Sure, you put butter and salt on your corn on the cob, but what about peanut butter?
Posts with tag Corn
Tip of the Day: You can put more than butter on corn on the cob
Continue reading Tip of the Day: You can put more than butter on corn on the cob
Street food: Elote
While Mexico has got to be in my top five best countries for street food - tacos al pastor with pineapple and loads of cilantro at the market in Mexico City, huitlacoche (corn fungus) and squash blossom quesadillas in the park in downtown Cancun, steaming chicken tamales wrapped in wet green banana leaves sold out of an empty oil drum in Villahermosa - one of my very, very favorites has to be elote. I first tasted elote - corn on the cob slathered in mayonnaise and sprinkled with cotija cheese (like Parmesan) and chile powder, topped off with a squeeze of lime - in the city of San Cristobal de las Casas in Chiapas. Sold by an old lady who sat on the steps of the church with a vat of corn cobs floating in hot water and an economy-sized jar of mayo, it was sweet, sour, cheesy and spicy all at once. I was in love. Here in Santa Fe, there's an elote cart that shows up from time to time in the parking lot of the defunct Pepe's Tacos, serving de-cobbed elote. The vendor layers corn kernels, mayonnaise, butter, cotija, lime and chile in a Styrofoam cup, served with a plastic spoon. Stir it all together and it creates a super-addictive spicy cream of corn soup. I find myself cruising the street outside Pepe's, like a scorned girlfriend staking out her ex's car (will it be there? Oh, I hope it's there!), three dollars already folded in my pocket just in case.
What are your favorite street foods? And where do you find them?
Corn based anti-bacterial film wrap
The wonders of modern science never cease to amaze me (and I am not being sarcastic, this time). A scientist at the US Department of Agriculture in Wyndmoor, PA may have an answer to some of our food-borne illness woes.
Tony Jin has created a biodegradable plastic film which has "a natural antimicrobial agent called nisin". Mr Jin claims, and is backed up by testing, that the film kills bacteria that cause Listeria, Salmonella, and E.coli. The film is made from renewable resources like corn residue. It would be used in packaging to wrap meat and line drink containers.
I think this anti-bacterial film wrap sounds promising. I never know quite what to make of this kind of invention. There have been so many innovations that have sounded great in the beginning, but turned into real disasters. If the corn-based plastic wrap really can kill harmful bacteria, and it is implemented, I hope that it is one for the "win" column.
Rick Lee's grocery photography is amazing
We get our daily dose of food porn with Marisa's Food Porn Daily, but still I have to point out the photography of Rick Lee, a photographer out of Charleston, West Virginia. Rick has a blog where he showcases his photography, and because every Thursday is grocery night, there's an entire section dedicated to produce. When Rick goes, he takes incredible photos around the produce section, making basic things like corn and cabbage look positively sex-ay.
Who knew a picture of an onion could make you almost cry?
Vodka Notes: Tito's Vodka
Tito's Vodka is 40% abv. / 80 proof and is made in Austin, Texas from 100% corn distilled six times in pot stills. The aroma is very light and clean with the barest hint of sweetness and corn. If I hadn't tried several corn vodkas and liquors recently I might not have been able to pick that up, but once I did it was recognizable and added greatly to the aroma. Balancing and smoothing out the light, clean scent.The taste is also very light and clean, almost all the flavor has been distilled out, maybe too much for my personal taste. What is left is clean and very smooth, with just a vague hint of sweetness and a very slight peppery finish. I like vodka's with a bit more flavor to them, but if you want a very nice, clean, light tasting, smooth vodka to have on the rocks, or in a highball or cocktail, then Tito's is for you. It's exceptionally well made and the low to mid price range makes it a good buy as well.
Sweet Corn "Souffle" makes me a Semi-Ho hypocrite
It's no secret that I have all kinds of contempt for Sandra Lee. I won't go into my usual rant about how weird it is that her Chanel-quilted headband always matches her too-tight cashmere deep V-neck sweater, matches the drapes in her "kitchen," matches her potholders (oh wait, I just went into it!), because really, that just makes me sound like a jealous little you-know-what.
I will, however, say that as much as I am not fond of her, I do appreciate the philosophy of semi-homemade. Life moves pretty fast, and there are times when you just have to resort to using the $0.69 box of Jiffy cornbread mix because you don't have time to grow corn in your backyard, harvest the corn, shuck it, cut it, dry it, and do whatever else you're supposed to do to make cornmeal.
