Cornbread

This corn bread is less moist than others, but it's perfectly delicious for eating, especially when spread with butter. Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 1 hr (includes cooling)

Active time: 30 min Start to finish: 1 1/2 hr

Here's the traditional southern way to bake and serve corn bread: right in the skillet. Using shortening to grease the pan produces a nice, brown crust.

Moist, with subtle heat from the chipotles.

For accompaniments, toss watercress and thin slices of red onion with Dijon vinaigrette, and add chopped fresh basil to stewed tomatoes. Pecan pie can top it off.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

You can make this tender corn bread a day ahead.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Southwestern Corn Pudding . This is also great on its own.

This moist sweet corn bread is a nice addition to breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

Make this bread, which is used in the Southwest Corn Bread Stuffing with Corn and Green Chilies and Southern Corn Bread Stuffing with Smoked Ham and Yams recipes, at least one day and up to two days ahead of time.

"Coyotes Deli & Grill in Banff makes the most amazing blue corn bread," writes Donna Sanché of Toronto, Ontario. "My husband and I had dinner there not long ago, and enjoyed the entire meal — but the corn bread was definitely the highlight. I've told all of my friends about it, and now I'd like to make it for them." This sweet corn bread is best served warm. If you can't find blue cornmeal, don't worry: Yellow cornmeal works well, too.

Active time: 10 min Start to finish: 25 min

I first created this recipe at Routh Street Cafe in 1984. I've since had it on menus at five different restaurants in some form or another. It's also delicious when spread with a mixture of one part jalapeño jelly and three parts cream cheese whipped together. It's also best served warm.