SOUL FOOD
We live in the South,
the land sweet tea,
buttermilk biscuits,
the Bible belt
and soul food.
HONEY-BAKED HAM
Ingredients
1 - 8 to 10 pound smoked ham
whole cloves
Glaze for Baked Ham
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup packed light brown sugar
Directions
Preheat oven according to package cooking directions. Place ham fat side up on the rack of a shallow roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer through fat side into center of thickest part of the ham, but don't let it touch the bone. Bake ham according to package directions.
About 1/2 hour before ham is done prepare glaze by combining ingredients and mixing well. Next remove ham from oven and pour off drippings. Peel away any rind that is left on ham and score ham with a sharp knife.
While scoring, make diamond shaped cuts. Insert a clove into each diamond. Spread ham generously with glaze and return to oven. After applying glaze, bake until desired internal temperature is reached. Remove ham from oven and allow to stand for about 20 minutes before slicing. If desired, remaining glaze can be poured over sliced ham.
CORNBREAD
Ingredients
1-1/2 – cups yellow corn meal
1-1/2 cups general all purpose flour
4 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1-1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons melted butter
Directions
Grease the cast iron skillet with a little vegetable oil. Set the oven to 425 degrees and heat the skillet. If you don't have the cast iron skillet, go head and use an iron baking pan.
Blend corn meal, flour, baking powered and sugar in a mixing bowl. In another bowl, whisk together milk, eggs and melted butter. Make the corn bread batter by mixing dry and wet ingredients together thoroughly.
Carefully remove the cast iron skillet from the oven. Using a kitchen basting brush, coat the inside of the skillet with vegetable oil. Pour batter into the skillet and return to oven. Bake for about 1/2 hour or until a wooden tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. The finished product will be golden brown.
