Maybe I’m obsessed with food because for my family, and for so many others I know, every bite is love on a fork. Feeding other people is sustaining them and nurturing them to us, not unlike the effect art or music have on those who appreciate masterfully crafted paintings or songs. Food, however, is something you literally can’t live without (though good arguments are to made for any kind of art), and so by some weird force a cook is further connected to his or her diners by their food’s literal consumption. What a cook creates literally becomes part of the eater. If you are what you eat, then I am certainly my mother’s mashed potatoes. And every cheeseburger in New York City.

It’s been a big month of cooking for me. It’s likely you didn’t get to eat my food, so I want to share some pics and recipes here for your visual and inspirational use.  I like making fresh, simple food with uncommon techniques and ingredients that I’m still learning about. To all my far-flung friends, I hope we’ll someday be around a table enjoying the same tasty morsels, becoming what we eat on the same gluttonous evening. Until then, let’s eat with our eyes.

Elotes. I’ve been finding this Mexican corn dish on menus all around Chicago this summer, and everyone does it differently. I was inspired by the dreamy off-the-cob Elote Con Queso y Crema at Maiz in Humboldt Park to attempt it myself.

Grilled Elotes Recipe For Dummies Gringos (makes 10 elotes on the cob)

Special tools: A grill, a pastry/basting brush

Ingredients

1/4 cup Mayonnaise

1 Tbsp lime juice (use the real stuff, people)

10 whole corn cobs

6 oz. queso fresco (I used 1/2 package of LaLa brand queso fresco)

salt (to taste)

pepper (to tase)

paprika (or any ground red chile pepper, optional)

If corn cobs haven’t been husked, peel down husks and cornsilk until cob is totally clean. For looks, it’s good to chop off the cobs’ stubby ends, but I like keeping them on until the end to use as a convenient handle to hold the hot corn while dressing it. If you own those little corn holders, more power to you.

Put cobs in a pot big enough to hold all of them with extra space, fill with water until all cobs are covered and set to heat on a stove over high heat. Corn tends to float while it boils, and my solution for even cooking was to submerge a heavy heat-proof plate over the corn to hold it down.

While the corn is cooking, in a small bowl combine mayo and lime juice and mix until smooth. If you can’t taste the lime in the mixture, add a little more but don’t let the mix get watery. In a bowl or plate wide enough for a corn to lay in flat, grate the queso fresco using your grater’s large grating holes.

When the water boils, turn heat down to medium and cook corn for 10 minutes. Corn should be mostly, but not entirely cooked through because you’re about to grill them.

Place cobs on the grill, rotating when each side is crisped/charred to your liking. Best not to get them too black. My dad grilled the corn for me and let it go a bit too far, but it was still delicious. Cobs should be on the flame for less than 10 minutes.

With a pastry brush, spread mayo mixture all over one corn cob, then sprinkle with as much salt and pepper as you like. Then roll the cob in the grated queso fresco until it’s covered to your liking. Repeat with all your cobs. Sprinkle paprika over them for color and taste, chop off stubby ends if desired and serve. When eating, put on a sombrero and pretend the glorious Mexican sun is relentless. Margarita consumption is strongly recommended.

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