The Brutus Salad � Watch Your Back, Caesar!

I don�t post a lot of salad videos, since, other than the dressing recipe, what am I going to teach you? Most people are pretty good when it comes to tossing things in a bowl, but I made an exception for what I�m calling a �Brutus.�

I discovered this salad at a great restaurant in Healdsburg, called Willis�s Seafood, where it was definitely not called a �Brutus,� but simply described as a, �Little Gem Salad, Dijon Vinaigrette, Fuji Apples, Aged White Cheddar, Fresh Herbs, Fried Pecans.� It sounded amazing, and tasted even better.

It was so good, I joked that it could replace the Caesar as America�s favorite tossed salad, and a few beers later, the idea to call it the �Brutus� was born. I�m explaining this not only to give credit, where credit�s due, but also to make clear it has nothing to do with politics. Yes, nothing to do with it. Nothing at all.

Normally, I would tell you to add whatever you want to this salad, but not this time. Please make it exactly as shown. Having said that, you�ll of course have to adjust the dressing to your taste, but you already knew that. I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

For the dressing:

1/4 cup real French Dijon mustard

1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

freshly ground black pepper

cayenne to taste

- the dressing should be sharp and acidic, but please adjust to your taste

For the salad:

4 hearts of romaine, cut or torn into bite-sized pieces

2 ounces extra-sharp aged cheddar

1 apple, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves, chopped

2 tablespoons dill sprigs, chopped

3/4 cup pecan halves, toasted in 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, seasoned with salt and 1 teaspoon of white sugar

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Perfect Potato Salad � Just Like Mom Used to Make

I can�t believe I haven�t posted a recipe for classic American potato salad, especially since it was such a childhood favorite of mine. As I mentioned in the video, this is the first food I can remember eating, and apparently was one of my favorite baby foods.

This is my take on my mother Pauline�s potato salad, but the actual �recipe� isn�t the main point here. This is more about what I think are the best practices for making potato salad. As long as you follow this basic procedure, it really doesn�t matter how you accessorize your spuds.

Speaking of which, onions are always a very controversial addition. If you use too many, or cut them with a dull knife, their sharp taste can overpower the salad. This can be exacerbated even more if you make it way ahead of time. So if you are going to use onions, I suggest a sweet variety like Vidalia, or Maui; and be sure to use a sharp knife.

The other major factors are making sure you use enough salt, and waiting for your potatoes the cool to room temperature before dressing them. If you�ve ever had a bad, greasy looking potato salad, I can almost guarantee it was mixed while still hot. So, don�t be in a hurry.

Other than that, not a lot can go wrong. So, whether you�re making this for your next picnic, or you want to save money on baby food, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 12 portions:

3 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed and rinsed clean
- Boil in 10 cups of water with 1/4 cup of kosher salt

2 tablespoons finely diced sweet onions, optional

2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

1/2 cup finely diced celery

3 large hard boiled eggs

For the dressing:

1 1/4 cup mayonnaise, plus more as needed

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus probably much more as needed

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

cayenne to taste

- After mixing, chill for 2-3 hours, before tasting and adjusting the salt. You�ll definitely need more, as well as usually another spoonful of mayo.

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Smashed Cucumber Salad � I Crushed This

Your cooking skills might not be the best, but the word on the street is that you�re pretty good at smashing things, sometimes even on purpose. If that�s the case, this refreshing, and very addictive smashed cucumber salad is going to be perfect for you. Above and beyond whisking up an extremely simple dressing, the success of this recipe comes down to you being able to flatten a cucumber with something heavy.

It really is as easy as it sounds, and by crushing our cucumber before we cut it, we produce flavors that un-smashed cucs can�t. When you crush the cells in a vegetable, as opposed to cutting cleanly through them, certain compounds get mixed together, which can result in a significantly different flavor. 

This is not always a good thing, and onions are the perfect example. Use a sharp knife, and they�re sweet and mild. Use a dull knife, or that thing you ordered after seeing the infomercial at 2 AM, and you�ll get something much harsher. In fact, it�s no joke that most people who don�t like onions, grew up in a kitchen with dull knives.

