I Love Corn

by Lisa Skye

Price: $19.99
ISBN-13: 9781449418168
ISBN-10: 1449418163
Format: Hardcover
Size: 7 1/2 x 7 1/2 in.
Page Count: 160 pages

I Love Corn includes recipes from world-renowned chefs including Daniel Boulud, Pichet Ong, and Dan Barber, as well as other culinary luminaries such as Martha Stewart. I Love Corn divides the dishes by section: breakfast, soups and starters, mains, and sweets. The chefs introduce each recipe with an anecdote, adding a personal touch to each flavor-filled dish. This diverse collection of recipes includes traditional favorites, such as Yankee Corn Bread or Sweet Corn and Clam Chowder, and unconventional ones, such as Fresh Corn Ice Cream or Poached Peaches and Rhubarb With Warm Corn Shortcakes.

Cheerful full-color photos of scrumptious foods light up I Love Corn with each turn of the page. Lisa also presents helpful information about corn, from how to choose the best ears in the store to freezing for the winter. Her love of corn led her to meticulously test each recipe, making sure they were easy to prepare for the home cook but still retain top-chef taste.

After going through the sudden and tragic loss of her father in 2004, Skye decided that she wanted to give back in a way that showed how thankful she was for the friends who supported her during that rough time. A portion of the proceeds for I Love Corn will be donated to the Dougy Center in Portland, OR, a national grieving center for children and families going through the loss of a loved one.

Chef JAMES LAIRD | RESAURANT SERENADE Chatham, NJ

SERVES 6

This is one of my favorite ways to prepare tacos for my friends and our patrons at Restaurant Serenade. Because of the quick cooking of the vegetables, it allows for more time on the deck and less time in the kitchen. Adding the cilantro to the warm vegetables off the heat helps create a wonderfully aromatic dish. Use good-quality tomato salsa or make your own by chopping tomatoes, onions, and jalapeño peppers. Season the salsa with salt and pepper and chopped fresh cilantro.

1 (24-count) package (4-inch wonton wrappers)
1 small zucchini, trimmed and halved
1 medium-size red pepper, seeded and quartered
2 small carrots, trimmed and halved
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh garlic
1/2 medium-size onion, diced
1/2 cup diced green papaya
1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (about 1 small ear)
2 cups finely chopped green cabbage
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 cups cooked pinto beans (or good-quality canned beans), drained and rinsed
1 cup tomato salsa (preferably fresh)

• Preheat the oven to 325˚F.
• Place each wonton wrapper over a small, overturned metal bowl to form a cup shape and bake for approximately 5 minutes each, or until crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool until ready for serving.
• Slice the zucchini, red pepper, and carrots into ¼-inch slices on a mandoline or by hand.
• Preheat a wok for 30 seconds, until medium hot. Add the olive oil, garlic, and onion and cook for 1 minute. Add the zucchini, red pepper, carrots, papaya, corn, and cabbage, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 4 minutes or until the onion is slightly tender. Remove the vegetables from the heat. Add the cilantro, toss, and keep warm.
• To assemble, warm the pinto beans and put a small amount in the bottom of each wonton cup. Top with the sautéed vegetables and some salsa, and serve.
Author Note: You can use smaller wonton wrappers to make these as finger foods or passed hors d’oeuvres at a party.

Pastry chef Nicole Kaplan New York, New York

SERVES 8

STREUSEL
1/2 cup pecans
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

CAKE
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
Seeds from 1 vanilla bean
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon crème fraîche
2 cups fresh blueberries

CORN BREAD STREUSEL
1/2 cup freeze-dried corn
1/2 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon cake flour
Pinch of salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

WARM BLUEBERRIES
(recipe in book)

CORN BREAD ICE CREAM
2 cups frozen corn
4 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup plus 3/4 cup granulated sugar
10 large egg yolks
3/4 tablespoon salt

• Place the streusel ingredients in a food processor and grind to a rough powder. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 350˚F with a rack in the middle.
• With a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until soft and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the egg and egg yolk one at a time, mixing until incorporated. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and vanilla bean seeds. Alternating in three additions, add the combined dry ingredients and the crème fraîche, mixing just until each addition is incorporated.
• Layer half of the cake batter in an 8-inch square cake pan lined with parchment paper, or similar. Carefully spread the blueberries on top in a neat layer. Sprinkle with half of the streusel. Bake until the cake springs back in the center, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack. Once it is cooled completely, cut into squares.
• To serve, place a piece of the warm cake in the center of a plate. Place some Corn Bread Streusel around the cake. Top it with the warm blueberries and a scoop of corn bread ice cream. Serve immediately.

CORN BREAD STREUSEL
• Preheat the oven to 200˚F with a rack in the middle.
• Place the corn, both flours, and the salt in a food processor and process until powdery. Drizzle in the butter and continue blending for about 1 minute. Transfer to a standard half sheet pan (18 by 13 inches) or similar. Bake until toasty but still light in color, 7 to 10 minutes. This streusel can be stored at room temperature for up to a week in an airtight container, or frozen for an extended period of time and then gently retoasted for a few minutes before using, to refresh the flavor.

CORN BREAD ICE CREAM
• Place the corn in a large pot over medium heat and heat it to evaporate any water from the freezer. Add the milk, cream, and ½ cup of the granulated sugar and bring to a boil.
• Place the remaining ¾ cup of sugar, the yolks, and salt in a medium-size bowl and whisk together. Gently temper the eggs by pouring the hot liquid into the bowl slowly, stirring occasionally.
• Blend the mixture with an immersion blender until smooth. Strain and let cool.
• Freeze in an ice-cream maker according to its manufacturer’s instructions.