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Corn Memories
whenever i eat fresh local corn in mid july i'm always astonished by the sweetness and earliness of the harvest.
growing up in ny out of season corn was perceived as a 'vegetable.' it was starchy and not very crunchy and my little brother wouldn't even touch it if my mother didn't cut it off the cob. the real corn happened toward the end of august at my uncle nat's farm in the berkshires. no one would have referred to it as "eat your vegetables." it was CORN: fragrant, sweet little kernels that burst in your mouth--oh bliss. something to look forward to every summer.
uncle nat's philosophy on corn was that you start the water boiling before you go out into the field to cut the corn. he became ever more eccentric, often bringing the heating device and pot of water to the field and setting it right under the corn stalk so that the moment it was cut it could drop in, husk and all!
years later, i learned in my food studies classes that the moment corn is harvested the sugar starts turning to starch and that perhaps the most effective way to keep its full sweetness is by microwaving it which quickly destroys the enzyme that converts the sugar to starch.
i've tried many ways to make corn including the microwave. (my husband didn't like the microwave bc it softens the cob which he likes to chew--wisely so as much flavor is in the cob and in fact it's a great flavoring agent for chowders--remove it before serving.)
grilling corn can be excellent--the caramelizing sugar giving a delicious edge to the sweetness. but it can also toughen the delicate corn kernels if the heat is too high.
ultimately, my favorite method for best texture and truest corn flavor comes from uncle nat:
never salt the water--it toughens the corn.
as you're husking the corn, put a few of the paler husks (the ones closer to the kernels) into the boiling water.
husk the corn shortly before cooking it. place it in the boiling water and simmer covered for 4 to 6 minutes depending on the size of the kernels. if in doubt, lift one out with tongs and pierce a kernel with a cake tester or wooden skewer.
if i were to try to improve on this beautifully simple technique i might add some dekerneled cobs to the water sort of on the principle of flavoring the corn with more of itself! i suggested this type of thing to proctor and gamble years ago when asked how to make chocolate cake more chocolaty. one of my suggestions was to store the chocolate cake in a room filled with chocolate. chocolate so readily absorbs other aromas it would be absorbing more of itself!
another of my suggestions was to eat the cake in the same chocolate room as one tastes what one smells. maybe uncle nat had an inspiration there--cooking the corn in the field and eating it on the spot! but i was never witness to his doing that.
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Rebecca - try allrecipes.com.
Reply to this Posted by: Patrincia | October 18, 2007 6:00 PM #
I am looking for a good recipe for sweet and sour meatballs for the holidays.
Reply to this Posted by: Rebecca Lasky | October 18, 2007 2:43 PM #
certainly you can add the variations to the mousseline as well.
thanks for reporting back re using the deb el just whites. my recipe tester woody also found that using supermarket packaged whites worked fine.
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | May 10, 2007 2:55 PM #
Rose, regarding the dried egg white comment above, I wanted to let you know that I made a batch of Mousseline today using Deb El Just Whites, and it came out fine. The beaten whites seemed maybe slightly less stable than regular whites, but that did not seem to affect the final buttercream.
As long as I'm on the topic, may I ask if the flavorings for NeoClassic buttercream and Silk Meringue buttercream can be used in the Mousseline buttercream? It appears that of the syrup buttercreams, the Mousseline holds up the longest without refrigeration, so that's the one I'd like to use for a wedding cake that I'm planning. I'm sad to see so few flavoring options for Mousseline!
Reply to this Posted by: AnnieBlue | May 10, 2007 12:23 AM #
i just baked cheesecake for my upcoming book in cupcake size (in the water bath) and they took 30 minutes. for small cakes i don't bother with the sitting in the turned off oven for 1 hour as small cakes bake more evenly. when done, the surface is set and will actually bounce back when pressed lightly. i like to take them to 160 degree F but if you like them very creamy they'll still be set at 147--no lower though.
if you have several friends, cheesecake keeps so well and it's fun to share. alternatively, it's a great way to make new friends! but i also like small cakes. they bake so evenly and are--well--so sweet (and i don't mean in the sugary sense). there will be a huge selection in the new book!
