Gulliver's Creamed Corn

If you've never had Gulliver's corn. . . Well, what can I say. You're missing out. Uh, yea, missing out on a whole lot of calories and fat, I suppose. But missing out on undoubtedly the best creamy corn you're ever gonna eat. We're lucky to still HAVE a Gulliver's Restuarant here in the county where I live. Although I can't say that I've been there for at least 4+ years. They do make some mighty fine prime rib. But it's the corn - only the corn - that I'd go there for - just to have seconds.

The recipe was printed in the Los Angeles Times Food Section, back in the 1970's. I've made it dozens of times since. I can remember, really I can, the day it appeared in the Times. My face lit up like a lightbulb. I never thought I'd get the recipe! What's funny is that it's nothing fancy. No unusual ingredients - just rich cream, a little sugar and Parmesan cheese on top. And likely, back in the 70's it was that green canned Parmesan, not the real thing.

It's a staple at Thanksgiving dinner for some dear friends of ours (yes, Maggie, that's you!). They hosted our family many a holiday and I made a triple batch to serve the multitudes on one of them. When I went to look for the recipe today, it wasn't there, so I turned to a book, given to me by a dear friend, Linda T., when she worked at the Times. She was the outside sales rep for the Times, we were the customer, our ad agency, Ad Masters. Linda kindly brought me a Rose Dosti autographed copy of the book in 1994, when it was published. Dear SOS was the column in each week's Food Section with requests from readers for "special" recipes, or more often, ones from popular restaurants, bakeries, even some dives, in and around Southern California. Restaurants like the Brown Derby, Chasen's, Benihana, Bullock's, Clifton's (a venerable old cafeteria), El Cholo, Lawry's, Love's Barbecue, Marrakesh, and the Velvet Turtle. Dear SOS: Thirty years of Requested Recipes, by Rose Dosti. It's a treasured book in my collection; one I refer to occasionally. It's particularly fun to see the restaurants mentioned in it, many no longer in business. The book was printed just once in 1994- it's long out of print. I was so pleased to get one. In doing a Google search, ebay has one for $12.99 plus shipping. In case you always wanted one.

Back in those days I took different clients of our ad agency on a tour of the Times, probably about twice a year. It was a perk for our clients - the management at the Times would kindly entertain the client, the actual advertiser - we were just the middle man, the encourager, the ad writers and designers. (Because then, and even today when newspaper advertising is down, the Times charges an arm and a leg to advertise.) The tour included a lovely lunch in their executive dining room (not open to the public, not even to most employees). In taking the tour, we always walked past the test kitchen. It was all enclosed, with a big window. And a wide shade. In all the years (17), only once was I able to peek in the kitchen - the shade was UP. But alas, nobody was in there. No tasty goodies being prepared. No Rose Dosti popping in or out of an office or door. I'd heard stories about the aromas wafting in and out of the halls. Oh well.

So this recipe came from that book, and I am sure it's an authentic one pried from the owners of Gulliver's. Otherwise it wouldn't be in the book under the Gulliver's name. Gulliver's Creamed Spinach is on the same page. Also very good. But it's the Creamed Corn that is a favorite around our house. Made only on very, very special occasions. And although the recipe indicates it serves 8-10 people, if you have hearty eaters, or people who like seconds (ah-hem) this won't feed but about 6-7 people is my guess.

Gulliver's Creamed Corn
Recipe By: Gulliver's Restuarant via the Los Angeles Times
Servings: 8-10
8 ears corn
1 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons flour
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Cut corn from the cob and place in saucepan with whipping cream. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in salt and sugar.
2. Melt the butter in a small pan and stir in flour. Do not brown. Stir this roux into the corn and cook until slightly thickened. Turn corn into oven-proof dish. Sprinkle with cheese and dot with additional butter. Brown under the broiler and serve.

NOTES : You can use frozen corn, but make sure it's a superior quality. Defrost before proceeding with recipe.
Per Serving: 166 Calories; 11g Fat (56.8% calories from fat); 4g Protein; 15g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 37mg Cholesterol; 504mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.
To print a PDF recipe, click title at top.

Is it Indian Summer yet? Grilled Corn on the Cob

(photo treklens.com)

My notes say I made this in 2000. It came from Cooking Light. I'd been to a grilling cooking class in the previous month and the instructor had talked about how easy it is to grill corn. I'd grilled corn before, but when I read this recipe it sounded so different. Worth trying, I thought.

