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 Arianna graduated from Dowling College with a Bachelors in English Creative Writing and now works for a restaurant group as a Training Manager. She loves to cook, entertain and experience life through food. Arianna can be reached at arianna.ruth.johnson@gmail.com |
| For those of you that have followed my articles, seasonal cooking is my passion. With fall slowly coming into view, it’s time for me to think “corny”. I have had, and made, some great corn-based dishes. The first that comes to mind, is a corn chowder. I first tasted it at a Spanish tapas place when I was an intern out in the Hamptons. This chowder was one of the most luscious and flavorful “soups” I have ever had. There was bacon, potato, of course corn, and it was topped off with whole shrimp. The chef told me his secret was to steep the corn cobs with the cream and milk on low heat for about an hour to infuse that sweet corn flavor. I will admit that I was so obsessed with this chowder that I went home and recreated it. I must say, it came pretty close. Corn salad also comes to mind, I once had at a pizzeria of all places on the North Fork. Prepared with red onion, red bell peppers and corn tossed in a light sherry vinaigrette. It is the perfect side to go with pizza, or anything for that matter, this time of year. It was cool, crisp and flavorful. I sometimes like to stay away from meat, so I need to find dishes that will satisfy me. One that I’ve found is a vegetarian chile relleno; it is light, but quite fulfilling. It consists of poblano chilies stuffed with charred corn, onions, garlic and jalapenos, topped with melted cheddar cheese. It is so good and full of flavor, you will never miss the meat. Another favorite of mine is pasta in a corn and goat cheese sauce; it sounds fancy, but it is really easy to make. All you have to do is cook any pasta of your choice and reserve some of the cooking water. Then in a separate pan, sauté a finely chopped shallot, a couple of cloves of garlic and a cup of corn kernels. Add the goat cheese with the pasta water then toss with the pasta and you have a quick, delicious meal. So, the next time you are at the farmers market or taking a drive out east, grab some corn and enjoy the bounties of Long Island has to offer! |
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