While we enjoyed this corn chowder one fine Sunday night, we had a wonderful conversation about corn chowder in general. “Cook’s Illustrated has a corn chowder,” my wife told me, “but it is insane. First, they want you to shave kernels off fresh cobs of corn. But that’s not the insane part. Then they want you to milk the cobs, then strain the resulting liquid through a cheesecloth! Do they think I am running an industrial kitchen? Insane!”

Anyway, my wife has had corn chowder on the brain for a few weeks and was looking for a recipe that didn’t require milking. She remembered that Mimi’s Cafe has good corn chowder, so she went in search of a knock-off recipe. Lo and behold, Mimi’s Cafe publishes their corn chowder recipe! Surprise!

Better Corn Chowder

adapted from Mimi’s Cafe

Ingredients

• ¼ cup butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• ½ large onion, diced
• 2 ribs celery, diced
• 2½ cups water
• 3 red potatoes, washed and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 3 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 dash of black pepper
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 cup whipping cream
• ⅓ cup dried potato flakes

Instructions

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add in the flour and whisk until a smooth roux forms, about 2 minutes. Add onions and celery and sautée until soft but not brown, about 5 minutes.

Stir in water, potatoes, corn, sugar, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer until potatoes are barely tender, about 30 minutes.

Stir in half and half, cream, and potato flakes. Simmer uncovered until soup has thickened to a creamy consistency, about 15 minutes.

Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Most migas recipes will call for jalapeno, but we feel that replacing that with bacon is a vast improvement. Of course, nothing is keeping the enterprising chef from including both bacon and jalapeno. I’m sure the enterprising chef will proceed as he sees fit.

J-Style Migas

adapted from the Pioneer Woman (who should have already thought to use bacon in her version!)

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon half-and-half
• salt and pepper
• 3 slices of bacon
• 2 whole corn tortillas
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (optional, if not enough bacon grease remains)
• ½ medium onion, chopped
• ½ green bell pepper, roughly chopped
• ½ red bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 plum tomato, roughly chopped
• ½ cup grated Monterrey Jack cheese
• ¼ cup cilantro, chopped

Directions

In a bowl, whisk together eggs and half-and-half. Add salt and pepper, then set aside.

In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Remove from heat, and set aside on paper-towel-lined plate to drain. When cool enough to handle, chop or crumble and set aside. Reserve bacon grease. Fry each corn tortilla in bacon grease until crisp. Remove to plate to drain. Chop tortillas and set aside.

Turn heat to medium-high, add a tablespoon or so of olive oil if needed, add onions and bell peppers and cook until starting to turn brown or black, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add in bacon and stir to combine. Add tomatoes to the skillet and stir around, then add tortilla pieces, stirring gently to combine.

Reduce heat to low. When the heat has decreased, pour egg mixture into skillet. Stir gently to cook with the peppers, folding mixture very gently as it cooks. Add in grated cheese and chopped cilantro, and stir to combine.

The enterprising chef may note that this recipe is more like a set of guidelines. We’ve found that 4 eggs plus the vegetables and bacon will make enough for 2 very generous servings. This can easily be doubled or tripled to serve more.

Fresh Corn Cakes

from Southern Living, July 2008

Ingredients

• 2½ cups fresh corn kernels (about 5 ears)
• 3 large eggs
• ¾ cup milk
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup yellow or white cornmeal
• 1 (8 oz) package fresh mozzarella cheese, grated
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Directions

Pulse corn kernels, eggs, milk, and butter in a food processor 3 to 4 times or until corn is coarsely chopped.

Stir together flour, cornmeal, cheese, chives, salt, and pepper in a large bowl; stir in corn mixture until dry ingredients are moistened.

Spoon about ¼ cup batter for each cake onto a hot, lightly greased griddle or large nonstick skillet (do not spread or flatten cakes). Cook cakes 3 to 4 minutes or until tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Turn and cook other side 2 to 3 minutes. Makes about 18 corn cakes.

It may interest the enterprising chef to know that these corn cakes reheat well in the oven.

No-Knead Bread

from The New York Times; they adapted it from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery, New York

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
• ¼ teaspoon instant yeast
• 1¼ teaspoons salt
• Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed

Directions

In a large bowl combine flour, yeast, and salt. Add 1⅝ cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70℉.

Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle dough with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.

Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.

At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450℉. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is okay. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Eat it as soon as possible or hide it, otherwise someone else will get it.

But I have nothing but high praise for this magazine. So far I have loved everything that we have made out of it, including this Spaghetti al Limone.

