Blueberry Cornbread

It's sad to believe that summer is coming to such a swift end.

Before fresh, local blueberries leave your favorite farm stand, I urge you to give a hand to this simple-to-prepare recipe from America's Test Kitchen. Neither sweet like a cake nor savory like  a classic cornbread, it is somewhere in-between. On it's own, it is perfect for a weekend breakfast with a hot cup of coffee or tea. With eggs and bacon or sausage, how can you really go wrong?

When I make recipes like this, and to make baking quicker and smoother, I mix the dry ingredients the night before--and often grease the pan, too. The following day, all I have to do is to measure out the wet ingredients, add to the dry, spoon into the pan, place in the oven and that's it. I'm done!

To remove the cornbread from the pan, place a wire rack over it and flip. Use another wire rack to flip again right-side up. Because there are so many blueberries, it is easy for the bread to crack along  the "blueberry fault lines." So be a bit careful and avoid "playing" with it.

The dusting of sugar on top of this "cake" does not really act as a sweetener. Instead, it creates a nice crispy top, so be sure to exercise some patience to evenly cover the entire surface.

I'm not so sure this would work with frozen blueberries, so I am not going to suggest doing so. I feel they might "bleed" into the batter to make it blue. (A reader below said he used frozen and it was fine.)

• 1 and 1/2 cups AP flour
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal
• 3/4 cup white sugar + 1 tablespoon for dusting the top of the batter
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt
• 12 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups or 10 ounces fresh blueberries, washed and dried

Grease a 9-inch cake pan. Dust with yellow cornmeal (optional).
Pre-heat oven to 375 F.

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Set aside

Whisk wet ingredients in a smaller bowl then add to dry ingredients. Mix just until combined. It is not necessary to mix out all the lumps, but no dried flour should remain.

Carefully fold in the blueberries and then mound the mixture into your prepared cake pan. Smooth the top. Sprinkle with the one tablespoon of sugar.

Bake 40-45 minutes if using a light-colored pan. A dark-colored pan will take less time, so check after 30-35 minutes. It is done when the center bounces back a bit and a sharp knife comes out clean of batter.

Allow to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes before removing from the pan and another 20-30 minutes before cutting. Great with a bit of honey or Golden Syrup--even maple syrup. Cover unused portions and/or store in refrigerator.

Some people grate in orange rind with the sugar and add a bit of almond flavoring to the liquid portion. You do you.

Cheap Bacon or Salami Crisps

To die for! Great with eggs. Pile it on a BLT! Scatter on a salad. 

As a child, I never really cared for a salami sandwich. It was "chewy." I loved the taste, but not the texture.

It was not until I was a retired adult working in a deli that I understand the science of salami. It was really quite simple. To fully appreciate its taste, it is paramount to slice it paper thin. No, I take that back. Paper is too thick. Think Saran-wrap or cling-film thin.

I learned this from New York Italians. And I've never looked back. I have one customer who insists that her salami be shaved! Do you know how long it takes to shave one pound of salami? I love Genoa salami. Sliced thin, it almost melts in your mouth.

The other morning, while preparing my customary day-off breakfast of two fried eggs and toast, I set out the salami on the counter as I rummaged the fridge looking for some melon.

While my pan was heating, I spied the salami. "What the heck," I thought. I threw in two paper-thin slices and stared at the miraculous alchemy.

The round disks immediately shrunk before my eyes and began to bubble and crisp. I quickly flipped them and wow! It almost sounded like popcorn as the second side immediately crisped to a lacy brown. I removed them to paper towel to drain. There was not much grease in the pan. After about a minute or two, the disks cooled to a delicate potato-chip crispness that literally melted in my mouth.  I was blown away. And the taste was better than any bacon I had ever tried. 

I did several more batches. It was astounding.

Fried salami is several times cheaper than bacon. It fries much faster. And it is cleaner with less grease.

Why Genoa? It has peppercorns in it and bit more spices.

METHOD

• Paper-thin slices Genoa salami.
• Non-stick pan.
• Paper towel. 

Turn on your vent fan. Heat a non-stick pan on high. Lightly place thin slices of salami into pan. They will immediately sizzle and shrink. After about 30 seconds, they will begin to turn brown on the edges. Flip. The tiny white pieces of fat will "pop" like popcorn. When brown, about another 30-40 seconds, remove to paper towel to drain. It all happens very fast, so DO NOT WALK AWAY from the pan.

If making a large batch, place the crisps on a baking tray and pop into a 150-200 degree oven to keep warm and crisp.

For subsequent batches, you may need to turn down the heat a bit.

Like bacon, I would guess one could also "bake" it in the oven. But fried is much quicker and more fun to watch as it immediately transforms itself into bacon. Feel free to experiment with your own thicknesses.

Tuna Loaf with Gruyere Cheese

Simple. Elegant. Delicious. Thanks, Chef Eric!

I was pleasantly surprised by this simple recipe. It is from French Chef Eric over on You Tube. It was divine. Resembling a quiche in texture, the flavors were subtle. It was good warm and at room temperature, but I really enjoyed it cold from the fridge, thinly sliced. And it was a cinch to prepare.

I deviated from the original recipe in several ways. First, I added dried onion to the custard mix. Second, I used a quality jar tuna, not canned. I think that did the trick. The result was not at all "fishy." I used some heavy cream with the milk simply because I had it on hand. I also used dried ancho chili powder instead of the Cayenne. And I added a big pinch of baking powder to give the loaf a bit of lift.

