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Corncakes with red pepper sauce
Preparation time: 18 minutes
Cooking time: 3 minutes per batch
Servings: 34 cakes
--This popular corncake dish from Wishbone restaurant in Chicago uses three versions of corn: whole kernel, cream style and ground.
Red pepper sauce:
1/2 cup white wine
3 shallots, minced
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 stick ( 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into Tbsps.
2 red peppers, roasted, skinned, seeded, chopped
Corncakes:
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsps yellow cornmeal
2 tsps. sugar
1/4 tsp. each: baking powder, baking soda, salt
2 1/4 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. plus 1 1/2 tsp.s Thai or other Asian hot chili sauce
2 Tbsps unsalted butter, melted
2 green onions, white and some green, thinly sliced
2/3 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1/4 cup each: cream-style corn, dry bread crumbs, vegetable oil
1. For sauce, heat the wine and shallots in a small saucepan over high heat; cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cream; cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in peppers. Keep warm.
2. For corncakes, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, chili sauce and melted butter in a large bowl. Stir in the green onions, frozen corn and cream-style corn. Stir in the reserved dry ingredients; stir in bread crumbs.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in 2 tablespoons of the batter to form corncakes 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Cook until air bubbles form on top, approximately 2 minutes. Turn the cakes with a spatula. Cook until they spring back when touched, about 1 minute. Repeat with remaining batter, adding oil as needed.
Note: Southeast Asian hot chili sauce is sold in Asian markets or in the Asian aisle of some supermarkets such as Treasure Island.
Nutrition information per corncake:
81 calories; 58 percent of calories from fat; 5 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 24 mg. cholesterol; 7 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 104 mg. sodium; 0.5 grams fiber.
Cheddar corn pudding
Preparation time: 18 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Servings: 10
--This corn pudding from chef Amanda Stine of Garland's Oak Creek Lodge in Sedona, Ariz., can be found in her new cookbook, "Sharing the Table at Garland's Lodge." The dish is great as an entree with soup or salad.
Ingredients:
4 eggs
3 cups corn kernels
2 cups milk
6 green onions, white and some green, thinly sliced
1 3/4 cups whipping cream
1 package (8 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar, pepperjack or Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1 to 2 dashes hot pepper sauce
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the eggs in a large bowl; set aside. Combine 2 cups of the corn kernels with the milk in a blender or food processor; puree. Stir mixture into the beaten eggs. Stir in the green onions, cream, cheese, cornmeal, remaining cup of the corn kernels, salt and hot pepper sauce.
2. Pour into a greased 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Bake until golden, about 40 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving:
350 calories; 65 percent of calories from fat; 26 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 170 mg. cholesterol; 19 grams carbohydrates; 13 grams protein; 335 mg. sodium; 2 grams fiber.
Taleggio polenta
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Chilling time: 1 hour
Servings: 10
--Chef Jeff Muldrow of Va Pensiero restaurant developed this recipe using a full-flavored cheese from the Lombardy region of Italy. Fontina, another cheese that melts well, could be substituted.
Ingredients:
2 quarts water
2 tsps. salt
1 3/4 cups coarse cornmeal
1 cup diced Taleggio or Fontina cheese
3 cups grated Parmesan cheese, plus more if desired
1/2 stick ( 1/4 cup) butter
Freshly ground pepper
1. Heat salted water to a boil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal; reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until water has been absorbed and the polenta is very thick, about 20 minutes. Stir in the cheeses, butter and pepper; turn off heat.
2. Pour polenta into lightly buttered 8-inch-square baking pan. Top with additional grated Parmesan, if desired.
3. Chill polenta until firm, about 1 hour or up to 12 hours. Slice or cut into squares; reheat by either roasting on a lightly buttered baking sheet, grilling, or by coating lightly with flour then sauteing in butter.
Note: Taleggio cheese can be purchased at Sunset Foods, Treasure Island and Italian markets.
Nutrition information per serving:
317 calories; 52 percent of calories from fat; 18 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 51 mg. cholesterol; 20 grams carbohydrates; 18 grams protein; 622 mg. sodium; 2 grams fiber.
