Too Many Cooks: All Corn, All the Time

You'll be hearing from the staff at Food52 every week in Too Many Cooks, our group column in which we pool our answers to questions about food, cooking, life, and more.

Corn is one of those vegetables that encapsulates the essence of summer in its very being. There are endless ways to eat it: raw, off the cob, in sweet puddings, in bread. This week, with cobs on the mind, we asked our team:

What's your favorite way to prepare corn?

Do you douse yours in butter? Do you mix it with other fresh produce? Tell us in the comments!

Brette: Since I don't have a grill, I cut the kernels off the cob, put them on a baking sheet, and broil them -- a la EmilyC's Charred Corn and Avocado Salad. In fact, I've made some iteration of that salad 3 times since Saturday.

Stephanie: I'm going fancy on this one. I tested this Sweet Corn Budino with Blueberries and Cornmeal Shortbread recipe for James Beard and I love it. From the other end of the spectrum, Buttered Corn and Noodles. So tasty!

Kristen: I do something like this Corn, Bacon, and Clam Stew a lot, usually forgetting the bacon and clams. 

Michael: Piping hot, on the cob with butter and salt, held by those little plastic corn skewers.

Bryce: Sweet white corn on the cob. Rolled in butter. Bonus points for kitschy corn holders (mine as a kid were miniature corn cobs).

Kenzi: So were mine! Corn holders for lyfe. [sic] I'm a corn salad kind of girl (any salad, really, but I especially like avocado and salty cheese). And I wouldn't kick a corn pudding out of bed.

Maggie: I used to have even sillier corn holders: Minnie Mouse ones. Appropriate because of Mickey's history with corn. I like it raw, too, shaved off the cob so you can munch on the ends of the kernels that didn't get fully sliced off.

Emma: In any form along with tomatoes and basil. (Think something along the lines of this.)

Merrill: Corn salad with tomatoes and grilled vegetables. Or elote.

Marian: CORN PUDDING, Y'ALL!

Amanda: Corn stew, which is like corn pudding but without the egg and flour -- it's just stripped corn, simmered with a dash of cream and butter, and some corn water (from the cobs cooked in water). That's it, Y'ALL!

Allison: Straight out of the can, y'all. Just kidding! I think corn makes a great addition to any burrata dish.

Amelia: This.

Christina: Grilled, in the husk, no fuss. Then butter, salt, and Tony Chacheres.

Gabriella: Grilled on the cob, then brushed with a mixture of olive oil, sea salt, and cayenne pepper.

Allen: +1 grilled in the husk. Then butter and cayenne pepper.

Jason: Grilled on the cob with honey, butter, and cayenne under the husk. 

Hannah: I'm going plain Jane -- raw, off the cob, with a liberal amount of salt.

Maddy: I'm in the raw corn salad camp. I just made the Dilled, Crunchy Sweet Corn Salad with Buttermilk Dressing on Monday for the umpteenth time, but replaced feta with crumbled blue cheese since I had it on hand. So good. It stays crisp for days.

Lindsay: Hopping on the raw corn salad bandwagon. And also tomato and corn pie.

Brette: Ah, that tomato and corn pie!

Peter: As if you had to ask -- I prefer the Food52-Contest-Winning recipe #224 -- Amagansett Corn Salad!

Sarah: I'm a card-carrying member of the raw corn contingent. I've also never turned down a piece of corn bread with whole kernels.

Bea: High fructose corn syrup!! (Kidding.) Or cornbread with whole corn kernels!

Jennifer: Barely boiled with butter, salt, and pepper. I grew up with, and still use, the kitschy yellow corn holders, and for the record I eat my corn across the cob -- typewriter style! 

Karl: If fresh enough, raw. Otherwise, steamed just enough. Boring, I know -- but you gotta really taaaste the corn, maaan!

Lauren: Barely boiled!

Amanda Li: Barely boiled in unsalted water. This would be a more heated (and embarrassing) discussion if we discussed how you *eat* the corn.

Tell us: How do you like to prepare your corn? (You can even tell us how you *eat* it if you want.)