No story, just salsa

I'm going off the grid! First, I'm flying to Austin to be a preliminary judge at the Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Festival on Sunday, and then I'm headed to North Texas for a few days to spend time on my grandparents' farm. If I'm lucky, my grandma will teach me how to make fruit preserves; I hear the pears are already in season in Chambersville, and my grandma has tempted me with a recipe for pear honey. I don't even know what that is but it sure sounds delicious! And my grandparents are due a few batches of my biscuits, which always pair well with fresh jam.

Since I'm afraid my sensitivity to chile heat isn't what it used to be, to prepare for the hot-sauce judging I've been taking daily doses of habanero salsa like medicine. I leave you now with one of the salsas I made—a fruity, spicy mix made with fresh, ripe peaches, yellow tomatoes, cilantro and a habanero. It's terrific on seafood, chicken, pork or simply as a dip for tortilla chips.

I'll be back in a few days and hopefully will have some fun stories from both the judging and from working on the farm. And if you're at the Hot Sauce Festival on Sunday, be sure and say Howdy! See you soon!

Habanero peach salsa
Ingredients:
2 large yellow tomatoes, peeled and diced
4 medium peaches, peeled and pitted
1/4 cup cilantro
1/4 of an onion, diced (about 1/4 cup)
2 teaspoons of lime juice (to taste)
½ of an habanero, diced (to taste)
Salt to taste

Method:
To peel the tomatoes, I make an X at the base, throw them into a pot of boiling water for 10 seconds, and then peel the skin. I do the same for the peaches, but leave them in the pot for 30 seconds.
Be very, very, very careful when cutting the habanero as the juices can burn your skin.
Throw everything in the blender, and mix until it has a rough consistency.

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Mexican corn on the cob: A light in August

August can make me grouchy. Doubtless it’s because I’m jealous that I’m stuck in hot, humid New York City when half the world seems to be relaxing on the beach or lounging under shade trees in the country. And I’m not alone in my testiness, it feels like everyone in the city—save for the happy-go-lucky visitors—are all walking around with scowls on their faces, pushing and shoving and looking plain miserable.

But underneath all the oppressive heat and haze is a ray of joy: the farmers’ market. The growing season is at its peak right now and I am in awe of the glorious explosion of fruits, herbs and vegetables. There is so much bounty I have a hard time deciding what to buy as I want it all!

I like to shop for food so I end up at the greenmarket at least twice a week. And yet with my frequent visits, I’d somehow managed not to buy corn this year. Perhaps it’s because corn gets such a bad rap these days, or perhaps it’s because there’s such an abundance it didn’t feel precious to me. But like all fruits and vegetables, its season is finite and while its presence is inescapable in a myriad of processed products, I try to avoid those so I probably don’t have too much corn flowing through my system. (By the way, if you have access to Whole Foods, its house brands of ketchup, mayonnaise and Worcestershire sauce are all made without high-fructose corn syrup and they taste good, too!) Plus, there’s nothing like eating fresh corn on the cob. After all, I come from a family of corn growers and I have fond memories of running through fields filled with tall, waving stalks; shucking bucket after bucket while sitting on the front porch; sinking my teeth into the colorful varieties my family had harvested; or sharing with college friends my grandfather’s popcorn on the cob.

So the last time I was at the market, I grabbed a few ears of bi-color corn, which is one of my favorite types. These little kernels are like quick hits of sweet sunshine, so tender and juicy you can eat it raw. But I also enjoy my corn cooked, so I decided to make Mexican corn on the cob—also known as elote.

I didn’t eat this growing up and the first time I ever had it was actually here in New York City at one of the more authentic hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurants. It’s a common street food in Mexico and its popularity is spreading here as well, as you can find it at the Red Hook Ball Fields on weekends, on the streets of Jackson Heights and at the 14th Street Mexican food stands on Sundays. And while I didn’t eat it when I lived in Texas, my last trip home I discovered that outside of every Fiesta there was usually a cart selling this sweet and spicy treat, which was a great appetizer before roaming through Fiesta’s abundant aisles of Mexican groceries.