However, when it comes to cucumber, these ruptured cells produce a more desirable flavor, and texture. The only decision you�re going to have to make, is how long to let the cucumbers marinate in the dressing, if at all. Many chefs will toss and serve immediately, while others like to let the cucumbers chill in the dressing for a little while in the fridge, which is the method I prefer.

You�ll just have to do some tests to see what you prefer, but either way, this is one of my all-time favorite cold summer side dishes, and one I really hope you try very soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 6 portions:
2 English cucumbers (about 1 1/2 pounds total weight)

1 teaspoon granulated white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed

2 garlic cloves, finely crushed

2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar

(or regular rice vinegar with an extra pinch of salt and sugar)

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

red pepper flakes, to taste

toasted sesame seeds to garnish

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Crispy Fresh Corn Fritters with Crab and Chipotle Lime Dressing � The Other Popcorn

Everyone loves fresh, sweet corn, but there comes a time every summer when you get tired of gnawing it off the cob, which is exactly when these crispy fritters should be made. Sure, you may get splattered with a little hot oil, but I promise, it will be worth it.

Freshly shucked corn is the star of the show here, and we�re going to pack a seemingly impossible amount into our batter. Beyond the amazing taste and texture, I think you�ll be shocked by how a batter this thin, light, and crispy, can hold together so many kernels.

If you don�t know how to remove those kernels from the cob, we welcome you to check out this video to see that very technique. Other than getting your hands on some perfect summer corn, the only other thing you�ll have to decide is how to serve this.

Crab is very nice, but so is grilled shrimp, or even a ceviche, which is how they serve it at the restaurant that inspired this fritter. Regardless of how you top them, or whether you top them, I really do hope you give this great fresh corn recipe a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes about 6 Crispy Corn Fritters:

2 ears white corn (about 1 1/2 cups of kernels)

1 large egg white

1/4 cup ice water

1/4 cup self-rising flour (or 1/4 cup all-purpose flour with 1/4 tsp baking powder and 1/8 tsp fine salt added)

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

* If need be, add a little more water, or cornstarch/flour, to adjust the batter consistency to what you see in the video.

- Shallow fry at 350�F for about two minutes per side

-- Use a seasoned cast iron skillet, as this will stick in a regular stainless steel pan
For the sauce:
1/2 cup mayo
2 teaspoons chipotle
juice of one lime 

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Bomba Calabrese � This Pepper Spread is the Bomb, Literally

This amazing Calabrian pepper spread is as delicious, as it is unknown. It doesn�t even have a Wikipedia page. Hey, even I have a Wikipedia page. But, despite the fact there�s not a lot of information available, I believe I got relatively close, and really love how this comes out.

As I said in the video, I like this best served simply on sliced bread, but beyond that, this is one of the most versatile condiments I know. You can toss it with pasta; add it to a sandwich; fill an omelet; top a pizza; use it like a salsa on grilled fish; spice up a potato salad; as well as create the world�s best deviled eggs. Actually, I�ve never made deviled eggs with it, but I know it�d be the best.

I was intentionally vague with the cooking times and temperatures. Basically, once the onion, eggplant, and mushroom mixture is saut�ed, you add your peppers, and simply cook until everything is soft and tender, no matter how long it takes. You�ll probably stay between medium and medium high heat, but be prepared to adjust as need be. This is not something we want browning in the pan, before everything is cooked.

Another key is waiting for this to cool down completely, before you finalize the seasonings. We always want to adjust a recipe at the same temperature it�s going to be served at, since that just makes sense. Another thing that makes sense, and a lot of sense, is you giving this bomba Calabrese a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients to make about 4 cups Bomba Calabrese:

3/4 cup olive oil, divided

1/2 yellow onion

1 small eggplant

4-5 large button mushrooms

2 pounds hot cherry peppers (or about 1 pound after trimming)

1 pound sweet red bell peppers (or about 12 ounces after trimming)

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

1/2 teaspoon crushed fennel seeds

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 cup white wine vinegar, or to taste

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Grilled Fava Beans � Flavor Flav, Indeed

I bet fava beans would be a lot more popular if people knew how to cook them, or even what they were. For many people, these are just those mysterious, semi-scary, oversized green beans that they�re not sure what to do with.

