"corn" news and stories

Corn is in season which means there's no better time to relish the sweet flavorful kernels Latin American-style with a dash of fresh mildly-salty cheese. From New York City's Café Habana to Austin's La Condesa, Mexican-style corn on the cob covered with Cotija cheese has become a popular dish, one that balances the juicy sweetness of maize with the spicy-savory taste of Queso Fresco. Fortunately, this cheese-coated snack is easy to make at home.

Saving whales; closing BP service stations: Greenpeace accomplishes things many of us fainter environmentalists only dream of, and last week was no different. A courageous bunch snuck into a field of GMO corn to deactivate the crop's pollinating tassels -- by way of machete or delicate plucking, we cannot say, but we'd like to think they had some fun.

The event took place in -- where else? -- Italy, the heirloom-touting country responsible for constructing Slow Food's global umbrella in the '80s, from which all sustainable, green, local and such movements have sprung since. Specifically, the crop-beheading went down on a field in the northern region of Friuli, one of the country's 16 regions (out of 20) that were gradually designated as GMO-free zones starting in 2007.

Greenpeace Italia first took a sample from the field in question and brought it to a certified lab to confirm that it was, in fact, the patented Monsanto GE maize type MON810. Since pollen can quickly spread to other fields, further contaminating non-GMO land, Greenpeace decided to nip it in the bud and send a message to the Italian government to follow through. GMO-free zone or not, a landowner would still need to obtain a permit to grow GMO crop in Italy, which Greenpeace claims the owner had not done.

Each Thursday, we round up a selection of scrumptious links from our friends over at YumSugar. Here's what they've got cooking this week:

• State Fairs should be called Fried Fairs -- test your local festival knowledge.
• Lamb Jam, mint not required.
• Why stop at one bloody mary? Build a whole bar!
• Summer is sweeter with corn.
• German potato salad's got nothing on these fingerlings.
• Are Ben & Jerry conning us during National Ice Cream Month?
• Zucchini crostini -- say that five times fast!

Grilled corn-on-the-cob is Mexican street food the way street food should be. After it hits the grill, the roasted corn is slathered with a creamy blend of mayo, chile, and white, salty Cotija cheese and the juice of a fresh lime. Cotija is part goat's milk and part cow's milk, it crumbles easily and when aged (anjeo) tastes a bit like parmesan. (You can substitute a good parmesan or pecorino if you can't find Cotija.) If you're ready to barbecue like you're in Michoacán, Mexico, even if you're in Missoula, Montana, try this Kitchen Daily recipe for a version of this grilled corn.

And for roasting tips, and another corn-lime-and-chili recipe, see this Slashfood post.

Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool for a shot at having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.

"Apple planet." Photo: leoncillo sabino, Flickr.

• All about apples -- their appeal, how to pick them and what to use them for.
• A chat with Ruth Reichl about her new 1,000-page cookbook "Gourmet Today."
• Jeff Corwin talks up his new Food Network show, "Extreme Cuisine with Jeff Corwin."
• "The Bear and Fish Family Cookbook" is a mother-daughter effort on family cooking and "modern Asian fusion."
• Toast Mexican Independence Day with a tequila-spiked El Grito.
• Use of the sweet and sticky pomegranate molasses is on the rise in kitchens.
• Campbell's is releasing 100 percent natural soups!
• Placing measured mounds of dry ingredients on a piece of waxed paper before adding them to a meal can prevent measuring mishaps.
• Recipes: Chicken and Black Garlic Linguine and Almond Date Macaroons and Curried Corn and Crab Cakes.