Common Cuisine |

I’m a big fan of my tried-and-true “Jimmy Crack” Corn Cake. So are a lot of people I cook for. So why publish another corn cake recipe? It’s the same basic recipe at its core, but I was intrigued by the addition of cheeses and green chiles. The poblano also adds a layer of smoky interest. I now use this for “extra special” corn cake, for a little variety.

• 1/4 cup butter

• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 poblano pepper, finely chopped
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 bag (12 oz.) frozen corn
• 1 can (15 ounces) cream corn
• 3 cans (4 oz each) diced green chiles
• 1 cup shredded shar Cheddar cheese, divided
• 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese, divided
• 1 pkg (9 oz) corn muffin mix (I use Jiffy)

Melt butter in saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, poblano and salt and sweat until onion is soft and translucent, but not browned. Add garlic and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine onion mixture, sour cream, egg, corn, green chiles and 1/2 cup of each cheese. Add corn muffin mix and stir until moistened.

Pour mixture into greased 2.5 quart baking dish. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove from oven, top with remaining cheese, then return to oven for another 15 minutes, or until top is well browned.

Serves a crowd.

For a Christmas exchange this year, I was invited to share a full menu worth of recipes. I chickened out because I couldn’t decide at the last moment, but gave everyone my website address.

I realized it’s not too late to participate, as my friends may just stop by to check the site out. So here is my favorite, most tried and true menu.

Guacamole

Chicken Enchiladas

Salad w/ Ranch Dressing

Black California Olives

“Jimmy Crack” Corn Cake

Apple Dumplings

You’ll probably want to break out the mile-high sombrero and cha-cha music afterward, because these are party foods; nothing lean or mean about this meal! But guaranteed to taste good and please a crowd? Absolutely!

Of course the easiest way to make guacamole is to buy two avocados and a packet of mix and just stir them all together. My two objections to this are that first, I usually am lucky to make it home with avocados, let alone remember to also purchase the spice packet; and second it is so expensive just to get the avocados that I hate to spend another dollar on spices. So here is my completely non-scientific approach to making guacamole less expensive and fresher tasting at the same time. Don’t worry about the proportions, just put in a little of each and it will be great, I promise!

• 2-3 avocados
• juice of 1/2 a lime
• 2 Tbsp salsa
• a sliver of fresh chopped red onion
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro leaves
• 1 whole jarred jalapeno, seeds removed and finely chopped
• 1/4 tsp salt, to taste
• a couple shakes each garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder (if desired), to taste
• Bag of tortilla chips and baby carrots

Cut the avocados in half. Use a spoon to scoop out the flesh. Use a fork to gently mash the flesh. Now don’t stir it again until everything else is added! Add remaining ingredients, except tortilla chips and carrots. Stir everything together, purposely leaving some chunks for texture. Chill for an hour if desired, then serve with chips and veggies, and you are a genius!

Man this is good stuff. Every crumb of it always gets eaten. In the interest of making it a little less decadent for everyday, I use reduced fat sour cream and only 1/4 cup butter. But for fiesta time, it’s the real deal all the way, and nobody can resist!

• 1 pkg Jiffy cornbread mix
• 1 can sweet corn, drained
• 1 can cream corn
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 stick (½ cup) butter, melted
• 1/3 -1/2 cup sugar, according to preference

Preheat oven to 350. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until just mixed. Pour mixture into a 9″ x 13″ glass baking dish. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, or until beginning to brown on top. Let stand five minutes before serving.

Thanks to Mary Lee Hackman for this fabulous recipe.

• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 1 can condensed cheese soup (cheddar, fiesta nacho, southwestern jack, etc)
• ½ cup milk
• 2 cups shredded cheddar or jack cheese
• 1 (14 oz) can cut-up tomatoes, or 1 cup salsa

Preheat oven to 350°. Cook macaroni according to package directions; drain. Mix together soup and milk, then stir in cheese and tomatoes.

Stir macaroni into cheese mixture and pour into greased 9″ x 13″ glass baking dish. Bake for 40 minutes until lightly browned.

Serves 4 to 6.

Do you ever wonder what makes a dish Chinese, or French, or Italian? These are some spice and herb combinations that distinguish certain national cuisines.

By using these combinations you can stick with a family of flavors and turn your otherwise ordinary meat and potatoes dinner into something with ethnic flair. All of the following spice combinations include onion and black pepper. Take a look at some of their distinctive flavorings.

Note that I have listed cuisines with which I have more experience. If you have knowledge of a national cuisine I have not listed, please feel free to submit a list of distinctives for that cuisine to be included here.

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 can condensed tomato soup
• 1 cup salsa
• ½ C milk
• 6-8 fresh tortillas, cut into 1″ pieces, or ½ pkg tortilla chips
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400. In skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef until browned, stirring to crumble meat. Pour off fat.

Add soup, salsa, milk, tortillas and half the cheese. Spoon into 2 qt shallow baking dish. Cover.

Bake for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Serves 4.