Paula: This morning while navigating Austin traffic, I used the classical station to calm nerves and heard “Impromptu in Two Keys” by George Gershwin. It occurred to me that the title describes my approach to this recipe. That may be a high brow approach to chicken wings but bear with me. 

Scott: That’s weird because I was listening to “Learning to Fly” by Tom Petty during my commute and that song is also clearly about a plaintive longing for the comfort of chicken wings.

Paula: Confession: when I was a kid I hated sweet potatoes, because they were usually prepared with other sweet ingredients (brown sugar, marshmallows, etc.). The memory of those cloying, mostly mushy dishes still give me a vague sense of panic. Later in life, when I tasted sweet potatoes roasted with savory ingredients (olive oil, salt, herbs, warm spices), I fell in love.

Paula: Lately I’ve been obsessed with baking on the grill. There have been brownies with a smoky “bark,” apple galettes, and smoked date sticky pudding. I don’t know why it took me so long to get to cornbread. 

Scott: The PK Grill is so good for baking and the portability of it means you don’t have to leave baking behind now when you cook outside whether it’s on your back porch or camping or tailgating. I’m excited for this “true” cornbread recipe because of the char flavor you incorporate by blistering the corn and serranos on the grill.

Paula: When I make burgers, I always go for freshly ground meat. If you buy packed meat that resembles a hockey puck, chances are your burgers will have the same dense texture.

Scott: I’ve eaten a few McDensities with cheese over the years and I couldn’t agree more. Freshly ground meat is a must for a killer burger. I’m not afraid to mix in a bit of pork sausage with my ground meat if I’m really trying hard to impress. Why is that so tasty?