Which is a shame, since they�re not only delicious, and easy to prepare, but also very versatile. Fava beans shine in salads, and pastas, as well as on pizzas.  The also, as I demonstrated the end of the video, make for a wonderful spread.

By the way, the ingredient amounts below are pure guesses, since this is not the kind of recipe we're going to measure stuff for. Let your conscience be your guide, but remember what we're eating is inside that charred pod, so season generously.

Fava beans should be readily available this time of year, especially at farmers markets, where they tend to be much cheaper that your high-end grocery stores. Regardless of where you find them, I really do hope you give this great bean, and even better technique a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 large or 4 small portions:

2 pounds whole fava beans

olive oil, as needed

2 lemons

1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided

3 whole, peeled, bruised garlic cloves

red pepper flakes to taste

2 tablespoons freshly sliced mint leaves

- Grill over high heat for about five minutes per side, or until the pods are soft and charred, and the beans inside are just tender.

WARNING: Some people have an allergy to fava beans. Make sure you don't.

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Eggplant �Bacon� � Because Fake Bacon is Better than Real Eggplant

I love that my wife, Michele, follows Questlove on social media, but not just because it makes me feel cooler by extension, which it does, but also because he�s a huge foodie, and this enticing eggplant �bacon� came from his Instagram.

Links were followed, and I discovered the recipe was from Minimalist Baker, and although I did tweak the technique and ingredient amounts a bit, the recipe is basically thieved from this gorgeous blog post. Thank you, Dana! By the way, there they were brushed, but I decided to dip. Because my slices may have been wetter, they did take way longer to cook.

Personal taste being what it is, you�ll have to experiment with not only your sweet-salty-smoky ingredient ratios, but also with how thick you cut your eggplant, as well as how long you cook it. I went for thin and crispy, but it was closer to a bbq potato chip in taste/texture than bacon. I may slice it thicker next time, and see if I can get some chewy bits, woven through the crispy bits.

These would make for some tasty vegetable chips, but were especially enjoyable in a BLT, which I inexplicably didn�t photo. I blame low blood sugar. Regardless of how you enjoy them, I really do hope you give this eggplant �bacon� a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes enough �bacon brine� for 2 medium-sized eggplants:

2 tablespoons maple syrup

4 tablespoons tamari, or soy sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/2 to 1 teaspoon liquid smoke, depending on strength

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, a little coarser than usual

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 eggplants, sliced to about 1/8th inch

The original recipe calls for a 225 F. oven, but I would probably start this like I finished it, and that�s in a 250 F. oven. I�d plan on at least an hour baking time, but that will depend on thickness, pans, etc. Simply cook until they are how you want.

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"Norcal" Nicoise Salad � Layered for Your Pleasure

I know I�ve made fun of salads served in Mason jars before, but when I was asked to contribute a layered Nicoise to an Allrecipes Easter feature, I immediately thought of this tragically hip presentation. Also, I didn�t have a straight-sided, see-through glass bowl to do the layered salad in.

I love a good Nicoise, and it�s perfect for layering, especially if you slice/chop up the ingredients first. Not only will your layers be easier to keep straight, but chopped salads are always a pleasure to toss with dressing. Speaking of which, I really enjoyed this avocado spiked French-style vinaigrette, and it paired perfectly with the rich, fatty, olive oil-packed tuna. 

Look for something from Spain or Italy, and you will be impressed with how much nicer it is than the stuff Charlie and his buddies are pushing. So, whether you composed this on a plate, in the classic fashion, or follow my lead, and create the world�s trendiest Nicoise, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for Nicoise (amounts are up to you)

3-4 ounces per person olive-oil packed tuna

tender green beans

Yukon gold potatoes

cherry tomatoes

hard boiled eggs

Nicoise olives, or other pitted olives

parsley and/or chives

anchovy fillets, optional

Ingredients for the dressing:

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 anchovy fillets

2 teaspoons minced shallots

1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/4 cup ripe avocado

1/3 cup olive oil, or more to taste

freshly ground black pepper

pinch cayenne

water as needed to adjust texture

salt to taste

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Baked Cauliflower Fries � How Not to Make Baked Cauliflower Fries

I won�t add insult to injury writing a long blog post about how disappointing this recipe was. The video pretty much says it all. And while I can�t honestly say I hope you try this yourself, a small part of me secretly hopes you do.