Like almost all dishes, there are endless variations on elote, but most commonly it’s a cob of corn slathered in mayonnaise, cotija cheese (a semi-hard, crumbly cheese that resembles grated Parmesan), powdered chile peppers and lime juice. Sometimes, you can find it without mayonnaise and instead drenched in butter, margarine or crema. The corn can be prepared many ways, such as steamed, roasted or grilled. And while it’s often served with the cob stuck on a stick, I’ve also had it with the corn scraped off into a cup with the condiments on top ready for mixing.

No matter how you eat it, however, the end result is always the same: a sweet, crunchy, fiery, juicy (and often) messy taste of summer. I don’t have a grill, so I roasted my corn in the oven and then blackened it on my stove-top gas burner. You can also blacken it under the broiler, though mine is one of those sliding-drawer contraptions and as it’s so shallow I was afraid the husk might catch on fire. It’s best to spread the condiments on the corn while it’s still hot as this insures the fats will melt in between the kernels, providing even more succulent eating. The ground chiles (I like to use cayenne for its heat and brightness) and lime juice are essential for mitigating some of the sweetness of the corn and mayonnaise, and the cotija adds a pleasant salty, soft texture that goes well with the corn kernels’ juicy snap.

I don’t think my corn-growing great-grandparents (or even my grandparents for that matter) ever ate corn on the cob this way, but that’s a shame because it’s a reasonably healthy (if you don’t use too much mayo) summertime snack. And while I can’t wait for August to end, at least I have elote to enjoy while I wait for autumn to arrive.

Mexican corn on the cob
Ingredients:
4 cobs of corn
2 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons of mayonnaise
4 lime wedges
1/2 cup of cotija cheese, crumbled
Cayenne to taste

Method:
In an oven heated at 350, cook corn in husk for 25 minutes.
After taking corn out of oven, let it cool for 5 minutes, and then pull husk layers down, leaving them attached to the base of the cob, which can act as a handle.
If you want to blacken you corn, you can either put it under the broiler for five minutes on each side or hold it over your stove’s gas burner. Be careful to keep the husk away from the flames!
While warm, spread 1/2 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise all over the cob.
Take 1/8 cup of cheese, and sprinkle it on cob, then sprinkle on some cayenne pepper and squirt the lime over the cob.
Makes 4 servings.

Note: You can grill the corn or steam the corn; this is just how I make it. Also, instead of using the husks as a handle, you can stick a sharpened popsicle stick into the base or scrape the corn off the cob and serve this in a bowl or cup. If you don't have access to cotija cheese, you can use Parmesan instead.

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Chocolate and peanut butter ice cream sandwiches

The other night I was craving an ice-cream sandwich. Not just any ice-cream sandwich, mind you, I was craving a Big Wheel. As I walked home from work, I stopped at my local 7-11 and went straight to the freezer section. There were numerous pints of the usual brands of ice cream and some popsicles but no Big Wheels. I asked the guy working where they were. He gave me a blank look. “Don’t you have Big Wheels?” I asked. He said he didn’t know what I was talking about. Dejected, I left the store empty handed.

When I got home, I did some noodling around on the Internet and discovered that the Texas-based 7-11 stopped making Big Wheels about 12 years ago. Sadly, it was a quiet death, with nary an obituary or tribute to be found. And that’s a pity because they were the best store-bought ice-cream sandwich ever. What was 7-11 thinking?

Does anyone else remember Big Wheels? No, I’m not talking about the red and yellow plastic tricycle—though when I was little I had one of those, too. These Big Wheels were comprised of a thick patty of creamy ice cream in flavors such as chocolate, vanilla, chocolate chip or mint-chocolate chip, nestled between two large round and rich chocolate cookies—so huge it took two hands to hold them. They were an exclusive item at 7-11 and my friends and I would ride our bikes (no, not our Big Wheels, as we had outgrown them) there almost every day in the summer to grab one. Plus there was a period when my parents kept a steady stash in the freezer, always available for when I had a craving. Like most ice-cream sandwiches, when it was too warm they could turn into a mess as the ice cream melted and the cookies softened, but you just didn’t care if part of it dribbled down your chin because they tasted so good.

