Q: Raised in the South, one of my accomplishments was making some tasty cornbread with big pot of pintos. Now that I’ve lived in Colorado for several years, I still can’t perfect either.
Can you help me with some tricks and recipes for Southern Food, High-Altitude Style?
Sincerely,
– Hard Pintos & Pancake Cornbread
SCOTT: Hard pintos and pancake cornbread? Suddenly I’ve got a terrible case of cottonmouth paired with a desire to relocate to sea level. Or maybe I’ll eat out tonight.
What research tells us is that high-altitude baking can be a slightly less than satisfying experience but you know I’d never leave you hanging so there you are.
Add an extra egg to your cornbread and use buttermilk instead of milk. If it turns out crumbly, add some extra sugar. To cook the pintos, get yourself a pressure cooker and they’ll cook in no time. Really! If you’re uncomfortable using a pressure cooker, try high altitude beans (beans grown in Colorado cook faster), add extra water and draw on your Zen patience.
The pintos will give you extra time to perfect the corn bread and prepare a cool beverage. Just in case.