Here's what you do: you pull the husks down - but you don't pull them off. Some nearly always fall off anyway, you just can't help that, but you want enough husks to completely cover all the corn. No kernels peeking through if at all possible. You remove all the silk, spread with a little butter or olive oil spray, season the cobs with this herb and spice combination, very gently pull the husks back into place covering the corn and carefully take a loose, long piece of husk and tie the husks at the top, like a topknot, a ponytail. Grill about 15-20 minutes. Remove all the husks and EAT. Really, really delicious.

There's nothing hard about making this. But it does take a bit of time to make up the dry rub. Since I've made this so many times now, whenever I'm out of the rub I make up another BIG batch. Well, usually enough to last the summer season. They say that once spices are combined with others they tend to lose their effectiveness, their flavor. So just make up enough so you'll use it up in a couple of months. It's just as easy to make this for 2-3 batches than for one. As long as you like seasoning and lots of it, you'll be certain to like this corn.

You can smear the raw corn with some butter if you'd like. I usually spray it heavily with olive oil spray instead. Then you sprinkle on the spice and herb rub, covering it very liberally. You need the butter or olive oil spray so the spices will stick to the corn. And if you're just too weary to do all the tie-up-the-husks routine, you can put the corn in foil packets instead. Maybe not quite as good, but nearly so. Before corn is totally gone for the season, I recommend this.

North African Grilled Corn on the Cob
Recipe: Cooking Light, 2000
Servings: 9
4 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 1/4 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/8 teaspoons ground ginger
1 1/8 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 1/4 dashes ground cloves
9 each corn on cob, whole
4 1/2 teaspoons butter -- or olive oil spray
1. Combine dry ingredients and set aside. Pull husks back from each cob, leaving most of the husks attached. Remove silk and discard. Lightly spray the corn with olive oil spray, or use softened butter and lightly rub on the corn (so the seasoning will stick to it). Sprinkle with the herb & spice combination. Gently tug husks back into place over the cob, leaving the top tassels if at all possible. Tie with a long strip of husk just at the top of the ear to keep husks intact. Or, use cooking string (regular string most likely will burn off).
2. Place on the grill and cook until just done, turning at least once. Estimate: 15 minutes - maybe 20 at the most.
NOTES : This corn is absolutely sensational. When corn is in season, fresh from the garden, this could be a meal (well, not really). I always serve this with jerk chicken, and adding a salad, it makes a complete meal. I do combine the dry rub mixture in advance - in a larger quantity - and put into small plastic bags (labeled) so I don't have to mix up the mixture every time I prepare this. It is really worth the effort and although the corn is spicy, it isn't "hot," as there's nothing in the mixture to give any chili type heat.
Per Serving (this assumes you use butter): 103 Calories; 3g Fat (26.0% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 19g Carbohydrate; 3g Dietary Fiber; 5mg Cholesterol; 302mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Fat.

To view a printable recipe, click title at top.

Calabacitas con Crema

(photo from piercecollege.edu)

Ever heard of Calabacitas? I hadn't until a few years ago when DH and I traveled to New Mexico and the mountains of Colorado. Dear friends from England joined us and we took a late September driving trip. We met up in Denver, rented an SUV and headed out. It took us 10 days to do the mountains of Colorado, then we headed south to New Mexico, ending up in Santa Fe. Our last night there we had dinner at the restaurant in the Inn at the Anasazi, and with my entree came this vegetable side. of zucchini, corn and poblano chiles. I was in heaven. I nearly licked the plate. Asked the waiter to tell me all about it, which he did.

So once I reached home I started searching around the internet for recipes for Calabacitas. It's quite common in southwest cuisine - it's just a combination of some typical vegetables of southwest but the seasoning and chiles from Mexico. Found several recipes, and have made a couple of different versions. But once I found this one from Rick Bayless (from the internet, but it's from his cookbook Authentic Mexican), I've reverted to it more times than not. Most calabacitas versions are served without cream - traditional calabacitas just combine those three vegies -corn, zucchini and poblano chiles (that have been blackened over the gas range or under the broiler). But with the addition of the cream (or fat-free half and half as I've used also) it's just meltingly delicious in the mouth. I really do plan to make this as my full meal one night. It's that good. Or, I could just add to the dish some chicken broth and make it a great soup. The calories come from the cream, so really, do use the fat-free product instead and it'll be nearly healthy.

Poblano chiles are quite mild - don't be tempted to use any kind of hot chile in this recipe. If you can't get poblanos, you could use a hotter chile but in very reduced quantity. Adding poblanos is not about heat, but about the depth of flavor poblanos bring to any dish. Since corn is on the wane these days, I want to enjoy this one more time before the season is completely gone.