I plan to tweak this even more in the future, subbing fresh parsley for the cilantro, perhaps using different dried herbs, such as dill or my favorite, fines herbs. (Note: I have prepared it this way and loved it. ) Chef Eric says one may substitute the tuna with canned salmon. It is on my to-cook list.

So, go ahead and give it a try. I think you, too, will be divinely surprised. Here is the link to Chef Eric's video on You Tube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V1zJXtItco

• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup whole milk or 1/4 cup heavy cream mixed with 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon dried onion flakes (optional, but I prefer)
• 7 oz. tuna in oil, undrained. I used jarred, TonNinno brand
• 5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup grated Gruyere cheese
• Salt and Pepper to taste (less salt, more pepper)
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon dried cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (or something similar) or to taste for heat
• 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro

Without the cilantro:

• 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley, curly or flat
• Omit the cumin and thyme but add 1 tablespoon "fines herbes"

Other Additions:

• Chopped Pimentos, 2 Tablespoons
• Sliced Black Olives, 2-4 Tablespoons

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs. Add milk or cream/milk mixture. Add dried onions, if using. Add tuna and oil. Mix. Add flour. Mix. Add cheese. Mix. Add the remaining ingredients and stir.

Grease and flour a loaf pan. The bottom of mine measured 7 x 3.25 inches. Feel free to line the bottom with buttered parchment paper if you are concerned about sticking.

Pour custard-tuna mixture into prepared pan. Bake in a 400 F oven for about 35-40 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out clean.

Cool a bit and then carefully remove from pan.

The French use a tuna loaf for picnics.
It travels well and is delicious cold or at room temperature.

I prefer this cold, in thin slices. Do serve with a chilled, dry white wine or cold iced tea. I like mine with a bit of sliced beets, avocado or watermelon on the side. It is also great with scrambled eggs. Also good with a Remoulade sauce on the side.

Here it is sliced warm ... still delicious.

Corned Beef in the Instant Pot

(Updated 2025)

Through the years, I have prepared corned beef in the crock pot, in the oven, and stove top. While I love the flavor of a corned beef in the crock pot, it often produces a roast that is fall-apart overdone and next to impossible to thinly slice. I have done the 3-3-3 oven method, my mother's favorite: three cups of water, three hours, at three-hundred degrees. But it really depends on the size of the corned beef.

I mostly prepared corned beef in a large pot on top of the stove, slow simmered, periodically testing it for doneness by poking it with a long-tined fork. That's fine, if I'm home and have the time. All three methods suffuse the house with an aromatic, St. Paddy's Day flavor.

This year, however, I did mine in the Instant Pot. And, by far, it produced the nicest corned beef. It was flavorful (crock pot virtue) without falling apart. It sliced absolutely beautifully! It was tender and juicy. I prepared three since my store had a terrific sale. The one below is the one I liked the best. And it's the most simple.

For the first one, I added celery, potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic, and dark beer. I used the obligatory spice packet. The result was a corned beef that, because of the beer, was a bit bitter as were the veggies. And I should have used more dried spices.

For the second, I only used one onion a large garlic clove, and the enclosed spice packet. It was okay, but it still lacked that St. Patrick's Day PUNCH of flavor.

For the third, (pictured) I used no veggies at all. NONE! I DOUBLED the dried spices. I added one large clove of garlic. And I reduced the amount of liquid. It was IRISH BLISS! 

1. 

All three of my corned beefs were 2-3 lbs. While the texture of all three ended up the same, tender and juicy, easy to slice, the third, by far, had the best flavor. (See your manual for the best cooking times according to the size of your roast.)

Unlike traditional recipes, I prefer my cabbage and potatoes "clean," so I boil them separately and season with some of the beef juice along with LOTS of butter, salt and some pepper.

• 1 corned beef, flat cut, 2-3 lbs.
• 1 packet spice mixture that comes with the beef mixed with:
• 1 heaping tablespoon dried pickling spices*
• 2 cups water
• 1 large clove garlic, smashed, peeled, cut in half

Remove corned beef from plastic wrap and rinse thoroughly under cool water. Place the steel trivet into the IP. Place washed beef on top, fat side up.  Top with garlic. Add the two cups of water. Sprinkle with the dried spices. Cover. Lock. Place vent to seal. 

Pressured cook for 60-75 minutes on "meat and stew" setting (it will depend on your model and settings). Allow to self-vent for 15-20 minutes. Vent until lid opens. Remove corned beef. Cover with foil and allow to sit and additional 10-30 minutes. Slice and serve.

Technically,  corned beef is done at 145 degrees F. But it will be tough because you need a higher temp to begin melting the collagen or fat that will flavor and tenderize the meat. According to some, the sweet spot is around 180. If you go higher, you risk the meat falling apart and difficult to carve into presentable slices. And much depends on your particular beef and the brand. Even falling apart, it still tastes good! You should begin temping after an hour. That is the only drawback, to me, of using a pressure cooker.

For warmed-up leftovers the following day, I like to whip up a small batch of latkes, or potato pancakes. They pair remarkably well with the beef and are a real treat! Terrific for breakfast with a fried egg. In the UK, a large pan-fried "latke" is called a "rosti" but it has no flour or egg.

This is a great combo!

*I use McCormick Pickling Spice (you may need to visit a few stores before find pickling spices. It has a very long shelf life! Sometimes it is stored with the canning supplies. It is a million times more aromatic, flavorful than the meager packet that is included with the corned beef.)