A well-roasted corn kernel is smoky. Chewy. Juicy. Irresistible. This much, Mexicans know. Some elote are cooked for hours inside clay ovens. They sit over shimmering coals until their bright yellow kernels turn deep, toasty brown and their husks turn brittle.* More simple recipes speed up the roasting process, but have triple-decker toppings: salty cotija cheese, rich mayonnaise (just enough to make the cheese stick), and smoky ancho chili powder. Then the whole cob is sprinkled with cilantro and a good puckering of fresh lime juice. The end result is an ear of corn that is practically a meal in itself. Ultimately, the lime juice is what sold me on elote. Even a single, tart wedge does wonders to bring the richly spiced corn into relief… though I found myself squeezing much more on each cob. One bite satisfies me almost as well as a good margarita does. My version of elote takes extra limes into consideration as well as an interesting technique from America’s Test Kitchen – adding the ancho chili powder before grilling in order to bloom the flavor. …
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If you ask my husband, there’s always room for cornbread. And he’ll eat twice as much cornbread if green chilies dot through the crumb. But what would he think if the cornbread came from half a world away? If it came from Zambia? As a former “Mr Picky” he says: Mealie Bread is a good way to bridge the gap for picky eaters to try something from another culture. The cornbread in Zambia is much like the cornbread in the USA – except it is made with fresh corn kernels instead of cornmeal. This makes the flavor come alive. Zambians call it mealie bread (mealie is just another name for corn; mealie bread is popular all over southern Africa). The result is moist (bordering on juicy), naturally sweet, and great on the side of any autumn stew (such as Zambia’s Spiced Tilapian Stew). If you’re lucky enough to slice into the mealie bread while it’s still hot? Well… forget about having leftovers. So why stud the mealie bread with chilies? Because Zambians love chili peppers. Chilies are available in the …
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“There’s nothing hidden between heaven and earth.” Venezuelan Proverb Nothing hidden indeed… except, perhaps the cheese inside a steaming, hot Cachapas. Brittle autumn days require an extra slathering of comfort. Ooey gooey cheese-filled corncakes, a.k.a. cachapas fit the bill nicely. Think of them as the South American version of pancakes. The cakes are made with just two ingredients: corn and masa harina, plus the requisite sprinkling of salt and pepper. There’s a simplicity to the recipe that means a batch can be made as easily at midnight as in the afternoon. Which means you can stovetop travel to the beaches of Venezuela any time you like. While you can make cachapas with fresh corn in the fall, you can also use frozen corn any time of year. Corn gives the cachapas sweet overtones. Masa harina – a flour made from hominy, the big-kerneled cousin to corn – binds the mixture together so the corncake holds its shape (all the better for topping with ooey gooey cheese!). Speaking of cheese, the key to the cachapas is to sprinkle them …
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Yes, that’s corn on a hot dog. Listen, friends: if you’re going to have a hot dog, you might as well have a Uruguayan one. Sure, it might just cost a buck or two, but… They’re amazing. Dramatic. Game changers. If this seems like a lot of responsibility for a hot dog, that’s because it is. The pancho’s success is not so much about the meat, though it’s true: the “dog” is usually bigger and better than your average hot dog (it sticks out a good inch or two on either side of the bun). But when it comes down to it, the pancho is all about the toppings. At many pancho stands, you’ll find some combination of corn, melted cheese, relish, salsa, and especially “salsa golf,” which is a blend of mayo and ketchup. You can eyeball the salsa golf: aim for half of each… and it’ll be pale pink. There’s not much of a recipe…. simply grill a batch of extra-long hot dogs, provide a small bowl of each topping, and let your guests …
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When I was a little girl, I’d sit on the back porch and shuck long ears of corn, the silk wrapping around my fingers, clinging to my dress, and falling onto my shoes. Similar scenes can be found throughout southern Somalia, where men, women, and children pull together to harvest their corn. To shuck the corn. And, eventually, to grind it in wide, stone bowls, to make porridge. If the kernels don’t get ground, the whole cobs might be dressed up in curried coconut milk in a dish called Galey iyo Qumbo. It seemed to me, with the edge of winter still upon us, that whole corn, richly coated in spiced coconut milk, would be just the trick to get our family out of our vegetable slump. There’s just not that much that looks good at the market – the brussel sprouts are on their way out and the artichokes don’t quite look right. Not yet. So corn. With coconut milk. From Somalia. In this recipe, ears of corn simmer in a bubbling mixture of salted coconut …
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Rumor has it, no meal is complete in Paraguay without a slice of warm, cheesy cornbread. While sopa means soup in Spanish, this is definitely bread and… traditionally, all mixed up with a happy bundle of homemade cheese. One of our readers – Emily – says everyone in Paraguay makes their own cheese so that this would be no big deal to a local. I read up on the origins of this bread… there are two main versions. In the first version, Don Carlos ( President of Paraguay from 1842-62) requested his favorite white soup for dinner – one made with cheese, egg, corn flour, and loads of milk. One day the chef put too much corn flour in the soup and decided to bake it up as bread in cast iron. The new dish became a hit and Don Carlos dubbed it Sopa Paraguaya. Here’s the second story, from Wikipedia: In ancient times, this food was made with fresh corn and cooked in the “ñaúpyvú” (clay pot), not in the oven “modern” inherited from the …
