Mexican Corn on the Cob

Mexican corn on the cob
By Karoline Boehm Goodnick, Globe Correspondent | August 18, 2010

Serves 6

Also known as elote, Mexican-style corn on the cob can be boiled first or grilled over hot coals until the kernels are charred and toasty. It’s a dish that began as street food and is now served in good restaurants. The white cheese cotija is at many specialty markets, but you can substitute a dry, crumbly cheese such as feta. Sprinkle with cayenne pepper for a kick of spice, guajillo for smoky notes, or paprika for sweet earthiness. Finish with a spritz of lime to make it pop.

Salt, to taste
6 ears of corn, shucked
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 cup crumbled cotija cheese
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, guajillo, or paprika
2 limes, quartered
1. In a large shallow pot, bring several inches of salted water to a boil. Add the corn, cover, and cook for 3 minutes, turning once.

2. Remove the corn from the water, and pat dry with paper towels.

3. Spread 1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise on each ear. Sprinkle corn with crumbled cheese, pressing lightly so it sticks. Sprinkle with salt and cayenne pepper, guajillo, or paprika. Serve with lime.

Spring Mushrooms

Roasted mushrooms with spring garlic
May 12, 2010

Serves 4

Spring yields an abundance of mushrooms, including morels and porcini. Choose an assortment for this dish, chopping them into an array of shapes. Add mild spring garlic, also known as green garlic, plucked from the ground before the bulb has a chance to develop, and chop the tops, too.

2 teaspoons olive oil
1 bell pepper, chopped
5 stalks green garlic, chopped
1 pound mixed mushrooms, roughly chopped
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
1/2 cup water
4 thick slices bread, toasted

1. Set the oven at 350. In an ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Add bell pepper, garlic, mushrooms, salt, and black pepper. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Stir in red pepper and water. Transfer the skillet to the oven. Cook for 15 minutes.

2. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper, if you like. Spoon mushrooms over bread.

Pickled Beets

Check out my recipe for pickled beets from today's Boston Globe!

Makes 2 quarts

Pickled beets are often too sweet (think Harvard beets, which are cloying) or too sour (19th-century New England cooking school teacher Fannie Farmer preserved hers with nothing more than distilled vinegar). The key to pickling beets is the right balance. Boil the brine in a stainless steel or ceramic-lined pot; avoid aluminum as it will cause off flavors. For long-term pantry storage, boiling water processing is necessary; visit the National Center for Home Food Processing at www.uga.edu/nchfp for more details. However, you can still make the beets without the rigmarole of the canning process; store them in the refrigerator; these beets will last up to 1 month on a fridge shelf. And while you may be tempted, wait at least a week for the flavors to marry. Then spoon them beside slices of cold roast turkey.

2 bunches beets, trimmed at both ends
2 cups cider vinegar
1 cup bottled water
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cinnamon stick, broken in half
5 whole cloves
1 teaspoon allspice berries
2 thin slices fresh ginger root
2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns

1. Have on hand two 1-quart canning jars or smaller jars that equal that amount. Rinse them with boiling water.

2. In a large pot, combine beets with cold water to cover them. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and cover the pan. Let them bubble gently for 1 hour or until tender. Replenish water as needed.

3. Drain the beets into a colander. Rinse under cold running water until cool enough to handle.

4. Working over a plate, remove and discard the skins from the beets. Cut the beets into 1/2-inch dice. Place beets in jars, leaving enough room for brine. Set the jars on a wooden board.

5. In a nonreactive pot, combine cider vinegar, water, brown and granulated sugar, salt, cinnamon stick, cloves, allspice berries, ginger, and black peppercorns. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugars. Remove from heat and ladle over beets while the liquid is still hot. Screw on the lids.

6. Cool jars to room temperature and store in refrigerator.

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/articles/2009/11/18/pickled_beets_recipe/