Corn on the cob boiled simply, smothered in butter and salt, has to be one of my favourite meals as a kid. Young, I spent all my summers in Vermont and can still remember when my father would load the trunk with heavy bags of fresh corn for the annual corn party. The corn would be cooked over a campfire, in an old barrel that would turn the water red, so much so that you could barely see the cobs bobbing inside.

So, for my second recipe reviewing Giovanni Apollo’s latest cookbook, I couldn’t help but turn to this local vegetable again. This time, a cornbread made with cornmeal and hot chorizo. It survived but one day, after Monsieur called dibs and spirited the remaining half to work. “I don’t just love this, I adore it. Please tell me you’re going to make this again. Please,” he begged. I sort of never cook a recipe again the moment I get it right. So I had to promise.

The softness of corn with the smoothness of butter in every bite, the heat of chorizo and the way its fat wets the surrounding bread: pure happiness was felt by all.

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CHORIZO CORNBREAD
Serves 4

• 140 ml (2/3 cup) sifted flour
• 15 ml (1 tbsp) baking powder
• 5 ml (1 tsp) salt
• 160 ml (2/3 cup) fine cornmeal
• 30 ml (2 tbsp) softened butter
• 2 eggs
• 250 ml (1 cup) milk
• 125 ml (1/2 cup) diced chorizo

1. Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F).

2. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and cornmeal. Blend in butter using fingertips.

3. Beat eggs and milk together, add slowly to cornmeal mix and stir with a spoon until smooth. Add chorizo.
4. Pour into a buttered bread pan (recipe says a square pan but I don’t own one), smooth top or not, and bake in oven for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

I have a feeling it would be great cut into squares and served with a sweet sparkling wine. But husband never gave me the chance to find out.