I have made this a couple of times now and my book group loves it. The first time I had to supplement the fresh corn with frozen (guess the ears I bought were too small). The second time I used all frozen being sure to defrost and dry the kernels before proceeding with the recipe. I used the prescribed amount of cheese but, for the second batch, I grated the cheese rather than cutting into cubes. I found that this allowed for more even distribution and the cheese stayed softer. Also, I had to process the mixture in small batches to fit my old food processor. Just bought a new one which is larger so no such problem for the next batch!

You will not find a better-tasting cornbread recipe than this one. It is a perfect savory-sweet balance that is highly-addictive to eat. Even my anti-corn husband loved it, so that speaks volumes. It is ultra-flavorful with a touch of heat. Do not get scared about the anise seed being in this bread, as it does not leech any hint of black licorice flavor. You can't tell it is even in there. I used freshly-shucked white corn, King Arthur's organic masa harina, Kerrygold salted butter, and Trader Joe's organic pepper jack cheese as part of name brands in the ingredients arsenal. When you have the mixture ready to pour into the pan, I highly-suggest spreading it out in circle piles around the pan. You will be able to smooth it out easier so it does not interfere with removing the corn meal dusting. The mixture is relatively thick, near a thick mashed potato-like texture with some give. I baked it in a stainless steel pan for 38 minutes, let it sit on a wire rack for half an hour, and just made easy slices from the pan itself. Absolutely wonderful! This would make a great bread to serve at a barbecue, Thanksgiving, chili cook-off, or paired with a nice soup.

I live in Italy. Can you recommend a substitution or work around using dried polenta? Thank you.

I may never make cornbread any other way again. This was so good! I used Sargento Fiesta pepper jack cheese, which has red bell, jalapeno, serrano and habanero peppers in it. I also used frozen corn dried out well on paper towels. Next time I make this, I'll cut the recipe in half and use an 8x8 glass baking pan. Thanks, Ms. Bruce & Milk Street team!

... how could it not be, with 1.5 sticks of butter and a half-pound of cheese. It's like heart attack cornbread! Yummy as heck -- yet probably best to keep as a very occasional splurge for those of us who aren't ultra-marathoners. I'm no nutritional puritan, but it'd be great if Milk Street would be just a tad more focused on recipes that are practical not only in terms of preparation but also account for 'the way we eat now' (or aspire to!) Leaning on fat is a crutch, and with some creativity there are ways to pare it back and use it strategically, so that the cheese, butter, cream, etc. really counts. My 2 cents...