Asheville Eats Cornbread with Chef William Dissen

Local Culture Never Tasted so Good...

Life has a way of getting in the way of grand plans for beautiful dinners. You've made your menu and list, done your grocery shopping, and you've planned your schedule so you have plenty of time. But, before you know it, it's thirty minutes before dinnertime and you are frantically scrambling through your refrigerator looking for something remotely healthy and relatively quick to make. In my family, this usually results in at least one "pizza night" every week. Fortunately for those of use with lives consumed with soccer games, grocery shopping, and general craziness, there is a side dish that will go with almost any meal and give an immediate and distinct southern flair.

Cast Iron Corn Bread, Asheville Eats, The Market Place, William Dissen, Asheville, NCAny Time, Any Day...

If you're looking for a side for #siestasaturday Chef William Dissen of The Market Place has the perfect recipe for you. The Market Place is a farm-to-table restaurant providing meals creates with fresh local produce, meat, cheese and (of course) beer. Built on the principle that not only supporting the community, but giving back to it, is vital. This belief has cemented The Market Place's seat in the heart of the community. Chef William Dissen excels at embodying this foundation, as well as incorporating the spirit of the North Carolina Mountains, in his meals.

Corn is a staple in southern cooking, especially in the mountain. If you are, or know people who are, southern you know that everyone has a different recipe and everyone swears theirs is the best. However, Chef Dissen uses an old southern tradition for his recipe that gives it an interesting spin. He says that the use of the cast iron skillet "showcases the heritage Appalachian cooking technique"

Cast Iron Corn Bread
(Yield 1 - 12"cast iron pan)
1 C. White Flour
1 C. Cornmeal
3/4 C. Sugar
1 t. Baking Powder
1 Stick Butter (softened) or split butter and oil
1 Egg
1 C. Yellow Squash Puree
2 T. Milk (or more for a smooth consistency)
1 C. Corn Kernels
1. Heat a 12" cast iron in a 375^F oven for 8 minutes.
2. melt a tablespoon of butter in the pan. Mix all ingredients and pour into pan. Place in the oven and bade for about 12 minutes.

At the End of the Day... Stir-fry vegis, Asheville Eats, 2015

The memories you make around the dinner table will be some of the most vibrant of your life. Naturally, you want to make sure that they're going to be good; what better way is there to do that than serve southern food. The south is known for putting a high premium on family and the values family life cultivates. While the old adage of love being the "secret ingredient" in a truly delicious homemade meal, here in the south, we believe it does make a difference. A belief that was adopted by all of my Yankee classmates at college who tried homemade fried chicken (which would go fabulous with Cast Iron Corn Bread). No matter what you're making for dinner, take the time to make memories (and possibly pictures) while you're making it and eating it. Bon Appetit! Or as we say here, Dig In!

*Cast Iron Corn Bread picture and recipe courtesy of The Market Place's Owner/Chef William Dissen.

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