Recipe: Corn bread

Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes plus cooling and rising time

Servings: Makes 1 loaf

Note: Adapted from “The Soul of a New Cuisine: A Discovery of the Foods and Flavors of Africa” by Marcus Samuelsson.

1 small ear of corn, shucked

3/4 cup milk

1 package active dry yeast

1 tablespoon butter

1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed, finely chopped

2 scallions, trimmed and chopped

1 teaspoon chile powder

1 1/2 cups flour, plus more as needed

1 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons honey

1 egg

1. Cut the kernels from the corncob; break the corncob in half and place the cob and kernels in a medium saucepan. Add the milk and bring to a boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and allow to cool until just warm. Remove and discard the cob and whisk in the yeast. Cover the pan with a lid and let it sit for 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, heat a small saucepan over high heat. Add the butter and swirl until it starts to foam and then subsides, browning just a little. Add the jalapeño, scallions and chile powder and sauté until the pepper and scallions are softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the 1 1/2 cups flour, cornmeal and salt. In a medium bowl, combine the corn and milk mixture, honey, egg and scallion mixture. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the liquid mixture, stirring slowly until the mixture is absorbed and the dough comes together.

4. Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes, adding additional flour as necessary while kneading. Transfer the dough to a clean bowl, cover with a damp cloth or oiled plastic wrap, and allow to rise in a warm place until it’s 1 1/2 times its original size, about 45 minutes.

5. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Punch down the dough and shape it into a loaf. Place the dough in a greased 8 1/2 - by 4 1/2 -inch loaf pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the bread is golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Rotate the pan halfway through baking for even coloring. Cool for 5 minutes.

6. Turn the loaf out onto a rack and cool for 10 minutes. Cut into one-half-inch slices and serve warm.

Each of 16 servings: 111 calories; 3 grams protein; 21 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram fiber; 2 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 16 mg. cholesterol; 158 mg. sodium.