Jorge served the Chicken Ratatouille with Jalapeno Chili Corn Bread.  Corn bread is native to the New World and was discovered by the Europeans during the European exploration of North America.

This Jalapeno Chili Corn Bread is not as spicy as it should be because Jorge toned down the heat by using less jalapeno due to not many of the seniors can tolerate the heat.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of coarse corn meal (also packed as polenta)
• 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 3/4 cups of unbleached all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup of firmly packed brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 1/2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 2 jalapeno chili
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Source: Jorge Viduenez

Prep time:  30 minutes;  Bake time: 30 minutes;  Serves 12

Instructions

Mice en Place

• Soak the cornmeal in the buttermilk the night before making the cornbread. Cover and leave at room temperature overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350F
• Remove seeds and membrane from jalapeno and finely chopped, wearing a pair of kitchen gloves is advisable.
• Dissolve the honey in the melted butter
• In a bowl, beat the eggs

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir in the granulated sugar and the brown sugar.

In another bowl, combine the beaten eggs with the warm honey butter mixture.Add the egg mixture to the soaked cornmeal mixture.

Add the egg/soaked cornmeal mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon till all the ingredients are distributed and the batter is blended and smooth, resembling the consistency of thick pancake batter.

Stir in the corn kernels and finely chopped jalapeno until they are evenly distributed.

Grease a baking pan very well including corners and sides, and pour in the batter, spreading it from the center of  the pan to the edges.Bake in a 350F preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the corn bread is firm and springy (the baking time will depend on the size of the pan). A knife inserted into the center should comes out clean. Allow the cornbread to cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes before turning it out and slice it into squares.