So I didn't actually even cheat. It wasn't like I was trying to make cornbread and had to use a mix out of convenience in the last minute. I actually have a recipe for this Sweet Corn Cake/Bread/Souffle/Thing (I'm not quite sure what it is, and have no idea from where I copied the recipe a bazillion years ago) that specifically calls for the boxed mix as one of the ingredients. When I make it, I almost feel a little dirty.
But only until it cools and I eat it.
Continue reading Sweet Corn "Souffle" makes me a Semi-Ho hypocrite
Jalapeno and corn make pancakes savory
As you know, there is an enduring battle at breakfast time for me between Savory and Sweet. For almost all of my life, I've loved sweet breakfast foods, whether that was cold cereal in the form of Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Belgian waffle with sweetened fruit and whipped cream. However, savory has taken the lead in recent years, and it's everything I can do to keep myself from ordering the same egg white, vegetable, and cheese omelet.
Food blog What Did You Eat has put a break in the battle, if at least for one morning. Jalapeno Corn pancakes (a recipe from Ask.com) look like normal pancakes, and with a small amount of sugar in the recipe that "lends a subtle sweetness to the pancakes," may even taste like regular pancakes, but the addition of masa flour and jalapenos, makes these all kinds of spicy and savory. You could eat them as is (I don't think I'd add any syrup), or do like Sher did and throw a fried egg on top!
Cold, raw, plain, corn on the cob?
I have to say that I am a fan of my fellow blogger Marisa's writing. My good friend Risa (short for Marisa as well), absolutely gushes over some of the things Marisa writes as well, and feels that they must be kindred spirits. Anyway, Marisa just wrote about the joy of hot, buttered, corn on the cob. I love corn as well. A Lot. And so this sparked my interest and got me thinking about the delight of corn and how we eat it.
Hot, buttered, corn on the cob used to be one of my favorites, but something happened that changed me forever. There is a local farm stand here in mid-coast Maine called Beth's, and Beth sells some of the sweetest corn I have ever had. What is even better is that it is picked fresh every morning, is still cool from the night air, and often has juice dripping from the broken end of the cob. It's that fresh.
One summer morning years ago, I drove to the farm and waited anxiously for them to open at 8am, so I could load up on corn before they sold out for the day. I was in my car, about to head back to the lakeside cottage we rented for the summer, and decided to first take a look at the corn. I pulled back the firm leaves and silk and saw this super ripe and fresh corn and stuck my thumb into the firm, crisp kernels. They suddenly popped, splashing me with the juice. I stuck my thumb in my mouth to taste it, and it was sublime. As sweet as candy and full of corny good flavor.
Yellow beans fulfill their destiny in a summery salad
Until 3:30 pm yesterday, I had had a colander of yellow string beans sitting on my counter since Tuesday evening. Every time I walked into the kitchen, I'd look at them and send them a little unspoken promise that soon I'd turn them into something wonderful. Yesterday afternoon, I decided that they'd been patient long enough. I fired up a pot of water and gave them a quick blanch. I ran them under cool water to stop the cooking and returned them to their colander home, but this time only long enough to run to my local Trader Joe's in order to pick up a few things for the salad I was imagining.
At TJ's, I grabbed a container of perlini (the tiny ones) mozzarella balls, some fresh basil and a couple of ears of corn. I brought it all home, pulled out a few ingredients I already had, did a little chopping and threw everything together. When it was all done, it tasted like I had captured summer.
Continue reading Yellow beans fulfill their destiny in a summery salad
Corn soup, the remix
Living solo means that when I cook, either I have to waste a lot of energy to cook just enough for one person, or else I cook a huge amount, and get sick of eating the same leftovers for five days straight. This means I love -- and when I say "love," I mean luuuuuurve -- remixes. Taking leftovers and spinning them so they're not the exact same thing from the night before.
Food blogger Mrs. Marv has posted a genius use of what was once Roasted Corn, Basil, and Lime Soup. Her brother turned the soup into a sauce and used it to dress up homemade Manchego, Lime, and Shrimp Ravioli. It's a lovely change from the usual ravioli fillings and sauces, and best of all, makes good use of leftovers.
Are Polish sweet-corn fingers really food?
