Oprah Winfrey’s most romantic gesture is making “hot water cornbread” for her partner Stedman Graham

In a December cover story for People, Oprah Winfrey revealed that she expresses her love for her longtime partner Stedman Graham by whipping up an old-school Southern recipe for hot water cornbread.

“The most romantic thing I do is make hot water cornbread,” Winfrey told People. The dish, which is thought to have been originated by indigenous Americans before becoming a a longtime staple in Black-American and Southern cooking, is typically made with cornmeal, salt, fat (like butter or lard) and — of course — boiling water, hence the name.

Winfrey’s homemade rendition, however, is even simpler: It only calls for cornmeal, water and oil.

“Mothers around the world feed their children on it and all you do is add the hot water to the meal and you make these little flat cakes and you fry them in a pan,” said the entertainment mogul, who recently co-produced the 2023 film adaptation of the stage musical “The Color Purple” and hosted her own primetime television program, “An Oprah Special: Shame, Blame and the Weight Loss Revolution.”

Winfrey added that Graham is an adventurous foodie who enjoys eating octopus “seared [or] sautéed with okra and greens” for breakfast. Her cornbread recipe, however, remains his absolute favorite dish. “Every time I do it, it’s like the most romantic thing I’ve ever done,” Winfrey said.

As for Graham’s most romantic gesture, Winfrey said it’s also small, yet meaningful. “The most romantic thing he does for me at this point is going to the corner every Sunday and getting The New York Times and bringing it in to me,” she shared.