Save the silk Stock the cobs Blanch the leaves Eat the corn {What to do with the whole corn} Because corn is in season. And because I tried it last year and told myself I would make it again. Similar to the Mexican tamale…Except tamales are made with masa – corn meal that’s treated with lime and turned into meal or paste while this is made with fresh corn. In Yoruba, it is known as Sapala and in Igbo, Ikpakpala. The first time I made it, I added lots of curry leaves which gave it a distinct clove flavour. It was overpowering if tasty with...
How to Wrap Food in Corn Husks
In 5 easy steps. You’ll need whole husks to hold the mixture/ and strips to secure both ends of your parcel. I’ve used them here for a steamed corn pudding…but…you can make tamales, and anything else your heart desires. Step 1 – Lay down a husk or two (if they are thin) Step 2 – Put a tablespoon or two of mixture in Step 3 – Pull one side in and the other over it, overlapping Step 4 – Secure both ends with the strips of husk Step 5 – Place in steamer or pot to cook
How to Use & Preserve Corn Husks
Because when nature gives you a vessel, you use it. Corn husks are a great way to serve and wrap food. In Mexico, they are commonly dried and then rehydrated to wrap tamales – steamed pudding of corn and other ingredients. I like to use them in a variety of ways – there’s fresh and there’s dried. Here’s how In all cases, discard the husks on the outside that have borne the bruises of travel and markets, hard floors and what ever else. Then wash well. If you have more husks than you need and want to save them for the...
Friday Cocktails with Sugarcane-Cucumber-Vodka
The wheelbarrows are back, pushed by young men and full of short purple stems of Saccharum officinarum. I’m buying. I’m halving the trauma of peeling sugar cane by having them skinned and cut into segments on the streets. The Mallam uses transparent cellophane bags as gloves – his aim is to touch no part of the cane with bare hands. Right-handed, he slips one on to his left hand and gloved, holds the cane steady while he wields a sharp knife, peeling with his right. With down strokes, he peels the lower half of the 3, 4-segment stem, about forty centimetres long....
Video: My Favourite Aga Concept Omorogun & Tricky Corners
I have OCD. Without shame. Some things irk me, like unmixed chunks of flour in dough mixes. Sometimes, it is my fault – the wrong bowl, wrong spoon, wrong time. In spite of these, when the stars align, I’m in heaven. Some of my favourite things are square quart storage/ mixing bowls. They remind me of American chefs, like David Chang who store their fine creations in them. Pretty but sometimes, when I mix up flour and attempt to use my dough whisk, I get stuck. I end up with chunks and powder in the curved corners because the whisk can’t...
The Whole Corn: Husk, Kernel, Cob & Silk
I’m a fan of ‘whole food’ cooking – putting every part to good use. Enter, food52 and their ‘How to use a whole ear of corn‘ post. Here it goes: The Husks Nature has a way of creating its own vessels and corn husks, like banana leaves make great ‘containers’. I’ve ladled Ube’camole into fresh and steamed husks, and I’ve done what the Mexicans do for tamales with dried-then-dehydrated husks but with fresh ones, as wrappers for a version of MoinMoin. What you should know: Wash your cobs well Remove and discard the tough, outer husks which might be bruised and stained. Rinse, then snip...
Cucumber-Mint-Lime Aqua Fresca
Aqua Frescas, Cool waters. From The Spanish. Aguas frescas (Spanish “cool waters”) are a combination of fruits, cereals, flowers, or seeds blended with sugar and water to make light non-alcoholic beverages. They are popular in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and the United States. Some of the more common flavors include tamarind, hibiscus, and agua de horchata. Aguas frescas are sold principally by street vendors but can also be found in bodegas, restaurants and juice bars; Wikipedia So yes, on the hot days of August, you need some of this. And a bit of that. All made with the base of...
The Character of Cucumbers
Crunch. Refreshing. Clean. Really, that’s all you need to know. All there is. Well, not all but most of what there is. This is the season for cucumbers, Cucumis sativus. Originally from Southern Asia, they now grow in most climes and regions of the world where they sliced, picked, eaten, juiced and more. I like cucumbers and I’m determined to do more than include them in my smoothies and salads. I’d very much like to enjoy their ‘clean’ flavour in drinks. My friend B considers cucumbers, like lettuce, a waste of space. Her thinking is, why should I invest my time in...
How To Roast Pumpkin
My children have fallen in love with Butternut squash soup. It’s our ‘winter’ of rain and cold so we’re lapping up soups with crusty bread. When I don’t want to fork out cash for expensive, imported Butternut squash, I buy Pumpkin. Prepping it is easy. I wash well and then try my best to cut it down the middle with a serrated knife. With a spoon, I scoop out the centre of strands and pulp and seeds. I discard everything but the seeds which are delicious roasted. But you knew that. {The seeds get roasted in the final few minutes...