Spaghetti al Limone

from Rachel Toomey Kelsey in Cook’s Illustrated, Number 108 (January & February 2011)

Ingredients

• Table salt
• 1 pound spaghetti
• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
• 1 medium shallot, minced (about 3 tablespoons)
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest and ¼ cup juice from 2 lemons
• 1 ounce finely grated Parmesan cheese (about ½ cup), plus more for serving
• Ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons shredded fresh basil leaves

Directions

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to boiling water; cook, stirring frequently, until al dente [check the pasta package for details; ours took 9 minutes]. Reserve 1¾ cups cooking water, drain pasta into colander, and set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add shallot and ½ teaspoon salt; cook until shallot is softened, about 2 minutes. Whisk 1½ cups of reserved pasta cooking water and cream into pot; bring to simmer and cook for 2 minutes. Remove pot from heat, return pasta, and stir until coated [we were slightly worried at this point because the sauce seemed too runny, but it turned out just fine in the end]. Stir in remaining 3 tablespoons oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, cheese, and ½ teaspoon pepper.

Cover and let pasta stand 2 minutes, tossing frequently and adjusting consistency with remaining ¼ cup reserved pasta water if necessary [we didn't need to add any extra pasta water after mixing it all together]. Stir in basil and season with salt and pepper to taste [we didn't have any fresh basil on hand, so left it out]. Serve, drizzling individual portions with oil and sprinkling with cheese.

CPK serves these Avocado Club Egg Rolls that we decided are the best thing on their menu. They were so good we vowed to find a recipe and attempt to make them ourselves. Thanks to the magic of the Internet, we found the recipe on the #1 St. Louis website, and now we want to share it with you.

Avocado Club Egg Rolls

from California Pizza Kitchen

Ingredients

Ranchito Sauce:

• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1½ tablespoons hot sauce or to taste [we actually used a chipotle rub from Williams-Sonoma instead]
• ½ cup ranch dressing, plus extra for dipping

Egg Rolls:

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, grilled
• 1 avocado
• 8 (6-inch) egg roll wrappers
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 3 slices cooked bacon, chopped [or more, if you like bacon]
• ½ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Cornstarch, for dusting
• Vegetable oil, for frying

Directions

Ranchito Sauce:

In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, hot sauce and ½ cup ranch dressing. Set aside to serve with finished egg rolls.

Egg Rolls:

Slice chicken diagonally into strips about ⅓-inch thick. Cut avocado in half lengthwise; discard pit. Remove flesh from skin and slice flesh into 16 wedges.

Place one egg roll wrapper on the counter, one corner pointing toward you in a diamond (not square) shape. Stack one-eighth of the chicken, tomatoes, bacon and cheese in a line across the lower third of the wrapper, being careful to leave at least 1 inch between the filling and each edge of the wrapper. Top with 2 slices of avocado.

Fold the lower third of the wrapper over the filling, and gently pull back to tuck into a tight bundle. Wet the remaining edges of the wrapper with water. Fold sides of wrapper over filling; roll up and press edges firmly to seal.

Dust a tray or baking sheet lightly with cornstarch; place finished egg roll, seam side down, on the tray. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Heat oil in a deep skillet to about 375℉ (we had no way of knowing how hot our oil was, but a drop of water sizzled violently when dropped in the oil). Fry egg rolls about 90 seconds on each side or until golden brown. Drain well on paper towels. If desired cut in half so they cool faster (and look like they came from a fancy restaurant). Serve with Ranchito Sauce and plain ranch dressing for dipping.

This recipe is classic. It is so classic that my wife’s mother got it out of a newspaper in 1998. Posting this recipe is like preserving a bit of the past. Believe me, you can taste the history; and history tastes good—not all dusty and stale like you might think.

Update: Thanks to Miss Berrie’s helpful comment, I was able to investigate more closely the origins of this recipe. First, she is correct that this is double the original recipe, with one exception. The original called for 1 tablespoon of curry powder, and our version doesn’t double that. I wonder what it would taste like with twice as much curry powder? Twice as awesome? Possibly!!

Miss Berrie is also correct that this recipe came to us from the San Antonio Express-News, not the San Antonio Light. It was printed on May 13, 1998, in preparation for the final episode of Seinfeld.

Karen Haram, the San Antonio Express-News Food Editor that wrote the piece, got the recipe from the pages of The Doubleday Cookbook by Jean Anderson and Elaine Hanna. Unfortunately, Karen did not include a recipe for crab bisque. End Update.

Mulligatawny

from Karen Haram, San Antonio Express-News Food Editor (printed May 13, 1998); she got it from The Doubleday Cookbook

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2 small yellow onions, peeled and diced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 green pepper, cored and diced
• ½ cup flour
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 6 whole cloves (or ½ teaspoon ground cloves)
• 4 sprigs parsley
• 2 quarts chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups chopped tomatoes (or one can diced tomatoes, undrained)
• 2 cups cooked chicken, chopped
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 cups cooked rice

Directions

Sauté onions, carrots, celery, and green pepper in butter until onions are soft and clear. Stir in flour, curry, nutmeg, and cloves until well distributed. Add chicken broth, parsley, salt, pepper, and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for one hour.

Blend soup with immersion blender (or in batches in a normal blender) until completely smooth. (If using whole cloves, remove cloves before blending.)