Calabacitas con Crema
Source: Rick Bayless, restaurateur, from his book Authentic Mexican
Servings: 8
1 lb zucchini -- (about four small)
1 1/2 cups corn kernels, fresh if possible
1/2 whole onion -- thinly sliced
2/3 cup heavy cream (or use fat-free half and half) - optional
1 whole poblano pepper -- roasted, seeded, peeled and cut in thin strips
1 tsp salt
1 Tb butter
1 Tb vegetable oil -- or vegetable oil
1. Chop the zucchini in large chunks (about 3/4 inch to 1 inch) and set aside. Prepare onions ahead and set aside. Grill the poblano chile directly on a gas flame, cool, remove skin, then cut into small strips.
2. Using a very large skillet, heat butter and oil until very hot. Add zucchini and toss until tender. Remove the zucchini from the pan with a slotted spoon, allowing it to drain well. In the remaining oil and butter, fry the onion slices until soft and sweet, then add the corn and pepper slices. Add the zucchini and cream and cook until nice and hot. Taste for salt and pepper and serve.

Per Serving: 449 Calories; 46g Fat (89.9% calories from fat); 2g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate; 2g Dietary Fiber; 58mg Cholesterol; 395mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 9 Fat.
To view a printable recipe, click on title at top.

Mexican Chopped Salad

Since the 5th was Cinco de Mayo, I should have posted this then. Ah well. It's really okay, because this salad could be made any day or month of the year in my book. This is the last recipe I'll post from the Mexican cooking class Cherrie and I attended a couple of weeks ago. We agreed this salad was the stand-out of the dinner (Cherrie made it, I photographed it surreptitiously while our dinner guests were sitting in the dining room and we were plating up the dinner in the kitchen - this is a tricky thing I'm finding in foodie blogdom - how to photograph company meals while the guests are hanging around).

But, back to business - you need to love cilantro if you're going to make this one. It could be a side salad, but ideally it would be best as a main dish salad. The instructor, Phillis Carey, suggested fresh shrimp or chicken as a protein add-in.

What's different about this salad is that the dressing contains the cilantro, which is whizzed up in the blender, so you don't know there's cilantro there except that the dressing is nice bright greeny hue. But, because it's pulverized in the blender, you need to use up the dressing within a day as cilantro begins to turn slimy within that time. So only make enough to use for the one salad. The salad itself could be your own combination of lettuces and fresh vegetables, but the instructor particularly talked about the corn, the jicama and the Feta cheese as important ingredients. The jicama gives the salad such a nice crunch. The corn is great for color, and the sheep's milk Feta (not cow Feta, she said) gives a wonderful lightly salty taste. Cherrie added some crispy radishes to the mix also. Phillis indicated it's the lime juice that makes this salad. Try it!

Mexican Chopped Salad with Cilantro
Recipe By : Phillis Carey

Serving Size : 6

Preparation Time :0:40

SALAD DRESSING:

1/2 cup cilantro -- coarsely chopped

2 whole garlic cloves -- minced

1 teaspoon chipotle chile canned in adobo

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup vegetable oil

SALAD MIXTURE:

1/2 cup green onions --

2 1/2 cups Romaine lettuce -- chopped

2 cups green cabbage leaves -- chopped

3/4 cup roasted red pepper -- diced

3/4 cup jicama -- peeled, diced

3/4 cup corn kernels -- fresh or frozen

1/2 cup Feta cheese -- sheep's milk, not cow's milk

2 cups blue corn tortilla chips

1. In a blender combine: cilantro, garlic, Chipotle chiles, lime juice, mustard, sugar and salt. Puree until smooth. Whisk in the oil and green onions. Cover and chil until serving time.

2. In a large salad bowl toss together the lettuce, cabbage, red peppers, jicama, corn and Feta cheese. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Serve topped with tortilla chips for garnish.
Description: "This is unusually good. It's ordinary ingredients, but put them together and WOW."

NOTES : The dressing will keep just one day (because of the cilantro). It's the lime juice that makes this dressing so special.

Serving Ideas : You can make this with grilled shrimp or chicken also. You could also add some drained and rinsed black beans and tomatoes also.

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 559 Calories; 24g Fat (38.1% calories from fat); 13g Protein; 75g Carbohydrate; 9g Dietary Fiber; 11mg Cholesterol; 740mg Sodium. Exchanges: 4 1/2 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 1 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 4 1/2 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

To print, click on the title at the top.