Turning On The Oven Now...

Fall, the season, is very nearly here.  Sure, it's been in the '70s, but underneath the sun-warmed breeze is a colder, bass note.  Since our house is drafty - few Southern California homes are well-insulated; particularly the older homes - throughout the winter, I rely on the oven to make up some of the difference.  Winter is the season for roast pork loin (three hours at 300 degrees) or a daube Provencale (an hour at 300) but I rarely - okay, I never bake.

To remedy this sad state of affairs, I leafed through the Food & Wine cookbook...

SKILLET CORNBREAD WITH FIGS, FETA AND ROSEMARY
The long way - make cornbread
My way - buy a cornbread mix...

However you do it, add in chopped rosemary, 8 Black Mission figs, chopped, and a half-cup of crumbled feta cheese.  Cook per box instructions.

The name and the fact that this pie makes its own crust intrigued me...

IMPOSSIBLE PIE
1 stick sweet butter, melted plus enough to grease the pie pans
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1/2 cup self-rising flour
2 cups sweetened, shredded coconut
2 cups of milk

Pre-heat the oven to 350 and butter two glass pie plates

Whisk the melted butter with the sugar, add the eggs and beat until the mixture is smooth.  Stir in the flour, coconut and milk and divide this mix between the two pie plates.

Bake in the lower one-third of the oven for 1 hour or until the pies are firm to the touch and golden.  Let cool completely before serving. 

There you have it - something good to eat and a nice, warm house in which to eat it!