Tag Archives: corn recipes

Spicy Polenta Tarts with Okra and Sweet Corn

Posted on by January 23, 2015

These Spicy Polenta Tarts with Okra and Sweet Corn were inspired by a recipe I saw online. It’s funny how some of these pinterest recipes work (p.s. Are you following me on pinterest? You should be), you keep tracing them back and tracing them back to their original incarnation, only to find that they were inspired by another earlier recipe, and now mine is part of the chain. Often, (for me anyway) pinterest recipes are filed away, never to be thought of again. But these Spicy Polenta Tarts with Okra and Sweet Corn were so appealing, and I’d been looking for something unexpected, but Southern inspired, so they made it to the top of my “try it out” list (I’m so glad they did). Not only were they beautiful, but they featured a new okra application that was a fun surprise for guests and as a side the tarts were a welcome departure from the traditional mashed potatoes and biscuits. Since I served my fried chicken on the good linens with the new French wine glasses, fresh peonies, and a gorgeous Summery rosé wine, a more elegant side was in order. My Updated Southern Supper proved the perfect occasion for … Continue reading →

Tamale Dough

Posted on by October 26, 2014

I’m no tamale expert, unless you count eating them, but last year I adopted the tradition of making tamales for Christmas using Anna Zepaltas recipe (I really liked hers because it used part butter and part lard, rather than the traditional all lard. I think the flavor makes a superior tamale dough). I had never hosted Christmas dinner before and it was a cold December day. I wanted the excuse to hold people captive drinking margaritas all day and playing board games and I’d always wanted to undertake the challenge of tamale making. It was a hugely successful, immensely fun, and seriously challenging undertaking. And I learned a lot. Last year made this year possible, and I have to say that now that I’ve done it twice, I feel confident in my ability to help others make them successfully, and certain that this is well on its way to becoming a yearly tradition. The tamales and salsas are amazing and the day is indeed lots of fun. By breaking the steps down over a couple of days, you’ll make your tamale party fun and low stress. Start with the tamale dough, a few days ahead. It stores well. I make … Continue reading →

Crab Corn Chowder

Posted on by October 27, 2014

It’s finally time for Crab Corn Chowder. While it’s still been gorgeous in Philly and much of me has been living the life of a fall denialist, this past Friday I took my parents out to Terrain for some fall gardening and pumpkin picking. Let’s just say that it inspired me to remember some of the reasons I love fall. And it eased my bitterness at Summer’s end just enough to encourage a little soup making. I make two styles of chowder, and I switch back and forth between the two constantly. My Skinny Clam Chowder uses potatoes as a thickener while this Crab Corn Chowder recipe uses flour. Of course the techniques are interchangeable, sometimes I use the potato method with Crab and the flour method with clams, it doesn’t matter, but it’s great to know both, because they both have their virtues. This Crab Corn Chowder is great because it’s filling and hearty but light and surprisingly low fat and calorie given its rich taste. I love Crab Corn Chowder for a welcome to fall dinner, complete with apple cocktails, rosemary rolls and Apple Cranberry Pie. 2 cups celery; diced 2 cups onions; diced 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 tablespoon butter … Continue reading →

Summerado Salad: Avocado, Corn, Peaches and Basil

Posted on by October 29, 2015

This Summerado Salad: Avocado, Corn, Peaches and Basil got it’s name for a reason. In my humble opinion it is the embodiment of Summer. Corn so sweet you don’t have to cook it. Fresh garden basil. Local peaches, or even better, Arkansas peaches your family carefully drove up north for you in such large quantities that was all you ate for days. And a hint of rich cheese just because it makes the Summerado Salad: Avocado, Corn, Peaches and Basil oh, so much better. It became a tradition of mine to make it for my 4th of July picnic when I discovered that it delights others almost as much as it delights me. It’s been so popular that it’s made the circuit for Birthday parties as well and it a commonly requested menu from DLK for Hire. Which is great news to me because it holds up pretty well for a salad. I can’t take credit for the name. My friend Adam named it last weekend while we were enjoying a picnic at the dog park. He’s good at stuff like that. The Summerado Salad is the one on the right in the picture. We over-mixed the avocado a little … Continue reading →