As many of you already know, I'm a huge fan of strange snack foods of many lands. Fishy junk food is a particular favorite. But when I tell you that the long, crunchy sticks pictured here are among the wierdest junk food I've ever eaten, it's not because they have an especially pungent or intense flavor, rather it's the lack thereof. I'm not even sure whether Paleczki Kukurydziane qualify as food. For one thing, there's no nutrition facts panel on the package. Their texture resembles biodegradable packing peanuts that dissolve in water. To be fair, this Polish take on corn curls that translates to "Sweet-corn fingers," does have flavor: a vague hint of low-fat popcorn.
Obviously I know that these mutant corn snacks aren't packing material, but they might work in a pinch. I couldn't help hoping that when I visited the manufacturer's web site, I'd find that Unopol's primary business was plastics or industrial foams. No such luck, they seem to be a junk-food concern.
So the question remains: Why on earth would anyone eat these things? The only reason I can think of is that they can't stand Flips, Polish corn curls that have a more pronounced flavor: strawberry. The light-pink morsels taste disturbingly like Crunchberries.
SuperBowl Dip-a-Day: Grilled corn salsa
If, by chance, you're firing up the grill for game day, this corn salsa is too easy to not be on your menu. If you've made fresh corn on the grill before, you know how simple it is. Grilled corn is great on it's own, with some butter, salt and pepper, or better yet, mayo, Parmesan cheese, lime juice and chili powder (seriously, try it).
The ingredients in this salsa are easy to vary and I generally just eyeball the amounts as I make it. A good place to start is:
8 average-sized ears of corn
1 medium red onion, sliced into 1/2" to 1" thick rounds (A few tooth picks or skewers in each will help to hold them together on the grill.)
the juice of 2-3 limes
a good handful of cilantro, finely chopped
olive oil
Husk the ears of corn, giving them a rinse to get any last bits of silk off and grill them over fairly high, direct heat, turning them until the kernels begin to blister and darken all over. Brush the onion slices with a little olive oil and grill them as well. Once the corn is done and cool enough to handle, cut the kernels from the cobs with a sharp paring knife and put the kernels in a large bowl. When the onions have softened and taken on some color, pull them off the grill and chop them so they're about the same size as the corn kernels.
Your SuperBowl nachos won't be affected by rising tortilla prices
If you've been sitting on the edge of your seat rapidly surfing through the 'Net waiting to find out about tortilla prices, well, the conclusion is here. According to CNN, Mexico president Felipe Calderon has signed an agreement with businesses "to curb soaring tortilla prices and protect Mexico's poor from speculative sellers and a surge in the cost of corn driven by the U.S. ethanol industry." It also moves to allow more importation of corn from countries like the US.So fire up those fryers and make up some tortilla chips. Your SuperBowl will have nachos! (At least, my SuperBowl will *phew!*)
Orville Redenbacher gets digitized
Last year, Sun-Maid's iconic mascot, the Sun-Maid maid, got a makeover so the brand would have a new look. Her overall appearance remained very similar, but she was digitized. The newly three dimensional character talks, does yoga and promotes California raisins, but even though she was one of the first ad icons to undergo this overhaul, she isn't the only one. Orville Redenbacher has recently been digitized so that he can continue to convincingly promote his famous popcorn brand over ten years after his death. The first ad to use digital Orville will air during the Golden Gloves and will depict "Redenbacher [pitching] popcorn while jiving to his MP3 player." A preview clip can be seen here.
With the amount of technology that went into the ad, it is the company's most expensive ever, but as we have seen from the movie industry, an expensive venture doesn't always yield blockbuster results. Opinions vary on whether this was a good idea or a bad one. Some, including Redenbacher's grandson, see it as a way to remember the man and even feel that he would have loved the idea himself. Others think that there is "a certain creepiness" to the revival of a long-dead man.
Click past the jump for a vintage Orville Redenbacher commercial.
Non-magical reindeer food
Last year, I mentioned Magical Reindeer Food, a simple mixture of sugar, oats and glitter that is sprinkled on the lawn to give very little kids the sense that they are doing something to help Santa's reindeer find their way to the house on Christmas Eve. It's a cute idea, but not appetizing unless you happen to be Rudolph or one of his buddies. Crate & Barrel sells a decidedly more appetizing type of Reindeer Food and this one is meant for human consumption.
It is sweet-salty kettle corn packed in an adorable stitched felt bag that ties shut at the top and bears the label "reindeer food." It seems like it would make a great stocking stuffer for a little kid ("Look! The reindeer brought you something, too.") and would also be a good treat to munch on before bedtime on Christmas Eve.
I'm considering picking up a bag for myself when I stop into the store for last minute goodies this week. There's no harm in being a big kid around the holidays.
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