Jo Kaucher's Cornbread Muffins

For April's Chef Spotlight dinner event, we're highlighting vegetarian and vegan chefs. My friend Ann prepared this dish for the dinner and the recipe comes from Chef Jo Kaucher.

In the early 1970s, Jo Kaucher’s claim to fame was that she was “Baker Jo” in the Studs Terkel book Working. Today, she is the author of The Chicago Diner Cookbook, which features recipes from the popular restaurant of the same name. Kaucher and her partner, Mickey Hornick, opened The Chicago Diner in 1983. The all-vegetarian restaurant stays packed, thanks to Jo’s exceptional culinary skills, which have garnered praise from The Chicago Tribune, Shape magazine, Chicago’s WGN radio station, Pioneer Press, the Jewish Star, and newcitychicago.com.

Named one of the best vegetarian chefs in America by both Vegetarian Times and The Chicago Vegetarian Society, Jo was also a member of America’s Natural Food team, which won an award at the Culinary Olympics in Frankfurt, Germany. Throughout her 25-year career, Jo has used plant-based protein, the best organic produce, and other natural ingredients to create healthy, classic, home-style recipes.
Although her delicious gourmet cuisine has been enjoyed by numerous celebrities, such as Madonna, Cloris Leachman, Boy George, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Roger Ebert, average folks can buy her baked goods at Whole Foods and Wild Oats natural markets and can head to The Chicago Diner to enjoy fabulous vegan fare, including Jo Jo’s Vegan Cheezecake, the restaurant’s famous Cornbread Muffins, Vegetable Paella, and Chocolate-Walnut Brownies. -- VegCooking

Cornbread Muffins
recipe from Jo Kaucher

At the Chicago Diner, we serve our corn muffins with every entry they are that popular! Serve warm with a little soy margarin. Nothing better! Great for breakfast as well.

1 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup pastry flour
1/2 cup unbleached flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup water, or for a richer flavor, add 1/2 cup soy milk
2 Tbsp. oil
1 Tbsp. turbinado sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Stir the dry ingredients, except the sugar, in a medium mixing bowl.
In another bowl, combine the water, oil, and sugar, and stir well.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, and mix.
Pour the batter into oiled cupcake tins 2/3full. Bake 20 to 25 minutes.

Makes 8-10 servings