LOS ANGELES — When Ricardo Ortega wants to convince someone of the unparalleled deliciousness of nixtamalized corn, he hands them a hot tortilla right off his clanking production line in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles. Late at night, as the ovens exhale the comforting smell of masa, a single, plain tortilla can be […]
Read More
When was the last time you saw a plain corn muffin out in the wild? Not a blueberry corn muffin. Not cornbread. Not fancy Italian polenta cake. I mean a simple, golden-domed corn muffin, like the ones my grandmother used to bake from a Jiffy box mix, except preferably made from scratch. You may not […]
Read More
Autumn is near, and these dwindling summer days makes me want to gather up all the sweet ripe produce possible, before it becomes a distant memory. With the weather still sunny and fair, many summery offerings are still available. Some, like tomatoes and peppers, are at their peak. The last of the corn is still […]
Read More
WASHINGTON — Peppered with complaints from farmers fed up with President Trump’s trade war, Sonny Perdue found his patience wearing thin. Mr. Perdue, the agriculture secretary and the guest of honor at the annual Farmfest gathering in southern Minnesota this month, tried to break the ice with a joke. “What do you call two farmers […]
Read More
Bacon and corn may not be as revered a summer pairing as fresh mozzarella and tomatoes or prosciutto and melon, but it has similar charms — at once savory and juicy, salty and sweet. It’s a combination I’ve used in countless chowders, pastas and quickly made salads. But for this tart, I’ve gotten slightly more […]
Read More
We ask a lot of elotes, the Mexican corn covered in mayonnaise, cotija, chile powder and lime. They are the only common cob topping at cookouts beyond butter. (They’re also a great dish to bring up when someone foolishly says they hate mayo, because in elotes, this divisive condiment is both the key ingredient and […]
Read More
For July 4th, we hosted a dozen people (no, we don’t have space for this but why learn now) and I prepared six racks of ribs, a double batch of broccoli slaw, a kind of ad-hoc-ed potato salad with a mustardy-caesary vinaigrette, a charred corn salad, a flag cake, lemonade, Aperol spritzes, Suze-and-tonics, watermelon, and […]
Read More
Get Two days ago, celebrity chef David Chang, of Momofuku fame, shared a summer corn recipe on his Instagram and thousands of his followers lost their collective sh*t. Chang’s recipe was insanely simple — husk some corn and toss it in the microwave for 2:30 seconds. Season with butter, salt, and MSG. That’s literally it. […]
Read More
What does a plant sound like? This is the sound of corn growing. The sound of corn growing From the exhibit “Sonic Succulents: Plant Sounds and Vibrations” at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. It’s also part of an art installation on display at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in New York through October. This veggie-lullaby plays from large, […]
Read More
Want climate news in your inbox? Sign up here for Climate Fwd:, our email newsletter. Corn prices are rising as surging floodwaters and soaking rains — combined with President Trump’s trade war with China — are making it an exceptionally difficult year for farmers facing risky choices about what crops to plant, or whether to […]
Read More
LONDON — In the last few months, I have been using this column to cook dishes in the oven using a single pot or pan. The inspiration was drawn from European classics, such as pasta with ragù, paella or moussaka, all of which come with long traditions attached to them and clear methods of preparation. None […]
Read More