Bird, My approach and experience parallels yours (big surprise huh?) with some exceptions: I don't do giblets. Funny thing, you put down menudo but eat giblets while I eat menudo and usually avoid giblets but not always.
I don't whisk in my non-stick pans. My wife doesn't particularly like corn bread but she likes many of my variations. Tonight I made two 9X9 Pyrex pans of it. Used a can of whole corn, 6 jalapenos, and a large yellow onion plus the standard recipe.
I then made gravy with browned flour (a table spoon of canola) and finley chopped left over roast beef. Yet another culinary triumph resulting in gustatory delight.
[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]