Q: On Valentine's Day my husband, the kids and I went to the Buckhead Diner for dinner. Along with the bread, they brought out the most awesome corn muffins. They were small muffins with real corn and some type of cream cheese in them. I got a dozen to go and hid them so I could have them to myself. I tried to duplicate the recipe, to no avail. I would love to have the recipe.

-- Leslie Jones Thomas, Alpharetta

A: Matt Harris, executive chef at Buckhead Diner, was happy to share the recipe for this signature item. He serves these tasty miniature corn muffins nestled next to herb breadsticks in the bread baskets. Dotted with kernels of fresh corn, jalapeño and green onion, the muffins get their unique flavor from buttermilk. The following recipe uses a more readily available regular-size muffin tin, but you can make them in mini-tins; simply reduce the cooking time by 5 to 10 minutes. The yield will be about three times as much.

-- Jeanne Besser, for the Journal-Constitution

BREAD

Buckhead Diner ellow Corn Muffins

Louie Favorite/AJC

Makes 20 servings

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20-25 minutes

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 cups fresh yellow corn (about 3 ears)

1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped

4 green onions, finely sliced

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups yellow cornmeal

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon salt

2 eggs

3 cups buttermilk

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter two standard muffin tins.

In a skillet over medium heat, add oil. Sauté corn, jalapeño and green onion until softened. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking soda, sugar and salt. Set aside. In a separate bowl, beat eggs. Add buttermilk and butter and stir to combine. Add to the dry ingredients and gently combine. Add reserved corn mixture and stir to combine.

Fill muffin tins about 2/3 full. Bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes or until just golden and a toothpick, when inserted, comes out clean.

Per serving: 161 calories (percent of calories from fat, 23), 5 grams protein, 26 grams carbohydrates, 2 gram fiber, 4 grams fat, 26 milligrams cholesterol, 452 milligrams sodium.

Is there a restaurant recipe you'd like to make at home? Tell us what you're looking for and perhaps we can help you get it. If we succeed, we'll have the recipe tested and adapted for the home kitchen, if necessary. Because of volume, we can't answer all inquiries. Send your request, along with address and phone number, to: Mail: Betty Parham, Food Department, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 72 Marietta St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303. E-mail: menu@ajc.com. Fax: 404-526-5509.