Urban Organic, Green, and Perfumed Wine, Rosé
A Perfume Organic: (from left to right) Urban Organic, Green, and Perfumed Wine, Rosé

Between inhaling Green, Urban Organic, Perfumed Wine–Rosé and White Magik, Amanda Walker, owner of A Perfume Organic, gently touched the leaves of her fresh herbal display. She had purple basil, Italian basil and mint in a small pot next to her perfumes. Explaining the various herbs and floral notes that are part of each scent, she also talked about food, the business of being organic and the environment. The discussion inspired an idea of asking her to participate in an email interview to further explain the connection of herbs, food and scents. Her answers are insightful, beautiful and educational. Read more →

A Sunday Kind of Love: Roast Chicken, Mashed Parsnips and Southern Collard Greens

Sanura
A Sunday Kind of Love: Roast Chicken; Mashed Parsnips and Fingerling Potatoes; and Southern Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey. Served with a bottle of Viognier
A Sunday Kind of Love: Roast Chicken; Mashed Parsnips and Fingerling Potatoes; and Southern Collard Greens with Smoked Turkey. Served with a bottle of Viognier

“… I don’t want a Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday, or Thursday, Friday or Saturday
Oh nothing but Sunday oh yea
I want a Sunday Sunday
I want a Sunday kind of love
Oh yea
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday kind of loooove.”
– The Etta James version, A Sunday Kind of Love

Etta James spoke to me on a Thursday. It’s when the weather report foretold of showers and thunderstorms all of Sunday. Knowing the temperature to be indecisive at this time of year, I opted for a slightly Southern comfort dinner of Roast Herbal Chicken; Creamy Mashed Parsnips and Fingerling Potatoes; and Southern Collard Greens.

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