Gettin' Corny

Last Friday, this recipe for sour cream cornbread wtih aleppo appeared on my favorite cooking blog, smitten kitchen.  When I saw the title, I admit that I had no idea what aleppo was, but I did know that I loved Marcus Samuelsson on Top Chef Masters and that I would try this recipe anyway . . . without the aleppo.

I substituted (a heaping) 1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper for the aleppo (which I'm confident I couldn't have found anywhere near my apartment), as suggested in the notes before the recipe.

My oven bakes terribly unevenly (I can't WAIT to own a place where I can have decent appliances) so this didn't turn out as well as I would've liked (meaning that it cooked perfectly on the ends and, despite 10 extra minutes in the oven, only browned on one side and remained doughy in the middle).

The outer edges, that were baked through, were delicious in spite of my oven's inadequacies.  The BF informed me that this didn't have as much flavor as the boxed cornbread that I've made in the past, but I think he was wrong.  This tasted better.  It had a kick, but wasn't too spicy, and it was tender and delicious.  I think it would've been better with honey butter, but I'll try that next time, when I have an oven to bake a decent loaf!

With my trip to The Vegas a mere 3 and 1/2 days away (Thursday!  WOO!), I have over-the-top shoes on my mind.

Givenchy via Barneys

These fit the bill for me.  Crazy leopard print, amazing cut-outs, and a high (but not too high) heel for roaming the strip.  Perfect!