Not that I want you to experience the misery that was this recipe, but rather because maybe you�ll think of a way to actually pull this off. The taste was fine. Maybe even better than fine, but the texture was a huge letdown. You can�t win them all. Enjoy?

Ingredients for about 24 crappy cauliflower �fries:�

2 head cauliflower (about 5 pounds total), cut into florets

1 tablespoon kosher salt

- You should end up with about 3 1/2 cups of cooked, squeezed-dry cauliflower

To the cauliflower add�

2 large eggs

4 ounce (about 1 cup) shredded cheddar cheese

1 ounce (1/4 cup packed) finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

4 cloves peeled garlic, crushed fine

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1 tablespoon olive oil

more cheese to dust top

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Charred Broccoli Beef � Broccoli Week Continues

I saw a charred broccoli salad online somewhere recently, and for whatever reason I had the idea to try the same technique for a fairly classic version of broccoli beef. Getting to burn food on purpose is always fun, and in addition to adding a whole extra layer of flavor, I love how this looks.

There�s never been a pretty broccoli beef, but I�d say this is at least handsome, and to make it even more attractive, feel free to double the sauce. The amounts below make just enough to glaze, plus a few extra tablespoons, so it you want lots of sauce to saturate your rice, you should probably make extra.

As I mentioned in the video, never use cooking sherry for cooking with sherry.  Just use sherry. The kind you drink. The good news is, we�re going to let you buy the cheapest bottle at the wine store. Cooking sherry tastes horrible, and has salt added to it, which was originally there so cooks wouldn�t drink it.

If you do make this, and you�re wondering why it doesn�t taste as good as the one from the Chinese takeout place, well, I can answer that in three initials, M.S.G. I�m not a fan of what it does the body, and don�t use it in my cooking, but if you do sprinkle some in, I think you�ll find it remarkably close. Plus, they�re not charring the broccoli. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

For the beef:

1 pound skirt steak

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the sauce:

1/4 cup oyster sauce

3 tablespoons dry sherry

1 tablespoon soy sauce, plus more to taste

2 teaspoons ketchup

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch (use 2 for a thicker sauce)

Final Assembly:

2 teaspoon vegetable oil (plus a little fat from frying the steaks)

3 cloves minced garlic

prepared sliced beef

1 pound broccoli florets, charred in hot oven with a few drops of oil

pinch cayenne

4 cups steamed rice for service

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Candied Yams � So Good You�ll Forget You�re Eating Sweet Potatoes

While it�s true the �yams� used in this gorgeous candied yams recipe are really just orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, it�s also true that no one cares, �yams� sounds better, and takes less characters to share on Twitter. Like I said in the video, I only mentioned it in case �that guy� is at your Thanksgiving.

I�m not a huge sweet side dish person, but I do make an exception for these candied yams, since it�s, well, exceptional. Part of that, I believe, is using lemon instead of orange juice, since we have plenty of sweetness, and what we really need is some tartness for balance.

Speaking of sweetness, I like to use a Grade B maple syrup, since it seems to have a little deeper maple flavor; or at least that�s what Alton Brown said once, and I believed him. Having said that, any real maple syrup will be just fine.

This will be our last video before the Thanksgiving holiday, and I�ll be taking the next few days off, so just a heads-up that I won�t be around to answer questions on the blog. I�m sure you�ll be fine. Anyway, I want to wish you all a very healthy, and happy holiday, and I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 8 portions:

For the yams:

3 pounds yams, peeled, cut in 2-inch pieces,

2 quarts cold water

3 tablespoons kosher salt (or about 5 teaspoons of fine salt)

For the glaze:

4 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch cayenne

salt to taste

chopped pecans, walnuts or pistachios for garnish

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Creamy Corn Pudding � Perfect for Holidays, Weekdays, and Weekday Holidays

Corn pudding doesn�t get the same attention as some other holiday side dishes, but it�s a real crowd-pleaser that pairs perfect with all your favorite special occasion meats. 

