The Picture Looked Better!

It's certainly happened to you. The photo in the cookbook (or on the web) looked fabulous. You collected all the ingredients, you followed the recipe, you waited expectantly and then . . . oh. That's it? The picture looked a whole lot better. Such disappointment!

Don't beat yourself up. Chances are the actual food prepared for that photo didn't look all that great, either. Photos can be doctored. Even before getting to the Photoshop stage where colors can be added and flaws removed, the food itself can be given an artificial shine or a plumping filler or a nip and tuck where needed. Artistic sprigs of parsley can hide inconvenient scorch marks and whipped cream covers anything.

And unlike your own kitchen, where what you cook is what you get, when the first pie, cake or souffle doesn't turn out perfectly at a photo shoot, there is always a back-up pie, cake or souffle ready to take its place on camera. 

Have you guessed yet? The recipe planned for today's column, "Cornbread Dogs," did not come out of the oven looking as I'd planned. In fact, it looked just awful, overcooked and thoroughly scorched. It's doubly embarrassing because it's an old recipe I can make without thinking, one of those dependable kid-pleasers. And I really messed it up.

David must have heard my [expletive deleted] when I pulled the thing from the oven, because he came in to check on me. One look at my disaster and he said, "Oh, man, that looks delish!"

He wasn't being sarcastic or lying to comfort me. He was already digging in the fridge for the ketchup and mustard. The cornbread was just the way he likes it, crispy brown with a deep toasted crust and the hot dogs were blistered. He was in heaven.

So I guess I'll post the recipe after all.



Recipe: Cornbread Dogs for 2


1 c. Cornmeal
1 1/2 Tbs. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. Brown Sugar or Coarse Raw Sugar
2 Tbs. Bacon Grease, melted Butter or Oil
1/2 c. Milk
1 Egg

3 or 4  Hot Dogs (okay if frozen)
Oil or Grease for Skillet


Preheat oven (or toaster oven) to 425.
Combine dry ingredients. Mix in Grease or Oil with a fork, stir in Milk, add Egg last.
The batter may have a few lumps. (You could prep the batter this far in the morning, then refrigerate it until suppertime.)




Heat Grease or Oil in a cast iron skillet. Warm Hot Dogs in skillet. If you begin with frozen dogs, this will let them defrost, release moisture and add flavor. Pour prepared batter over Hot Dogs in the hot skillet so that it sizzles and bubbles up around the edges.






Bake 25 minutes until knife inserted in bread tests clean.

Serve with butter and favorite hot dog condiments.

Why did my Cornbread Dogs scorch tonight? I've decided that I should have lowered the rack in the toaster over, and perhaps reduced the temperature to 400 degrees. The photos would have been prettier, but David wouldn't have been as pleased.

copyright Starr Luteri 2009