Recipe Friday: Paula Deen Edition

I know I'm a day late on getting this post up, but I've been laughing my buns off at the way the Twitter-verse has been skewering Queen of Southern Cuisine, Paula Deen. 

For those of you who don't know, earlier in the week, news media outlets broke the story that Paula Deen, lover of butter and all things fried, had admitted in court to using the N-word, and planning a "slavery themed" wedding.  Not surprisingly, Deen found herself in hot water with her fans and non-fans.

Twitter and Facebook nearly shut down as social media was flooded with racially charged jokes and a hashtag (#paulasbestdishes) aimed at Deen.  While racism is never funny, I couldn't help but get the giggles over some of the creative ways Deen has been raked over the coals. Here's an amuse bouche of tweets: Massa-roni and Cheese;  Klan Chowder; Reparations Rice; Separate But Equal Fruit Salad; Cotton Pickin' Peach Tea; Colored Greens; We Shall Overcome Crumb Cake.

I don't watch the Food Network. I don't have any Paula Deen cookbooks.  I can't withdraw my support from her because she never had it in the first place.  While she's probably scrambling to save her crumbling empire, issuing repeated apologies and such, I keep thinking, "She sure can't unscramble this egg." 

So, with all this sugary, butter, Southern-fried goodness in mind,  here's today's recipe.   I have yet to make this - I'm a Yankee, afterall, but it is going to get added to the roster of comfort foods, for sure. Happy week-end, y'all!

Buttermilk Spoonbread

Buttermilk Spoon Bread courtesy of Baking Bites
1 1/2 cups milk (low fat is fine)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
4 large eggs, separated and at room temperature
1 tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease and flour an 8-inch square casserole dish.
Combine milk, buttermilk and cornmeal in a medium saucepan and bring almost to a boil, stirring regularly.
Once it has reached a simmer, turn heat down and cook for another minute or two, until mixture is thickened.
Stir in butter and salt, then transfer to a bowl to cool down to near room temperature. once it has cooled, whisk in egg yolks.
In a medium bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks, gradually beating in sugar. Fold into cornmeal base, working in two or three additions. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake for about 25 minutes, until spoon bread is set, but still slightly jiggly, and the top is golden brown.
Serve warm.
serves 6.