It also looks, and tastes like you have to be a good cook to make, which happily you don�t. If you have a decent blender, or food processor, there isn�t much that can go wrong.

If you are sans mechanical pureeing device, you can still make this by using the corn kernels whole. In fact, many corn pudding makers will leave some portion whole for texture, but as I said in the video, I like the smooth version best. 

The pan under the baking dish is optional, and if you�re in a hurry, you can skip it, which will cut about 15 to 30 minutes off your cooking time; but I like that it slows the cooking, which I think improves the texture. You can do the same thing with a water bath, but that�s slightly more work, and this really isn�t that temperamental of a recipe.

Speaking of cooking time, I used an 8� x 11� baking dish, which is kind of an odd size, so if you use the more common 9� x 12� casserole, you�ll have to test for doneness, as the batter will probably cook faster. Either way, if you�re looking for a special holiday side dish, or just something delicious to throw next to sausage on a Tuesday night, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for a 12 portions:

2 pounds frozen yellow corn (buy premium quality)

3 tablespoons maple syrup

6 large eggs

1/2 cup milk
3 teaspoons kosher salt (1 1/2 teaspoon fine salt)

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup melted butter, divided (2/3 for batter, 1/3 for baking dish)

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

- Place baking dish on a sheet pan and bake at 350 F. for between 60 and 75 minutes, or until brown and just set. You may need to adjust for different size/shape baking dishes.  

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Potato Leek Soup (aka Vichyssoise) � The Perfect Autumn in San Francisco Soup

This can be a strange time of year for weather in San Francisco. Our climate can suddenly swing from hot and humid, to cold and wet; which makes this potato leek soup a very valuable addition to the recipe repertoire. 

There is nothing better on a chilly, damp day than a steaming bowl of this; and conversely, few things are as delicious, and refreshing on a hot, sweaty day than a bowl of ice cold vichyssoise. As long as you cook the leeks long enough, you can�t go wrong either way.

Since the amounts of leeks and potatoes in yours may not be exactly the same as mine, be prepared to adjust the amount of stock in this recipe. It's always easier to add than reduce, so as long as your potatoes are covered, I�d play it by ear until it�s blended, and go from there. So, no matter what the weather, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 portions:

1 1/2 pound leeks (about 4 or 5)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 1/4 pound Yukon gold potatoes

3 to 4 cups chicken broth/vegetable stock, or as needed to adjust the thickness

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup cr�me fraiche, plus more to garnish (click here for recipe video)

pinch of cayenne pepper

sliced fresh chives for garnish

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Classic Guacamole � How to Make Guacamole Like a Guacamaster

It�s National Guacamole Day, or at least for a few more hours it is. Having said that, there is no bad day to make guacamole. There are few things as easy, healthy, and delicious as this ubiquitous dip. However, unless you�re grinding your aromatic vegetation in a molcajete, or against a cutting board as seen here, you�re really not tasting a classic guacamole. 

The flavors not only become more intense, but actually change in character. This is just what those bland, fatty, but delectable avocados need. That and a thoughtful seasoning of lime juice, and maybe some more salt.

I know we�ve already posted a guacamole video, but that was like 8 years ago, and probably before I knew how to make it properly. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 12 portions:

1/4 to 1/3 cup finely diced white onion

2 tablespoons minced serrano pepper (or more jalape�o)

1/2 cup chopped cilantro, divided in half (half to grind, half to add later)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt for grinding vegetables, plus more to taste

6 small or 4 large Hass avocados

1 cup diced ripe tomatoes, drained, optional

juice of one lime, or to taste

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�Naked� Cherry Tomato Salad � Sans Skin for the Win

I�ve wanted to show this �naked� cherry tomato technique for a while now, and after having something very similar at a Japanese restaurant recently, I decided the time was right. The tomatoes this time of year in Northern California are spectacularly sweet, and there is literally no better way to enjoy them, and that includes eaten raw.