Soft polenta with forest mushrooms
Preparation time: 13 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Servings: 10 appetizers
--This recipe comes from chef Rick Tramonto of Tru. It is one of his signature dishes at the restaurant and it appears in "Amuse-Bouche," by Tramonto with Mary Goodbody.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups whipping cream or half-and-half
1/2 cup polenta or cornmeal
2 Tbsps. grapeseed or olive oil
3/4 cup chopped fresh mushrooms, such as a combination of shiitake, chanterelle, black trumpet and oyster
2 each, finely chopped: garlic cloves, shallots
1 bay leaf
3 Tbsps. dry white wine
1/4 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsps. grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsps. unsalted butter
1. Heat the cream and polenta to a boil, stirring, in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are browned and softened, about 12 minutes. Stir in the garlic, shallots and bay leaf; cook, stirring, until the garlic and shallots are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the white wine; stir and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat; discard the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover; keep warm.
3. Add cheese and butter to polenta, stirring until the butter melts. Spoon polenta on each of 10 small plates; top each with some of the mixed mushrooms.
Nutrition information per serving:
296 calories; 84 percent of calories from fat; 28 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 89 mg. cholesterol; 9 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 178 mg. sodium; 1 gram fiber.
Sources for cornmeal
If your want to order cornmeal straight from the mill, according to Betty Fussell, author of "The Story of Corn," America's founding food is being rescued by at least 114 mills still producing cornmeal the old-fashioned way, grinding the whole grain, adding nothing to it, sifting nothing out of it.
The only disadvantage to using whole grains is their limited shelf life and their attraction to bugs. This can be effectively eliminated by simply keeping the products refrigerated or frozen upon arrival. This step should allow you to enjoy great flavor even after months of storage.
Online sources for milled corn products:
Wilmot Mill in Indiana: wilmotmill.com
Great River Organic Milling in Wisconsin: greatrivermilling.com
Kenyon's Grist Mill in Rhode Island: kenyonsgristmill.com
Anson Mills in South Carolina: ansonmills.com
Byrd Mill in Virginia: byrdmill.com
Copyright © 2006, The Chicago Tribune
Preparation time: 18 minutes
Cooking time: 3 minutes per batch
Servings: 34 cakes
--This popular corncake dish from Wishbone restaurant in Chicago uses three versions of corn: whole kernel, cream style and ground.
Red pepper sauce:
1/2 cup white wine
3 shallots, minced
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 stick ( 1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into Tbsps.
2 red peppers, roasted, skinned, seeded, chopped
Corncakes:
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsps yellow cornmeal
2 tsps. sugar
1/4 tsp. each: baking powder, baking soda, salt
2 1/4 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. plus 1 1/2 tsp.s Thai or other Asian hot chili sauce
2 Tbsps unsalted butter, melted
2 green onions, white and some green, thinly sliced
2/3 cup frozen whole kernel corn
1/4 cup each: cream-style corn, dry bread crumbs, vegetable oil
1. For sauce, heat the wine and shallots in a small saucepan over high heat; cook until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cream; cook until reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir in peppers. Keep warm.
2. For corncakes, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, chili sauce and melted butter in a large bowl. Stir in the green onions, frozen corn and cream-style corn. Stir in the reserved dry ingredients; stir in bread crumbs.
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in 2 tablespoons of the batter to form corncakes 2 1/2 inches in diameter. Cook until air bubbles form on top, approximately 2 minutes. Turn the cakes with a spatula. Cook until they spring back when touched, about 1 minute. Repeat with remaining batter, adding oil as needed.
Note: Southeast Asian hot chili sauce is sold in Asian markets or in the Asian aisle of some supermarkets such as Treasure Island.
Nutrition information per corncake:
81 calories; 58 percent of calories from fat; 5 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 24 mg. cholesterol; 7 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams protein; 104 mg. sodium; 0.5 grams fiber.
Cheddar corn pudding
Preparation time: 18 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Servings: 10
--This corn pudding from chef Amanda Stine of Garland's Oak Creek Lodge in Sedona, Ariz., can be found in her new cookbook, "Sharing the Table at Garland's Lodge." The dish is great as an entree with soup or salad.
