"If you have a busy natural foods store in your community, give their bulk cornmeal a try: high turnover means the product will most likely be fresh. And if the cornmeal is organic, all the better." -- Jeremy Jackson
Jeremy Jackson is an American author. He was born in Ohio, grew up on a farm in Missouri, and currently lives in Iowa City, Iowa. He is a graduate of Vassar College and the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa. He has written two novels, Life at These Speeds (2002), about a high school boy who finds his life through long-distance running and track, and In Summer (2004), with a similar premise, about a high school graduate caught between his adolescence and adulthood. The manuscript of Life at These Speeds won a James A. Michener/Copernicus Society of America Fellowship in 2000 and was later a seleciton for Barnes & Noble's Discover Great New Writers. Currently, the novel is being developed as a feature film starring Justin Long and Sam Rockwell.
Jackson has also written three cookbooks, The Cornbread Book (2003), Desserts That Have Killed Better Men Than Me (2004) and Good Day for a Picnic (2005). His recipes and food writing have appeared in the Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and Food and Wine. The Cornbread Book was nominated for a James Beard Award.
Jeremy Jackson also writes young adult novels under the pseudonym Alex Bradley. Alex Bradley's first novel was "24 Girls in 7 Days" (2005), about a romantically challenged teenager who dates 24 girls in 7 days. His second novel was "Hot Lunch" (2007), about two high school girls who have to take over their school's hot lunch program as punishment for a food fight. Many young adults, as they are so put, have enjoyed these novels.
Jackson's website Jackson's cookbook publisher's website about him Jackson's website for his alias, Alex Bradley A long interview with Jackson, mostly on the topic of his novels.
"But since you're asking me, I'll tell you my opinion: all cornbread is authentic, as long as it's good, hot, and made with love and fresh ingredients.""I tested a lot of old cornbread recipes and most of them were bland or tough.""Many of America's historical cornbreads were staple breads for people who didn't have many other options.""Most cornmeal producers don't tell you when their cornmeal was milled, which makes it difficult to know how long the product has been sitting in the store before you bought it.""That said, there are certainly still cooks out there who make fantastic historical cornbreads, though the old recipes have often been changed to include modern techniques and ingredients.""When in doubt, throw it out."