A Southerner living in New England, I often find myself longing for the piney woods of Mississippi. I imagine the smell of smoked pork shoulder wafting through the trees, I long for the crunch of fried okra, I dream about the hot and cold of blackberry cobbler with vanilla ice cream. Then I look out the window on a winter day and realize I’m way up north, far away from the food culture I know best. This blog is a record of my attempt to eat real food and still stay true to my roots.

I chose the name Syrup and Cornbread because it’s one of my favorite dishes. The cornbread can’t be sweet and must be made with white corn meal (yellow will do in a pinch). The syrup has to be Steen’s. That is non-negotiable. This is a breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert. It’s what my grandmother was serving for dinner to six of her eight children the first time my mother met her. I guess it left quite an impression.

-Aimee