Southern Author, Southern Cook

The North think it knows how to make corn bread, but this is a gross superstition. Perhaps no bread in the world is quite as good as Southern corn bread, and perhaps no bread in the world is quite as bad as the Northern imitation of it. - Mark Twain

Pat Conroy is one of my favorite American writers. Not only is he a talented and eloquent writer - the author of The Great Santini, The Lords of Discipline, The Prince of Tides and other fabulous books - he has also authored a cookbook filled with stories of his passion for cooking and good food and wonderful Southern recipes.

Brian and I love really good barbecue. We don't eat it often but when we are in the mood, we seek out good barbecue joints where the ribs are so tender that the meat falls off the bone and there are a variety of regional barbecue sauces.

I now make the barbecue. One of our favorites is slow-roasted pulled pork that I season with a sweet and spicy rub and cook on a low-heat grille over wood chips for about 5-6 hours - and finished with a homemade vinegar-based barbecue sauce.

And what goes better with barbecued pork than homemade cornbread?

I do not have my own recipe for cornbread (I am a Northerner, after all) and have tried numerous recipes. Although they have all been acceptable, I have not made one that can compare to Pat Conroy's Cornbread. I have cooked this in both the oven and on the gas grille outside and it comes out great either way! So, if you like REAL cornbread, check out the recipe.