Corn Cakes

Sorry for the hiatus. School started and what can i say, sometimes I rhyme slow sometimes i rhyme quick (p.s. - one of the best uses of a sample eva!).

Job interviews are horrific if only for the onslaught of lame questions you find yourself navigating through. You are left in your khaki and cream with no true north , never knowing what they are really getting at (i.e. "are you married?" could mean "can you work long hours," "I'm interested," or "are you a homo").
My favorite part of every interview is the end.
Not only does that mean its over (and i can rip off my tie and itchy pants), but invariably an interview ends with a "getting to know you" question.
I love these.
Though worn out, the go to still remains,"if you could have coffee with four people, dead or alive, who would they be?"

I always answer, "Stalin, the devil,Ngo Dinh Diem and Martha Stewart. "

No I don't.

Actually I'm never 100 percent sure who will jump out of my mouth.
Though if I'm thinking clearly one of my choices would be Diane Ackerman.
In one of my favorite reads, A Natural History of the Senses, Ackerman takes some time out to wax poetic about corn.
At one point she comments on corn as a staple not only for native peoples pre-dating Chris Columbus ,but for our process laden foods today. Corn has truly left an indelible mark in our gastronomic geography and it is nothing if not ubiquitous.

A golden colored ghost it haunts products you'd think would remain untouched by modernity's hand like yogurt and juice. Popping up like a nightmare circus clown there isn't a product you can bump into at any convenience store that hasn't recruited corn syrup in some form, from sports drinks to chips, and even hair gel.
Just kidding about the hair gel.
It is so common place that tongues greet it with the limpest of handshakes.
Hard pressed to detect it, most people don't recognize its taste.

So now I pose a question to you , gentle reader.
How often do you and corn spend quality time together away from such bad influences as monosodium glutamate?

Enter the corn cake (or fritter or polenta cake...)
These little guys are like the "black" of the food world.
Possessing corn's inherent ability to mix and match with a multitude of foods, you can incorporate them into nearly every recipe.
As cheap and versatile as a weeknight twink, you can top them easily with seafood curries or mexi-cali messes.
(I've done both in the past week alone).
Corn fritters are the ultimate bottom.
Spread them with dollop of sour cream and they are just as snack able on their own (minus the Abercrombie and Fitch t-shirt).
You could even try this recipe as a base for arepa's.

Make them thick or make them thin but make them.

I cant wait to hear how you have used them.
Make Daddy proud.

Corn Fritters

• 2 small ears of fresh (jersey) corn
  (or 1 cup frozen corn kernels)
  
  
• 1 small shallot
  
  
• 2 tbp flour
  
  
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
  
  
• 1:1 ratio of cornmeal to hot water
  (1 cup to 1 cup)
  
  
• 1 egg beaten
  
  
• tbsp milk
  
  
• cooking oil
  
  
• herbs of choice (cilantro,chives,etc.)

If using fresh corn boil it and then grate the corn. Once this si completed use a knife to scrap the corn cobbs of the remaing flesh.
seperately mix togetehr teh hot water and cornmeal adding a little more water or cornmeal to get a thick evenly moist mush. stir in a little milk and add the shallot.
add the flour and baking powder.

heat up the oil and fry an ice cream scoop sized amount of batter for a few min. till browned on both sides.

finito!