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | October 27, 2006 2:09 PM #
Would you be able to instruct me as to how to adjust baking time/temp when using different size pans, i.e. cheesecake batter in a 5" springform pan.It is really frustrating not to be able to accomplish such a seemingly simple task.I do not want to ruin the wonderful batter. My husband and I love cheesecake, but the regular size is just too much for two old dinosaurs.
Reply to this Posted by: Dian | October 26, 2006 6:31 PM #
thanks ruth for this very valuable information!
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | July 28, 2006 4:40 PM #
In the Cake Bible you note that 5" pans are hard to come by. This may no longer be the case - but my local cake decorating shop carries 2" pans in every increment from 4" to 18" and 20". If anyone is having trouble finding the size pan the need the store has a website and do mailorder - www.thedecoretteshop.com
I like the looks of a lower tiered cake and am going to use 11", 8", and 5".
www.thedecoretteshop.com
Ruth
Reply to this Posted by: Ruth | July 28, 2006 12:05 PM #
In the Cake Bible you note that 5" pans are hard to come by. This may no longer be the case - but my local cake decorating shop carries 2" pans in every increment from 4" to 18" and 20". If anyone is having trouble finding the size pan the need the store has a website and do mailorder - www.thedecoretteshop.com
Ruth
I like the looks of a lower tiered cake and am going to use 11", 8", and 5".
www.thedecoretteshop.com
Ruth
Reply to this Posted by: Ruth | July 28, 2006 12:03 PM #
i'm sure the liquid pasteurized egg whites will work butthe powdered may not be strong enough. make a small half batch as a test and let us all know the results!
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | July 28, 2006 9:07 AM #
Dear Rose,
Would it be possible to successfully make your Mousseline Buttercream with powdered, pasturized egg whites. I just got to the part in the Cake Bible that says that fondant covered cakes need to sit out for 12 hours before they can be tiered. I'm nervous about letting uncooked eggwhite sit out in warm weather.
Reply to this Posted by: Ruth | July 28, 2006 1:52 AM #
kathy, i have to admit to adding the butter, salt, and pepper--but a lot less butter than in the old days and only one ear per meal!
ruth, i learned this when i taught a class in australia and went shopping for cornstarch only to discover it was actually wheat starch!
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | July 23, 2006 11:09 PM #
In British english "corn" is the generic word for grain. The "Corn Laws" of the 1st half of the nineteenth century were import duties enacted to protect British farmers and landowners against cheap foreign competition. The corn laws hurt the working classes by inflating the price of bread. The high price of bread lead to the "Corn Law Riots."
Reply to this Posted by: Ruth | July 23, 2006 11:04 PM #
We seem to think (or cook) alike - NO salt in the water, husk JUST before cooking, and the tastiest parts are the tiny bits of germ left on the cob after the first run of your teeth down the rows-gleaning, I suppose.
My father grew corn in our post-war Victory Garden, and when it was ripe (usually on my birthday), no one wanted anything else for dinner but 3 or 4, or more, right out of the pot. Maybe not a balanced dinner, but hey, mighty good!
Actually the only valid argument re: corn is: do you take butter? salt? both? at this stage of my life, its neither, so the whole flavor of the grain is what you get.
Reply to this Posted by: kathy harsany | July 23, 2006 10:03 PM #
you're right amy--thanks for your contribution!
encarta dictionary def: Corn, common name for the cereal grass widely grown for food and livestock fodder. Corn ranks with wheat and rice as one of the world’s chief grain...
Reply to this Posted by: Rose Levy Beranbaum | July 23, 2006 5:25 PM #
I've always thought it was sad when parents call corn a vegetable. It's a grain, isn't it?
Reply to this Posted by: Amy | July 22, 2006 6:44 PM #
This is great. Being a big pasta cooker, I always add salt to the water. I guess I'll know better next time. Thanks!
Reply to this Posted by: dot | July 21, 2006 2:37 PM #
wow, I had never thought of putting corn cobs in chowder for flavour.
my personal favourite is grilling on a gas grill. Keeps the kitchen cool
Reply to this Posted by: dave p | July 21, 2006 12:08 PM #