Most other commercial ice-cream cookies have never pleased me, especially those rectangular ones—the cookie is too spongy and the ice cream is usually just an insipid, joyless concoction. And while Big Wheels didn’t have a lock on the round format, their sheer size and the superiority of their chocolate cookie placed them in a class all unto themselves.

Apparently, last week was ice-cream sandwich day (does any food not have a day?) so I reckon something was in the ether prompting my desire. And since you can no longer buy Big Wheels, I figured I’d try and make them myself. I baked a batch of soft, chocolate cookies (and, embarrassingly, used parchment paper on my cookie sheet for the very first time—yes, I’m a bit slow to change, but why, why did I wait so long to embrace this amazing tool?) and chucking tradition, I decided to make peanut-butter ice cream instead of the usual flavors. After freezing the sandwiches for an hour or so, I took a bite, and oh my, I was back in time, riding my bike with my friends on a quest for a frozen treat to counter the humid Houston heat.

I’ve always enjoyed the combination of peanut butter and chocolate and frozen peanut-butter cups are one of my favorite sweet snacks. These ice-cream sandwiches took that pleasure one step further, as the soft cookies and the cool ice cream were luscious and smooth—so satisfying on a steamy day. Plus, I had added a dash of cayenne to my peanut-butter ice cream, and its piquancy played well with the chocolate and nutty flavors.

So while we no longer have Big Wheels (shame on 7-11 for discontinuing them!) these ice-cream sandwiches are an excellent replacement. Heck, it’s been so long since I’ve had a Big Wheel, I honestly can’t remember quite what they tasted like, so I dare say these are even better!

Speaking of big wheels and bikes, the lovely Ari over at Baking and Books is hosting a fund-raising raffle for Hazon’s upcoming New York Jewish Environmental Bike Ride. If you’re not familiar with Hazon, check them out—part of their work involves supporting local organic farms by setting up CSAs, and through their annual bike rides, they aim to foster people’s connection with the environment. Ari has over 50 cookbooks donated by publishers, so each $5 raffle ticket not only goes towards helping Hazon’s outreach, but it also puts you in the running to score a new cookbook. Sounds like a winner to me!

Chocolate and peanut-butter ice-cream sandwiches

Chocolate cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of butter at room temperature
1 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of brown sugar
1 1/2 cups of flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
2 oz. of unsweetened chocolate
2 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa

Method:
In a double boiler, melt the unsweetened chocolate.
Whip the soft butter and sugars until fluffy.
Add to butter and sugar mixture the beaten egg, vanilla and cinnamon. Mix well.
Sift the flour, cocoa, salt and baking powder. Add to butter, etc. Mix well.
Stir in melted unsweetened chocolate.
Cool dough in refrigerator for half an hour or longer.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and scoop out a tablespoon of dough for each cookie.
Bake for 8-10 minutes. (After taking sheet out of the oven, you can press down on hot cookies with a glass or spatula to flatten a bit.)
Cool on sheet.
Repeat for rest of the dough.
Makes 24 cookies.

Peanut butter ice cream
Ingredients:
3 cups of heavy whipping cream
1 cup of natural, unsweetened peanut butter (can use chunky or smooth depending on your preference)
3/4 cups of sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)

Method:
Heat the peanut butter and sugar together on medium until the sugar dissolves, about two minutes.
Whisk together peanut butter and sugar with cream, vanilla and cayenne until smooth.
Refrigerate for an hour or until chilled.
Freeze and churn according to your ice-cream maker’s instructions.

To make the sandwiches:
Chill cookies and ice cream in freezer for about an hour.
Take out and place one scoop of ice cream between two cookies, and either eat immediately or return to the freezer (either individually wrapped or several laid flat in a plastic container). As long as they’re well wrapped, can keep in the freezer for at least a week.

Note: While I was waxing nostalgic about Big Wheels, I decided to make these a bit smaller because I don’t have quite the metabolism I did when I was young. That said, you could make the cookies as large as you like.

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