Quick Rosemary Cornbread Goes Good With Gumbo, Chili Or Vegetable Soups

Once a year, I host a dinner for the nine other women in my book club. The format for each meeting is always the same. The group gathers early on a weeknight and socializes during supper, then a heated discussion of the month’s selection follows.

When it is my turn to welcome this literary circle to my house, I often prepare food which reflects my book choice. For John Berendt’s “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil,” a fascinating, nonfictional account of life in Savannah, Ga., a Southern menu seemed appropriate.

Small silver dollar crab cakes offered with a red pepper dipping sauce began the meal, followed by a rich gumbo served with a salad and a basket of rosemary-scented corn bread.

The rosemary corn bread is a new addition to my repertoire. Unlike most of my recipes for this quick bread, this one calls for regular milk in place of buttermilk and includes a little brown rather than white sugar. And, of course, the rosemary seasoning adds a new flavor.

Although this bread will make a great accompaniment to gumbo, it would be equally good with chili, bean or vegetable soups, and is absolutely delicious served with lemon-scented roast chicken.

Last-Minute Rosemary Corn Bread

3/4 cup sifted flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal (preferably stone-ground if available)

1 jumbo egg or 2 medium eggs or equivalent of 2 egg substitutes

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup 1 percent milk

1 1/4 teaspoons crumbled dried rosemary

Fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish, optional

Spray 9-inch cast-iron skillet or 9x9-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Place in 425-degree oven 5 minutes while you assemble batter.

Sift together flour, baking powder, brown sugar and salt into mixing bowl. Add cornmeal.

Whisk together egg, butter and milk in separate bowl. Whisk liquids into dry ingredients. Add dried rosemary and whisk just to combine.

Pour batter into hot skillet or pan. Bake at 425 degrees on middle rack until loaf is golden on top and firm to the touch, about 25 minutes. Cut into 8 portions. Serve hot.

Yield: 8 servings.

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