Stir in chicken, cream, and rice, and heat through before serving. This soup also freezes and reheats very well.

That is why I admit to having a hard time calling this a “recipe”. It’s too easy. I don’t have any difficulty imagining someone could serendipitously put these three things in a food processor, just wondering what would happen, and out would pop sorbet. I’m more surprised that what comes out of the food processor is so darn good. Seriously. Best sorbet you ever had? High probability.

Babies love it, too. This one has my 18-month-old daughter’s stamp of approval.

Super-Simple Sorbet

from The New York Times

Ingredients

• 1 pound frozen fruit
• ½ cup yogurt
• ¼ cup sugar, more or less

Directions

Put all the ingredients in a food processor container along with a couple of tablespoons of water. Process until just puréed and creamy, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. If the fruit does not break down completely, add a little more water through the feed tube, a tablespoon or two at a time, being careful not to over-process or the sorbet will liquefy.

I never knew coconut came in so many different forms! And I love coconut. And so does my wife, obviously, or she wouldn’t have asked me to make this. It may appear complicated, but it really is simple to make.

Coconut Dream Tart

adapted from Once Upon a Chef

Ingredients

Crust:

• 7½ oz shortbread cookies such as Walker’s Pure Butter Shortbread, finely ground [if you don't have a baking scale, it's 11 Walker's rectangular cookies; you'll need 2 boxes]
• 1¼ cups loosely packed sweetened flaked coconut
• ½ stick (¼ cup) unsalted butter, melted

Custard:

• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, packed
• 2 tablespoons corn starch, packed
• pinch salt
• ½ teaspoon coconut extract
• 5 tablespoons cream of coconut (stir well before using) [This comes in a can, and it's weird: when cold, it congeals so that it looks kind of like wax. Submerge the can in hot water for a while to turn it back to a liquid.]
• 1 cup coconut milk (stir well before using)
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Topping:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• splash coconut extract
• ¾ cup unsweetened coconut flakes, toasted in a skillet until golden and cooled

Directions

Crust:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat to 350℉.

Pulse cookie crumbs, coconut, and melted butter in a food processor until coconut is finely ground. Using a ½ cup dry measuring cup, press crumbs firmly and evenly into bottom and up sides of 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Bake until golden, about 15 minutes, then cool completely in pan on a rack (you can speed this up in the fridge or freezer). If it shrinks or cracks a bit, simply press it back together and up the sides while it’s still hot.

Custard:

Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.

Combine coconut extract, cream of coconut, coconut milk and whole milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off heat. Whisking constantly, slowly ladle about a cup of hot milk mixture into egg mixture; whisk well to combine. Whisking constantly, gradually add remaining milk mixture to egg mixture in 3 or 4 additions; whisk well to combine. Return mixture to sauce pan. Over medium-high heat, cook, whisking constantly, until mixture reaches a boil and thickens, about 2 minutes. Filling must boil for at least 30 seconds in order to fully thicken. Off heat, whisk in butter until fully incorporated.

Pour hot filling into cooled pie shell and smooth surface with spatula; press plastic wrap directly against surface of filling and refrigerate until firm, at least 3 hours and up to 10 hours.

Topping:

Up to 3 hours before serving, beat cream, sugar and coconut extract with electric mixer until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Top tart with whipped cream and sprinkle with cooled toasted coconut.

Carefully remove the rim from the pan by gently pressing upwards on the bottom while holding the rim in place. Cut into wedges, wiping your knife clean between slices, and serve cold.

I love a nice tart apple! I love a nice fluffy pancake! I am partial to Germans, as well (just don’t mention the war). I just couldn’t miss with this recipe.

German Apple Pancake

adapted from Abby Mandel, Cooking Light, August 2008

Ingredients

• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon grated whole nutmeg
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup fat-free milk
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Cooking spray
• ½ cup granulated sugar, divided
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon grated whole nutmeg
• 1 cup thinly sliced Granny Smith apple
• 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Directions

To prepare batter, lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, salt, and ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Whisk together eggs, milk, butter, and vanilla in a small bowl. Whisk egg mixture into flour mixture. Let stand 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425℉.

To prepare apple mixture, coat bottom and sides of a 10-inch ovenproof skillet with cooking spray. Combine ¼ cup granulated sugar, cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon nutmeg; sprinkle evenly over bottom and sides of pan. Arrange apple in an even spokelike layer in pan. Sprinkle apple with remaining ¼ cup granulated sugar. Cook over medium heat 8 minutes or until mixture bubbles. (Be careful not to overcook apple-sugar, or pancake will be difficult to remove from pan after baking.) Slowly pour batter over apple mixture.

Bake at 425℉ for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375℉ (do not remove pancake from oven); bake an additional 13 minutes or until center is set. Carefully loosen pancake with a spatula. Gently slide pancake onto a serving platter. Sift powdered sugar over top. Cut into 6 wedges; serve immediately.