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If I were to make a potato salad, it would not be loaded up with mayo, nor would it be heavy as a brick. No. My picnic table would have something far more glorious: I would make this Dutch potato salad. She’s full of bright, juicy apples, smoky cubes of ham steak, sweet corn, and tiny, salty gherkin slices. She’s an entire meal, surrounded by tender lettuce, hard-boiled eggs, cucumbers, tomatoes, more gherkins, and whatever else you’d like to nibble on. Radishes? Sure. More apple slices? Absolutely. Steamed asparagus? That’s totally Dutch. Swap the ham for beef? Yes, yes. Want to eat your potato salad in a lettuce wrap? Do it with a smile! When all is said and done, and you look down at your plate, you’ll find a fairly healthy meal. This is the perfect platter for any party. I can see it at a baby shower or bridal shower luncheon. And, of course, as an easy summertime dinner. Perhaps in the company of some rabbits. Some Dutch rabbits. Or maybe just at your …
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Listen. Not everything has to look perfect. We don’t always need lipstick and hair straighteners (In fact, I haven’t seen either of those since Ava started crawling). Some days I don’t even look in a mirror until night time. Until it’s too late. Let yourself off the hook once in a while. Let your hair down. Smear your lips with chapstick and call it good. While you’re at it, eat messy food. Because, no matter how it looks, if it tastes good, then all is well in your world. Which brings us to Rajas con Crema… There’s nothing like two weeks of 90 degree weather in March to make me want to fire up the grill. Thankfully, Rajas con Crema gave me good reason to do so. While not exactly a princess on the plate, this messy looking dish is simply strips of roasted poblano cooked with onion, cheese, and Mexican cream. Some people like to add bits of roasted corn as well. Talk about addicting. What to do with Rajas con Crema: Mexicans enjoy this for …
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Serves 3 In El Salvador, Atol is made with fresh corn kernels, milk, cinnamon, and sugar. My version is simplified for the home cook – but if you have the time, and if it is in season, cut the corn straight off the cob. Do it while listening to Salvadoran music, just because. Ingredients: 1 lb frozen corn, thawed 2 cups milk 1 cinnamon stick 1/4-1/2 cup sugar extra milk, as needed ground cinnamon for garnish Method: Add golden nuggets of goodness to a medium pot. Balance a cinnamon stick on top. Pour milk over the cinnamon stick… and click on the heat. While the milk is coming to a simmer, pour on the sugar. (If you don’t have a crazy wild sweet tooth, just add 1/4 cup. Also, if your corn is ultra sweet you may not need so much). Give everything a buzz with an immersion blender. Simmer about 15-20 minutes, then strain out all the fibers and yucky bits. Put those in your garden. Reheat the strained mixture if it cools down …
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Serves 2-4 Sweet, savory, briney, …. the flavors in Pastel de Choclo are varied and incredible. Special thanks to Linda Bladholm for sharing this authentic Chilean recipe with me. I adapted the version that can be found in Linda’s book, Latin & Caribbean Grocery Stores Demystified. Ingredients: 2 lb rotisserie chicken, taken off the bone 2 onions, chopped 1 tsp paprika 1/4 tsp cumin pinch of cinnamon 5 olives with pimentos, quartered 1/4 cup raisins 2 hardboiled eggs, chopped 3 cups corn kernels 1/2 cup milk a few pinches of sugar for topping Method: Preheat the oven to 350F. Assemble your spices… … and shred up the chicken. Then, saute the chopped onion over medium heat until translucent and soft. Add chicken, raisins (I only had currants), and green olives. Green olives have a special, briney place in my heart. Then add chopped egg and spices. Stir to combine and warm everything through. Spread into a medium casserole. Easy! Next step is easy too… In a blender, puree corn with a little milk Mmm. Spread the corn …
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Serves 4 Sweet and tropical, our recipe is inspired by Steven Raichlen’s Planet Barbecue. His version adds sugar and other goodies to the coconut milk basting liquid. Our corn on the cob is a little simpler – basted straight up with plain coconut milk. The creamy coconut milk gives corn a mild tropical flavor – perfect for a summertime barbecue. Serve with extra coconut milk on the side, for those who like to slather on extra coconut goodness. Ingredients: 1 small can of coconut milk (the size of tomato paste cans) 4 ears fresh corn, husks and silk removed salt pepper Method: Husk corn and remove all those pesky silk fibers. Brush liberally with coconut milk (stir up the coconut milk, sometimes the thick coconut milk settles to the bottom of the can) Season with lots of salt and pepper. Place on a hot grill. And cook until done. As promised, I had Keith cook these. He got them extra toasty which was really, really good. But I’m a big believer in crusty bits of …
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Makes 1 serving Kids and adults will love this fun side dish. Even after frying, Queso Blanco holds its shape; if you would prefer the cheese to melt down the sides of the corn try mozarella. This dish was inspired by the Bolivian Plato Paceño. Ingredients: 1 ear of corn 1 slice of queso blanco Method: 1. Set a pot of water to boil and cook husked corn until done. 2. Meanwhile, fry cheese in a skillet over medium heat until both sides are golden brown (or darker, depending on your preferences) Serve cheese with corn immediately. I like how this cheese looks like a giant tab of butter. I kind of wish it was. Corn on the cob with fried cheese Votes: 0 Rating: 0 You: Rate this recipe! Print Recipe Kids and adults will love this fun side dish. Even after frying, Queso Blanco holds its shape; if you would prefer the cheese to melt down the sides of the corn try mozarella. This dish was inspired by the Bolivian Plato Paceño. CourseSides & …
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