– Yes, I’m sharing with the world the best way to cook corn on the cob. You’re welcome. ;) –
Also, I need to ask you all a question, which is located below in the last paragraph. Please reply in the comments, because your thoughts are important to me.
Oh, life. I love you, but you can be a mercurial brat sometimes.
We’re used to hearing that it’s the simple things in life that get us where we’re going, the things we’re supposed to pay attention to. It’s the sound of birds chirping in the trees, or the scent of a field of flowers as you’re driving by in the interstate that make everyday life an exercise in beauty. Well today, a series of little things are piling up, threatening to drown me in a shallow pool of my own silty anxiety.
Instead of peacefully chirping birds, I’ve got crow fighting over something in the yard, making noises similar to a squeaky toy caught in a wood chipper. I’d love to smell a field of flowers, or even a single rose, but sweaty, shirtless, beer-bellied workers are taking down a tree across the street from my apartment, pummeling my senses with the odor of moldy leaves and sawdust (along with a charming string of expletives screamed at one another every two minutes over the sound of their constant chainsawing).
This might not seem like a lot of badness in the grand scheme of things, but it comes on the heels of a very stressful weekend that was engulfed by a serious – and mysterious – family illness. Many times this weekend I felt like I was the only one standing, alone in the open, wondering where the rest of the world went. How come I have to deal with all of this by myself? Where is my support system? Why me?
The answer is always the same: That’s just the way it is. It’s your lot, this time. Because life is a dodgeball game and we all get hit in the face once in a while. Accept it.
Sometimes I struggle with what to put here in this blog. Some of you like the happy posts, the bubbly Hey! Life is awesome all the time! I’m in loooooooooove with the world! That’s great, really, and I actually do love the world so strongly that I often feel like I’m going to burst from the joy of it all. The problem is that happy, sappy stuff is so easy to write that it makes me want to tear out my eyeballs and replace them with bingo cage balls. The hard writing, the meaty stuff that exposes something worth reading, that’s what I’d like to put here. Hank calls it “writing with a capital W.” I just call it being honest.
Every time I write a post here that exposes my emotional nether regions, two things happen: I get a string of comments from you all, sharing your thoughts, feelings, and general you-ness. I love that part of blogging. The other thing that happens is that I get a handful of people unsubscribing from my feed, with comments like, “u r too negative.” That’s fine too, but I don’t like feeling like I’ve alienated my readers. At the same time, though, if someone doesn’t want to read my honesty, they really don’t want to read me. And that leaves me in a quandary.
***Question – please respond in the comments:
So, folks, how many of you bother to read these bits and bobs that appear before the recipes? Or do you just scroll past all these random words and head straight for the culinary goodies? For those of you that read what I have to say, what are your thoughts on emotional honesty in a food blog? Do you find the personal stuff worth reading, or is it just whiney drivel? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
And now for something a little tastier: the freshest, most dazzling way to cook corn on the cob
One of the bright spots over the past week has been the bumper crop of fresh corn at our farmers market. Our local farmers grow corn so sweet it negates any need for dessert, and to celebrate its jubilant qualities, I’ve decided to share the best way to cook corn on the cob (just in case you weren’t aware of this magical method, which is really quite simple but oh-so-amazing). When seasoned, coated with butter, and steamed in foil, the sugar in each kernel cooks into a little explosion of salty, caramelized joy, bursting with flavor as you dive in for another bite. Really, it’s so good that I could just eat four ears of corn for dinner. And, that’s probably just what I’m going to do tonight.
Recipe type: Grilling Cuisine: American Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 23 mins Total time: 28 mins There's only one BEST way to cook corn on the cob, either on the grill or in the oven. It just takes a little butter, salt, pepper, and about 20 minutes. If you're vegan, skip the butter and use an equal amount of Earth Balance or 1 teaspoon of olive oil per ear of corn. Makes 4 ears of corn. Ingredients
Four 12-inch square pieces of foil 4 whole fresh ears of corn, peeled and silk removed 1/4 cup of butter, at room temperature 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (optional, but well worth it) 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Instructions
Preheat grill, or preheat oven to 400°F (204°C) . Lay out the four pieces of foil and set an ear of corn in the middle of each one. Divide the butter evenly between the four ears of corn. Coat each ear evenly with butter. Sprinkle each ear with a few pinches of thyme, salt, and pepper, making sure to leave enough for a second sprinkling after turning. Turn the ears over and sprinkle with the remaining thyme, salt, and pepper. Wrap the ears tightly in foil and set them on a large rimmed baking sheet to catch any dripping butter. Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake for 20 minutes, turning each ear of corn every 5 minutes during its stint in the oven to make for even butter absorption. Remove the corn from the oven and unwrap each ear. Slice each cob into individual pieces, if you like. Serve immediately. 3.5.3208
