Craig has a gift that he’s very proud of….no, not that one (but he’s a guy, so of course he’s proud of that too). He calls himself The King of Useless Knowledge. I can verify that he is the King of not knowing anything that I think he’s supposed to know, so I guess it stands to reason (following the law of physics: for every action there is an opposite, but equal, reaction) that his title is true. He’s even found himself on a game show which spotlights this “gift.”
On that note, I thought that I would give you some fun facts that you may not have known about corn (aside from that widely known fact that the outer covering of corn is undigestible). Here’s hoping that one of these kernels (ha, get it?) of knowledge is the difference between you winning a million dollars or losing it all. And if you’re feeling generous, you could send me a bit for helping you win – my address is on my About page.
- Corn is grown on every continent except Antarctica.
- Corn is grown/produced in greater volume than any grain in the world.
- Half of the corn grown in the US is fed to livestock.
- Corn, like bamboo, is a type of grass.
- There are always an even number of rows on a cob of corn.
- For every kernel of corn on a cob, there is a piece of corn silk.
- Corn is a fantastic source of Vitamin C
- A large ear of corn (sans salt or butter) is roughly 120 calories.
Corn is one my favorite things about summer. We eat it all the time around here. So when we’re in the middle of Winter, it’s one of the foods I miss the most – well that and tomatoes. Yes, I have been known to make a dinner from sliced tomatoes and grilled corn (heaven).
This easy side dish will definitely help you get through even the gloomiest days of the season. Since it’s called curry corn…there’s definitely curry in it, which helps to amp up the golden color of the corn. Plus you get a little heat (or maybe a lot depending on the curry you use) from the curry which doesn’t hurt to brighten things up a bit.
Frozen sweet corn is a God send this time of year. If it’s fresh (meaning it hasn’t been in your freezer for eons and hasn’t been thawed and re-frozen a bunch of times) the frozen sweet corn almost tastes like the fresh stuff. A fan of the roasted stuff? You can put a nice little char on it by tossing it into a saute pan with some high heat on it to brown up (or blacken) some spots on it and get that grilled flavor without freezing your who who off and firing up the grill.
I’m always looking for an easy side dish for dinner. I usually spend a fair amount of time on the main course item, so I don’t want to have to spend the same amount of time on everything else that’s going on the plate – or we won’t eat until midnight. And if I’m cooking for friends that have kids…using corn is kind of a no-brainer. (Plus an easy side dish that might not get eaten by kids is much easier to take than one I’ve spent hours on. It’s generally frowned upon if you try to force feed your friend’s kids something they refuse to eat.) I have yet to meet a kid that didn’t like corn, but I could show you plenty that won’t touch brussel sprouts (even though their parents can’t get enough of them). And even though this is a curry corn, the kids still like it. (We’ve got a lot of Indian restaurants out here that the kids are used to. You could always back down on the curry powder a bit if you’re not sure how you’re kids will react to it.)
Relationship Advice
If this isn’t what you feel like after sex, you’re either doing it wrong or with the wrong person. That is all.
Recipe: Easy Side Dish Recipe: Curry Corn
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Butter
- 3 Tablespoons Chopped Shallot (1 very large or 2 regular sized)
- 1 Pound Frozen Corn (thawed)
- 1 Tablespoon Vermouth (white)
- 1/2 Cup Half and Half (could use milk or heavy cream)
- 1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Curry Powder
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- In a medium sized saucepan, over medium high heat, melt butter.
- Once butter is melted, add the shallot and cook for 3-5 minutes (until slightly softened).
- Stir in the corn and saute for 5 minutes.
- Next, add in the vermouth and let cook for 3 minutes (keep stirring occasionally).
- Now add in the half and half, turmeric and curry powder.
- Stir to thoroughly mix everything together and let cook until bubbles form around the edges of the pan.
- Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.
- Serve.
Quick notes
The heat in this dish is determined by the type of curry powder you use. I use a medium heat curry in my dishes, but there are mild curries to raging inferno curries out there. Always taste test your curry powder before using it if you are unsure what kind you have. Remember, you can always use a little less curry powder if you don’t want to taste as much of the curry. This recipe, as it is, still allows you to taste the corn…so it’s not that strong.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Cooking time: 20 minute(s)
Diet type: Vegetarian
Diet tags: Gluten free
Number of servings (yield): 4
Culinary tradition: USA (General)
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This is right up my alley. As an Iowa girl I do love my corn, but I also love curry. A marriage of my favorites. Look forward to trying it.
Since your Father started the N.R. Corn Festival I am happy you still like corn.
I will add this great tasting recipe to my collection. The information about
corn is always helpful for a speech that I will have to make about the
festival this spring for the festival. Thanks again.
I too love corn!! I never think of it as grass…but you’re right!!