Ingredients:
4 eggs
3 cups corn kernels
2 cups milk
6 green onions, white and some green, thinly sliced
1 3/4 cups whipping cream
1 package (8 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar, pepperjack or Gruyere cheese
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp. coarse salt
1 to 2 dashes hot pepper sauce
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat the eggs in a large bowl; set aside. Combine 2 cups of the corn kernels with the milk in a blender or food processor; puree. Stir mixture into the beaten eggs. Stir in the green onions, cream, cheese, cornmeal, remaining cup of the corn kernels, salt and hot pepper sauce.
2. Pour into a greased 13-by-9-inch baking pan. Bake until golden, about 40 minutes.
Nutrition information per serving:
350 calories; 65 percent of calories from fat; 26 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 170 mg. cholesterol; 19 grams carbohydrates; 13 grams protein; 335 mg. sodium; 2 grams fiber.
Taleggio polenta
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Chilling time: 1 hour
Servings: 10
--Chef Jeff Muldrow of Va Pensiero restaurant developed this recipe using a full-flavored cheese from the Lombardy region of Italy. Fontina, another cheese that melts well, could be substituted.
Ingredients:
2 quarts water
2 tsps. salt
1 3/4 cups coarse cornmeal
1 cup diced Taleggio or Fontina cheese
3 cups grated Parmesan cheese, plus more if desired
1/2 stick ( 1/4 cup) butter
Freshly ground pepper
1. Heat salted water to a boil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Slowly whisk in the cornmeal; reduce heat to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, until water has been absorbed and the polenta is very thick, about 20 minutes. Stir in the cheeses, butter and pepper; turn off heat.
2. Pour polenta into lightly buttered 8-inch-square baking pan. Top with additional grated Parmesan, if desired.
3. Chill polenta until firm, about 1 hour or up to 12 hours. Slice or cut into squares; reheat by either roasting on a lightly buttered baking sheet, grilling, or by coating lightly with flour then sauteing in butter.
Note: Taleggio cheese can be purchased at Sunset Foods, Treasure Island and Italian markets.
Nutrition information per serving:
317 calories; 52 percent of calories from fat; 18 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 51 mg. cholesterol; 20 grams carbohydrates; 18 grams protein; 622 mg. sodium; 2 grams fiber.
Soft polenta with forest mushrooms
Preparation time: 13 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes
Servings: 10 appetizers
--This recipe comes from chef Rick Tramonto of Tru. It is one of his signature dishes at the restaurant and it appears in "Amuse-Bouche," by Tramonto with Mary Goodbody.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups whipping cream or half-and-half
1/2 cup polenta or cornmeal
2 Tbsps. grapeseed or olive oil
3/4 cup chopped fresh mushrooms, such as a combination of shiitake, chanterelle, black trumpet and oyster
2 each, finely chopped: garlic cloves, shallots
1 bay leaf
3 Tbsps. dry white wine
1/4 tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper
3 Tbsps. grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsps. unsalted butter
1. Heat the cream and polenta to a boil, stirring, in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 45 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are browned and softened, about 12 minutes. Stir in the garlic, shallots and bay leaf; cook, stirring, until the garlic and shallots are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the white wine; stir and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Remove from the heat; discard the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover; keep warm.
3. Add cheese and butter to polenta, stirring until the butter melts. Spoon polenta on each of 10 small plates; top each with some of the mixed mushrooms.
Nutrition information per serving:
296 calories; 84 percent of calories from fat; 28 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 89 mg. cholesterol; 9 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 178 mg. sodium; 1 gram fiber.
Sources for cornmeal
If your want to order cornmeal straight from the mill, according to Betty Fussell, author of "The Story of Corn," America's founding food is being rescued by at least 114 mills still producing cornmeal the old-fashioned way, grinding the whole grain, adding nothing to it, sifting nothing out of it.
The only disadvantage to using whole grains is their limited shelf life and their attraction to bugs. This can be effectively eliminated by simply keeping the products refrigerated or frozen upon arrival. This step should allow you to enjoy great flavor even after months of storage.
Online sources for milled corn products:
Wilmot Mill in Indiana: wilmotmill.com
Great River Organic Milling in Wisconsin: greatrivermilling.com
Kenyon's Grist Mill in Rhode Island: kenyonsgristmill.com
Anson Mills in South Carolina: ansonmills.com
Byrd Mill in Virginia: byrdmill.com
Copyright © 2006, The Chicago Tribune