You really don�t have any idea how tough a cherry tomato skin really is, until it�s not there anymore. With this we get that same sweet/tart explosion of juicy flavor, as the fruit pops in your mouth, but with no skin to distract us. We�re talking pure tomato pleasure.

I used sherry vinegar, since my tomatoes were like candy, but if yours are less stellar, you may want to go with a sweeter vinegar, like rice or balsamic. By the way, I usually go with basil for this, but the shiso they used at the restaurant worked so perfectly, that I decided to go with mint, which has a similar fragrance and sweetness.

I realize that peeling cherry tomatoes may seem tedious, or even ridiculous, and I�m sure there was a time when I felt the exactly same way; but then you try these, and it all makes complete sense. I really hope you give these naked cherry tomatoes a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 "Amuse Bouche" sized portions:

24 perfect cherry tomatoes (3 per portion, plus extra for �quality control�)

a little fresh mint, basil, or shiso

1 tablespoon vinegar

2 tablespoon olive oil

pinch of salt and pepper

course sea salt to finish, optional

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Eggplant Escabeche � The Second Best Way to Eat Eggplant

The best way to eat eggplant is fried, which I�ll hopefully prove to you one day with a video recipe. In the meantime, you�ll have to settle for the second best way, which is this eggplant escabeche. It�s cold, refreshing, vibrantly-flavored, and I�m guessing, very healthy. 

This was inspired by a visit to a restaurant in San Francisco called Lolinda, where Chef Alejandro Morgan serves a simple, but incredibly delicious Argentinian-style eggplant escabeche. I won�t go so far as to say it came out as good, but the noises of pleasure Michele made while eating this were very similar. 

If you didn�t get the #dotsnotslots reference, I explained how to tell a �male� from �female� eggplant in a old video, which involves looking for a dot shaped mark at the end, and not a slot shaped one. This indicates a �male,� which generally has less seeds.

By the way, �male� is in quotations because eggplants don�t actually have different genders, but apparently some are less pregnant than others. I�m certainly no expert when it comes to eggplant sex, but I�ll go with that until I hear otherwise. I really do hope you give this fabulous eggplant recipe a try soon. Enjoy! 

 
Ingredients for about 2 pints:
3/4 cup sliced roasted sweet and/or hot peppers
1 large eggplant, halved, cut in 1/4 slices
1 large zucchini, halved, cut in 1/4 slices
tossed with 2 tablespoons kosher salt 
1 cup white wine vinegar 
2/3 cup water 
1/2 cup olive oil 
2 cloves finely crushed garlic 
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano 
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste
1 tablespoon freshly chopped parsley
1 tablespoon freshly chopped oregano
1/4 cup reserved vinegar cooking liquid
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 
2 tablespoons vegetable oil 
.

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Just Corn Soup � Finally, Less is More!

This is one of my all-time favorite ways to enjoy fresh, summer corn, and a great lesson in just how little help these sweet ears need. If you�re using perfect, peak season ears, a little butter, salt and pepper is really all you need. And no, water never counts.

In case you�re wondering why we blended half the corn at the beginning, even though we were going to blend it at the end anyway, I have a great reason for that. The first time I made this soup, it came out so perfectly delicious that I�m now afraid to change the steps.

I blended the corn, and started cooking; not knowing it would look so terrible and broken. It tasted amazing, but looked like a horrible mistake, so I ended up giving it a little blitz with the stick blender. That did the trick, and I had something that looked as gorgeous as it tasted.

Would it taste the same if you simmered the corn in the water, and then blended it all at the end? I�m not sure, but my instincts say no. By the way, if you don�t have a stick blender, you�ll have to carefully puree about half the soup in a blender (in batches if necessary), and then add it back in. I really hope you give this amazing corn soup a try soon. Enjoy!

Makes 4 small portions:

3 cups packed fresh sweet white corn kernels (about 3-4 ears)

3 cups cold water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

generously season with salt

cayenne to taste

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